Sawmilling industry of the USA was harmed by Canadian exports

According to a decision made on 22 May, the NAFTA arbitration panel now shares the view of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) at the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) that Canadian exports of lumber to the USA harm the sawmilling industry there and that the related grounds and evidence presented by the USITC are conclusive.

The background of the examination by 5 binational panel was whether or not the evidence are in line with the antidumping or countervailing-duty legislation of the importing contracting party, in our case the USA. That’s why an examination of the matter under international trade law did not take place, however.

The NAFTA arbitration panel had still declared the USITC’s grounds for imposing antidumping and countervailing duty on Canadian sawn-softwood imports into the USA as unfounded in September 2019. After that, the USITC had only 90 days to solve the issues raised by the panel and to bring forward its views. Following the panel’s decision taken in September, Canadian companies had anticipated elimination and reimbursement of deposited customs duty.

Information provided according to www.euwid-wood-products.com