Canada to challenge U.S. softwood lumber duties

Ottawa [Canada], August 30: The Canadian federal government said on Monday that it will challenge the United States' duties on softwood lumber.
Canada will challenge, under Chapter 10 of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the final results of the U.S. Department of Commerce's third administrative reviews of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on softwood lumber from Canada, said Mary Ng, the Canadian minister of international trade, in a statement.
Canada is disappointed that the United States continues to impose "unwarranted and unfair" duties on softwood lumber from Canada, Ng said, adding that the only fair outcome would be for the United States to meet its CUSMA obligations and cease applying unjustified duties on all Canadian softwood lumber products.
"These unjustified duties on softwood products from Canada not only harm Canadian communities, businesses, and workers, but they amount to a tax on U.S. consumers, affecting housing affordability at a time of supply challenges and inflationary pressures," she said.
The minister said taking legal action under CUSMA represents another step in Canada's ongoing defence of its forestry sector.
The softwood lumber industry is a key driver of economic activity across Canada and an essential component of the country's forestry sector, which contributed more than 34.8 billion Canadian dollars (28 billion U.S. dollars) to its GDP in 2021 and employs some 205,000 workers, according to the statement.
On Aug. 4, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued the final results of the third administrative reviews of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders, and the new combined "all others" rate that will apply to exports from companies that are subject to the third administrative reviews is 8.59 percent, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua