British Columbia’s wood manufacturing sector says Canada’s softwood lumber dispute mechanism with the United States is a “broken process.”
The complaint by the Independent Wood Processors Association comes after the U.S. Department of Commerce posted its preliminary tariff determination for the sector, estimated at just short of 25 percent, lower than the current duty rate of more than 35 percent.
The association said Friday that while it appears tariffs may be lowered, it cautions that there is still uncertainty on whether the final rate—expected in August—will actually represent a reduction of the current duty.
Executive director Brian Menzies said in a statement that wood manufacturers are being unfairly punished, since companies do not hold timber tenures, harvest Crown timber or receive subsidies—and should not be included in the dispute….