Canada and the United States are on diverging economic paths, fuelling a rise in the value of the loonie that some expect will gather steam in the coming months. …The loonie is up 3.8 per cent against the greenback this year, a trend that threatens to hit margins at Canadian companies – particularly those in the forestry, financial services and manufacturing sectors. A interest-rate cut next month in the United States would likely drive the loonie higher. …Canada’s forestry industry… derives most of its earnings from the U.S. Half of the companies in the report get more than 50 per cent of their revenue from south of the border. Lumber producer Interfor Corp. generates 72.1 per cent of its revenue from the U.S. and paper and pulp maker Domtar Corp. comes in a close second at 67.3 per cent. …A stronger loonie also increases the cost of shipping products with a Canadian company. [a Globe & Mail subscription is required to access the full story]