WASHINGTON — The U.S. International Trade Commission failed to justify its 2017 ruling that Canadian softwood lumber hurts U.S. producers, a NAFTA panel has found. At the same time, it found “that the commission’s determination of adverse impact is lawful and supported by substantial evidence” and refused Canadian pleas to exclude specialty and premium products like Western red cedar from U.S. duties.
“Canada welcomes the unanimous NAFTA Chapter 19 binational panel decision that there were insufficient grounds for the U.S. International Trade Commission to determine that Canadian softwood lumber products had materially injured the U.S. softwood industry,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland in a statement. Meanwhile, the U.S. Lumber Council is “confident” that the original ruling will be upheld, according to a release issued by Executive Director Zoltan van Heyningen.
