Canada Opposes U.S. Decision to Appeal WTO Lumber Ruling

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Canadian International Trade Minister Mary Ng expressed disappointment over the U.S. decision to appeal against the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against softwood lumber duties. The decision to appeal is confusing especially because the U.S. has already rendered the trade body as defunct, by refusing to appoint new members.

The Canadian officials welcomed the decision by the WTO dispute resolution panel, which had sided with Canada on its protracted dispute with the U.S. over exports of softwood lumber. They termed the report as thorough, balanced and prepared after review of thousands of pages of written submissions and supporting evidences. The panel’s finding reiterates the Canadian argument that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has failed to act in an objective and unbiased manner.

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Reacting to the U.S. decision, the Minister said that Canada will continue to work tirelessly to defend its forestry sector. It will keep challenging the unlawful duties through all available means. It must be noted that the country is fighting the tariffs through the NAFTA dispute process.

Canada alleged that the U.S. has collected over $3 billion in illegal duties from Canadian softwood producers ever since its introduction in 2017.