U.S. Department of Commerce Confirms Continued Canadian Softwood Lumber Subsidies and Dumping in Fifth Annual Administrative Review

CONTACT: Zoltan van Heyningen

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February 1, 2024

U.S. Department of Commerce Confirms Continued Canadian Softwood Lumber Subsidies and Dumping in Fifth Annual Administrative Review

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the preliminary determination of a combined anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duty rate of 13.86% in the fifth annual review of unfairly traded Canadian softwood lumber imports into the United States. The review covers lumber imported in calendar year 2022.

“The U.S. Lumber Coalition supports the Commerce Department’s continued commitment to enforce the U.S. trade laws against subsidized and unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports,” stated Andrew Miller, Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition and CEO of Stimson Lumber.

“The duties simply offset the subsidies that Canadian producers receive from their governments and the Canadian producers’ unfair trade practices,” added Miller, “but they are essential to facilitate free and fair trade, giving U.S. businesses a shot to compete on a level playing field.”

Since the filing of the trade cases by the U.S. industry in 2016, U.S. sawmills have invested and expanded capacity to meet demand to build more American homes. The U.S. industry appears on track to have produced an additional 26 billion boardfeet of lumber through 2023, averaging 3.7 billion a year of added output.

The U.S. lumber industry established its right to the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties in the face of unfair competition from Canada, and the industry continues to vigorously defend the existence and enforcement of those duties in all appropriate fora.

The U.S. industry remains open to a new U.S.–Canada softwood lumber trade agreement. Canada’s lumber industry to date has not been able to agree on a unified position to present to the Canadian federal government to request initiation of government-to-government negotiations with the United States. Until this happens, the U.S. Lumber Coalition fully supports the continued strong enforcement of the U.S. trade laws to address Canada’s unfair softwood lumber trade practices.

About the U.S. Lumber Coalition

The U.S. Lumber Coalition is an alliance of large and small softwood lumber producers from around the country, joined by their employees, and woodland owners, working to address Canada’s unfair lumber trade practices. Our goal is to serve as the voice of the American lumber community, and effectively address Canada’s unfair softwood lumber trade practices, including its gross underpricing of timber. For more information, please visit the Coalition’s website at www.uslumbercoalition.org.