Bipartisan Letter Asks USTR to Negotiate Softwood Lumber Agreement

Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., and Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., are asking the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate an agreement with Canada on softwood lumber so countervailing duties can be dropped against Canadian imports. The U.S. and Canada used to have an agreement that limited Canadian exports when prices were low, and opened access to avoid price spikes like the one currently underway. In their letter, sent May 17 with 96 signatories, they said the countervailing duties on Canadian lumber have caused "unnecessary cost increases to industries that use softwood lumber, such as residential home construction. We now call upon you to represent American interests on this critical issue by pursuing a balanced agreement with Canada. We, as Members of Congress, stand ready to discuss this issue and potential solutions with you. We consider such a balanced agreement to be in the interest of the United States because it would provide predictability for lumber producers and homebuilders so they can continue to help the economy recover from the events of the past year."