A North American Free Trade Agreement panel has upheld the latest U.S. lumber industry trade complaint against Canadian softwood lumber, but there are other rounds ahead, a B.C. forest industry leader says.

In a May 22 ruling, the NAFTA panel reviewed the U.S. International Trade Commission91裸聊视频檚 determination of 91裸聊视频渋njury91裸聊视频� to U.S. lumber trade from Canadian lumber, in the latest of a decades-long series of trade and legal actions brought by U.S. forest industry representatives.

B.C. Council of Forest Industries president Susan Yurkovich, who also leads the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, said the 91裸聊视频渦nsupportable decision91裸聊视频� doesn91裸聊视频檛 change Canada91裸聊视频檚 position.

91裸聊视频淓ven with today91裸聊视频檚 decision affirming the USITC remand determination on injury, the Canadian parties still have pending World Trade Organization and NAFTA challenges to the Department of Commerce91裸聊视频檚 underlying countervailing duty and anti-dumping duty determinations that have yet to be resolved,91裸聊视频� Yurkovich said in a statement.

91裸聊视频淲e are confident that those proceedings will yield favourable results as they have done in the past, and the duties ultimately will be ruled to be unwarranted.91裸聊视频�

RELATED: U.S. softwood lumber dispute 91裸聊视频楪roundhog Day91裸聊视频� for B.C.

In a preliminary finding in February, the U.S. Commerce Department determined that the current countervailing and anti-dumping penalties should be reduced by half, but that isn91裸聊视频檛 expected to be final until late this summer.

B.C. is the largest Canadian exporter of softwood lumber to the U.S., accounting for half of Canada91裸聊视频檚 sales when market conditions are normal.

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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