U.S. expected to demand billions in penalties over B.C. softwood lumber

[LeighAnn]

Source: CTV News

The United States is expected to seek billions of dollars in penalties Tuesday when it files its case to back a claim that British Columbia is subsidizing wood damaged by the mountain pine beetle.


The U.S. Trade Representative is slated to present a brief to the London Court of International Arbitration seven months after it alleged that British Columbia was breaking the 2006 softwood lumber agreement by selling the province's timber at artificially low prices.

<snip>

The U.S. accused the provincial government of "dramatically" increasing the amount of beetle-infested timber it was selling at the cut-rate price of 25 cents a cubic metre.


The price hike has given B.C. mills at unfair advantage in softwood sales, said the complaint.



Read more: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110808/bc_softwood_lumber_penalties_110808/20110808/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

[Psephos]

1. There go those ruthless, cut-throat Canadians again.

Marking down damaged goods, when we could cut down perfectly healthy US trees instead.

Lines on a map make us do crazy things.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Hmm

:rofl:

[Downwinder]

3. Who are we protecting? Georgia- Pacific (Koch)?

I might be tempted to play some politics with this one.

[whosinpower]

4. You want the beetles?

Trust me - you can have em! Then you too can drop your prices.

How many times does the softwood lumber issue keep rearing its head?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_%E2%80%93_Canada_softwood_lumber_dispute

Read it and weep. This is like the ever ready bunny....it just keeps going and going and going.....

[robcon]

5. If BC is willing to pay to lower the prices of plywood, we should take them up on their offer.

Stupidity knows no bounds... thanks, BC, for lowering our costs.