USLC: ITC Finds Canadian Subsidies Harm U.S. Producers and Workers; Restores Fair Trade in the Softwood Lumber Industry

CONTACT: Zoltan van Heyningen
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December 7, 2017

USLC: ITC Finds Canadian Subsidies Harm U.S. Producers and Workers; Restores Fair Trade in the
Softwood Lumber Industry

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled today that the U.S. lumber industry is materially injured by Canadian government subsidies of their softwood lumber industry. Voting 4‐0 in favor of the U.S. lumber industry, the ITC ruling follows a U.S. Department of Commerce determination that imports of softwood lumber from Canada are sold in the United States at less than fair value and subsidized by the government of Canada.

“The U.S. Lumber Coalition fully supports the enforcement of America’s trade laws. The evidence presented to the ITC was clear ‐ the massive subsidies that the Canadian government provides to its lumber industry and the dumping of lumber products into the U.S. market by Canadian companies cause real harm to U.S. producers and workers,” said U.S. Lumber Coalition Co‐Chair and Co‐President of Pleasant River Lumber Company, Jason Brochu. “Now, with a level playing field, the U.S. lumber industry, and the 350,000 hardworking men and women who support it, can have the chance to compete fairly.”

“With the enforcement of U.S. trade laws, lumber mills across the country will be able to make important investments in employees and mill operations so we can expand production to meet demand,” added Joe Patton, U.S. Lumber Coalition Co‐Chair and Vice President of Wood Products at The Westervelt Company.

Additional information and background:

In November 2016, the Committee Overseeing Action for Lumber International Trade Investigations or Negotiations (COALITION) petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission to restore the conditions of fair trade in softwood lumber between the United States and Canada.

In November 2017, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its final determination that Canada subsidizes softwood lumber production and that exporters from Canada have sold softwood lumber to the United States at less than fair value, distorting the U.S. softwood lumber market to the detriment of U.S. sawmills, their employees and communities. The antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of Canadian softwood lumber products into the United States, and the U.S. Lumber Coalition’s statement can be found here.