The Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports is calling on parties involved in the U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement t…
The Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports is calling on parties involved in the U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement to make sure they are in full compliance with the agreement. The coalition says this is the key to making the SLA a workable, lasting alternative to litigation. The Coalition also took the opportunity to call attention to what it perceives as Canadas failure to abide by the agreement.
The coalition recently released a document commenting on public statements that suggest the SLA is not durable because it is overly complicated and U.S. parties are needlessly questioning Canadian government compliance with the agreement. The document also takes into account allegations that disagreements are in fact due to a supposed lack of competitiveness on the part of the U.S. lumber industry.
Coalition chairman Steve Swanson has come out in favour of the agreement, saying, The SLA is a compromise, and we would have much preferred fully open and competitive Canadian timber markets as the solution to the unfair trade problem. But the SLA can and should be an enduring solution if its requirements are observed. The Canadian government presently is not applying export measures as required by the agreement, and provinces are providing forbidden subsidies. It is imperative that these issues be resolved quickly, and we support ongoing efforts to resolve them. All that we have ever requested is a level playing field. Open and competitive Canadian timber markets would provide that. It is disappointing to see the competitiveness red herring repeated again.
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