June 21, 2021

Canadian Softwood Lumber Industry Wants U.S. Refunds

Canada’s softwood lumber industry wants the Biden administration to refund billions of dollars that companies have paid since 2017 to cover anti-dumping and countervailing duties.

British Columbia Lumber Trade Council President Susan Yurkovichshe contends that the tariffs were unwarranted and should never have been imposed.

Any reimbursement would likely come as part of a broader agreement on softwood lumber between the U.S. and Canada. Canada has repeatedly asked the U.S. to come to the negotiating table — most recently during a G-7 summit confab between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Biden.

“The United States is open to resolving our differences with Canada over softwood lumber, but it would require addressing Canadian policies that create an uneven playing field for the U.S. industry,” says Adam Hodge, a spokesperson for the U.S. trade representative. “Unfortunately, to date, Canada has not been willing to adequately address these concerns.”

Lumber is not the only point of contention. Ottawa has also requested a dispute settlement panel under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to address the 18% tariff the U.S. has in place on the country’s solar products.

The tariffs, introduced in the twilight of former President Donald Trump’s term in office, have so far been maintained by the Biden administration. “These tariffs are unwarranted and damaging to the global competitiveness of our long-established, secure, and deeply integrated supply chains,” Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng said in a statement.

(Source: Politico)