The BC Lumber Trade Council is calling for collaboration and dispute resolution over continued litigation in the ongoing Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute.
It is pressing the issue after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced yesterday (Thursday) a final average of 7.99% for countervailing and anti-dumping duties on shipments of BC softwood lumber south of the border.
Linda Coady, the President of the BC Lumber Trade Council, says both sides would be better served by a resolution.
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“When you look at the amount of money and time that’s going into this litigation process, it doesn’t take too long to conclude that the interests of both Canadian and US producers alike would be better served by both sides working to resolve the dispute, and working together to grow the markets domestically and internationally. Resolving this dispute would also allow both countries to focus more on critical issues in our forest sectors, including climate change, cross border wildfire protection, and housing affordability.”
Coady says the dispute has dragged on for far too long.
“What we’re saying today on behalf of BC lumber producers is that it’s time to try and get this dispute resolved, and one of the best ways to do that historically has been through appeals processes that are also part of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement. The U.S. has dragged its feet in setting up these appeal processes. Originally under the terms of this current complaint these panels would have been set up as much as five years ago, so we’re running 5 years behind in the appeal process so we’re calling upon Canada, our federal government, to talk to the US federal government and get these appeal panels sped up.”
Coady says Canada has usually won the appeals in the past, and she says that then creates the incentive among U.S. producers to come to the table and work on a joint resolve.
She says the bottom line is that these duties are unwaranted and unfair because BC and Canadian lumber producers are not subsidized.
– Files from George Henderson, My Cariboo Now