Canada exploring new solutions to end U.S. softwood lumber trade dispute: Ng – National | 24CA News
The federal authorities in Ottawa is pushing again towards the newest U.S. choice to maintain imposing duties on Canadian softwood lumber.
Canada has filed for a judicial overview of final month’s Commerce Department evaluation of the levies, which International Trade Minister Mary Ng described in a press release as “unfair, unjust and illegal.”
Ng framed the transfer as an effort to escalate the issues of exporters whereas including an impetus on the U.S. to think about a negotiated resolution to a dispute that has plagued Canada-U.S. relations for many years.
“We have to continue to explore new ways (to resolve it), because the industry expects us, expects me and expects my government to — (and) so do their workers,” she stated Tuesday throughout a cupboard retreat in Charlottetown.
“It would be much, much more preferable that we get to the negotiating table, and let’s come together and let’s have a deal. But in the meantime, we’re going to use all the tools at our disposal to stand up for the industry.”
The newest administrative overview by the U.S. Commerce Department resulted in a modest lower within the so-called “all others” mixed obligation price, however saved it in place at 7.99 per cent.
In Canada, lumber-producing provinces set so-called stumpage charges for timber harvested from Crown land, a system that U.S. producers — pressured to pay market charges — say quantities to an unfair subsidy.
It’s not the primary time Ng has pushed her U.S. counterparts to assist hammer out an answer. But U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai has stated negotiations can solely occur as soon as Canada does away with its stumpage charge regime.
“We continue to share with the Canadians that we are committed to the robust enforcement of U.S. trade remedy laws,” Tai’s workplace stated in a press release.
Pushing again towards “unfairly traded Canadian imports” stays a precedence for the Biden administration, it added.
“We are prepared to discuss another softwood lumber agreement when Canada is ready to address the underlying issues related to subsidization and fair competition so that Canadian lumber imports do not injure the U.S. industry.”
Canada, in the meantime, has efficiently argued at World Trade Organization dispute panels previously that its stumpage-fee system shouldn’t be a subsidy, which is precisely why the federal government feels it stays in the suitable, Ng stated.
“I mean, it has ruled exactly that conclusion to Canada, which is why it’s so important that Canada continues to defend our interests against these tariffs.”
The Commerce Department’s fourth administrative overview of the duties, introduced final month, established a mixed price of seven.99 per cent, solely barely lower than the 8.59 per cent established after its earlier overview.
That choice was cheered by U.S. lumber producers, who say the duties maintain the taking part in subject degree south of the border and permit the home forestry and development industries to thrive.
Such enforcement “is exactly what must happen for enduring expansion of U.S. lumber manufacturing and availability to meet demand to build more American homes,” stated Andrew Miller, chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition.
“Failure to fully enforce the trade laws would only undermine long-term confidence in expanding U.S. sawmilling capacity and jobs in the American softwood lumber industry.”
The U.S. trade “remains open” to a brand new settlement on softwood lumber, however Canadian producers have but to agree on a “unified position” that might permit the 2 governments to barter one, the coalition says.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
