U.S. lumber industry praises WTO decision on Canadian softwood

U.S. lumber industry praises WTO decision on Canadian softwood    The U.S. lumber industry applauded a decision earlier this week from the World Trade Organization siding with the U.S. government’s assessment of duties against imports of Canadian softwood lumber.
   “Any objective person looking at this dispute must now acknowledge that Canadian lumber is heavily subsidized and dumped into the U.S. market,” said Steve Swanson, chairman of the Washington-based Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports, in a statement.
   “We remain committed to a negotiated solution to this dispute, but we will not deviate from demanding that the U.S. trade laws must be fully applied against all harmful and unfair Canadian lumber trade practices, both old and new,” he added.
   The coalition also continues to seek reform of the North American Free Trade Agreement Chapter 19 system.
   For more details about the trade dispute, read the April issue of American Shipper, pages 40-41.