B. Diamond wrote:
"Since 1996, the import of softwoods from Canada into the U.S. has
been regulated by the U.S./Canadian Softwood Lumber Agreement.
This agreement was reached because the Canadian government has
historically subsidized production of lumber to even a greater degree
than it is subsidized in the U.S."
Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding of this Agreement was that
it arose out of the refusal on the part of the U.S. to accept the judgement
of a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) dispute resolution panel
with representatives from both countries. My understanding is that the
panel ruled on 3 separate occasions that Canada did not unfairly subsidise
the production of lumber vis a vis the U.S. government's subsidisation of
its industry. It is also my understanding that it was the U.S. lumber lobby
that forced Canada to agree to some kind of lumber duty despite the
judgement of the panel. I'm sure Patrick knows more about this.
Mark Robson
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"Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be
counted counts." Albert Einstein
"Science is only a tool; in the end all managerial decisions are moral, not
technical." Jack Ward Thomas
"Ecosystem management is more about people than anything else."
Hal Salwasser
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