'which is what the U.S. wants'
This is what the yellow pine lobby wants, not the US ... i really don't think a country of that many millions has as a national characteristic a desire to see us price ourselves out of the market and into starvation, just to please the DC backroom boyz by increasing their own housing costs .... yes the public is 'only dimly aware' of lumber, and not at all aware of what their 'Commerce' department is doing, we know this quite thoroughly, and recognise it as the basic problem .... that's why i typed the first line you quote in your post here, it's the core of the matter, always has been
Sure we would lose in a trade war, everybody loses in war, except the few creaming off a profit out of it, in this case the pine lobby ..... we did not ask for this war, we have had it thrust upon us, and it is on now ... you speak of it as a future potential thing, but it has been in full swing since August of 2001 ... for us it is a matter of defense, and yes we are fully aware that we are greatly outweighed in federal machinery, until we can awaken enough of your fellow citizens and you start cleaning up your federal capital
Remember that the US only produces roughly two thirds of its own consumption of lumber .... the price would have to rise considerably before use fell to meet a slightly rising supply and the proportion was increased to three quarters or four fifths .... what really happens, and it's happening now, is that other lumber starts getting imported, like the siberian wood coming in stronger now, other sources as well, more than a little european product landing recently, they say
'just slap a hefty export tax on the lumber - make the price prohibitive, and the pine lobby won't squawk any more, you mean? ... well i guess not, lol .... i think you're making the mistake of taking their words at face value - we do not, we know better, we've had to deal with their crap for many years now .... never mind what they say, what they want is 1. to get their land appraisals bumped up, and 2. some of them hope to so break our forestry that they can come in and scoop it up for nothing, along with the land itself if at all possible .... and should that latter come to pass, you won't see them advocating any export tax then, no sirree, lol |
