Senators Again Call on Administration to Conclude Softwood Lumber Agreement

Twenty senators wrote to the Obama administration (here) in support of a signing a new U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA) that will limit Canadian lumber exports and bring back stability for industries in both countries. “We understand that the U.S. government has submitted detailed proposals to the Canadian government that would establish an agreement consistent with the terms of the Joint Statement” reached on softwood between Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in June, said the letter, led by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. In June, Obama and Trudeau called for any agreement to reflect an agreed-upon market share, provisions to address product scope, remanufacturing, and joint market development issues, and region-specific provisions, if necessary, among other things. “If an agreement cannot be reached with the Canadian government that is fully consistent with these principles and the U.S. lumber industry exercises its rights to file new trade cases, the U.S. trade laws must be fully enforced to respond to subsidized and dumped Canadian lumber imports,” the senators wrote.