GROUP PRAISES U.S./CANADA EFFORT TO RESOLVE SOFTWOOD LUMBER DISPUTE

GROUP PRAISES U.S./CANADA EFFORT TO RESOLVE SOFTWOOD LUMBER DISPUTE    The largest lobbying group for U.S. lumber interests praised U.S. and Canadian government officials for their efforts to resolve a long-running softwood lumber dispute between the countries.
   “There have been good faith efforts on both sides of the border and the negotiations should benefit from a recess to allow for reflection,” said the Washington-based Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports in a statement.
   The coalition, which represents a broad alliance of trade associations and lumber companies, has criticized the Canadian lumber industry over the years for exporting softwood lumber to the United States at below-average market price.
   The U.S. Commerce Department, U.S. Trade Representative, and Canadian provincial and federal government officials, along with related industries on both sides of the border, are moving closer to developing a policy bulletin and setting standards for a market-based timber sales system, more in line with U.S. law, the coalition said.
   “When such standards are met, and a (Canadian) province demonstrates that timber is sold at a competitive market price, the (Commerce) Department will revoke the countervailing duty order on a provincial basis,” the coalition said.