It's thirty-seven months ago today, that they started this round of harassment .... i dunno if this is the war won, kinda think not, it's just another battle won ..... the yellow pine lobby can still do this 'extraordinary challenge' thing, and since it provides another excuse for dragging things out, they probably will .... as long as they can make things difficult for BC, they will, because that's what they're all about
Here's a release from the lumber trade alliance -
' Softwood Lumber Injury Case Ends in Victory for Canada
VANCOUVER, Sept. 10 /CNW/ - The Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance (CLTA) is pleased that the International Trade Commission (ITC) decided on Friday to comply with the decision of the NAFTA Panel and issue a negative threat of injury decision. The ITC decision is long overdue, but it fully vindicates what the Canadian industry has said all along - imports from Canada do not threaten the U.S. industry. The ITC has always acknowledged that imports from Canada were not currently injuring the U.S. industry, and its negative decision confirms that there also is no future threat of injury.
Without the ITC's threat of injury finding, the U.S. does not have grounds to impose the countervailing (CVD) and anti-dumping (AD) duties currently totaling 27%. Nothing else the Department of Commerce (DOC) or the ITC does from this date forward has any practical significance. Under the NAFTA and U.S. law, the DOC has no discretion in the matter - it must revoke the CVD and AD orders, stop collecting duties and return the $3.4 billion CND in punitive duties collected so far.
The CLTA has been waiting over two years for this decision from the ITC. The CLTA hopes this decision signals to the U.S. industry that it is time to end the years of legal bickering and work to build a strong, vibrant North American lumber industry. The CLTA, however, recognizes that the legal fight may not yet be over. Whenever the U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports loses, it immediately looks for a scapegoat, and this case will be no different. It will try and convince the U.S. to file a so-called "extraordinary challenge" on the basis of frivolous allegations against the NAFTA Panel. The U.S. extraordinary challenge failed in the prior lumber case in 1994, and the Canadian industry is confident it will fail again this time. No Panel decision has ever been overturned by an extraordinary challenge, and this one will not be the first.
The Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance worked together to defend Canadian interests before the International Trade Commission. The Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance includes: The BC Lumber Trade Council, Alberta Softwood Lumber Trade Council, the Ontario Forest Industries Association, the Ontario Lumber Manufacturers Association, Free Trade Lumber Council, and the Québec Forest Industry Council.'
cnw.ca |
