USMCA Dispute Panel Objects US Duties on Canadian Softwood Lumber

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The dispute panel of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has ruled against the duties imposed by the U.S. on Canadian softwood lumber. This marks an important milestone in the long-pending trade dispute between the two countries.

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The decision by the USMCA panel was welcomed by Mary Ng, the Canadian Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade, and Economic Development. The ruling underscores the country’s longstanding claim that the countervailing U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber are unjust and against the U.S. law. She reiterated Canada’s commitment to arriving at a mutually viable solution to end the dispute. Meantime, the Minister expressed disappointment with certain decisions made by the panel.

The ruling by the USMCA panel represents a significant step towards rectifying longstanding trade issues, thereby providing potential signals for positive trade relations between the U.S. and Canada in future.

A resolution of the softwood lumber trade dispute between the two neighbouring countries will have its impacts not only in the softwood lumber industry, but beyond it. This would ensure economic stability and progress in the entire North American region.