Trump Administration To Impose 20 Percent Tariff On Canadian Lumber

[thackney]

Trump Administration To Impose 20 Percent Tariff On Canadian Lumber
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/25/525512179/trump-administration-to-impose-20-percent-tariff-on-canadian-lumber

The Trump administration announced it will impose a 20 percent tariff on imported softwood lumber from Canada.

The dispute is not new — the United States and Canada have sparred over imports of forest products for decades. But the action comes as the two nations prepare to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which President Trump has harshly criticized.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the tariff will be applied retroactively.

"We tried to negotiate a settlement but we were unable," just as previous administrations were also unable to resolve the dispute with Canada, Mr. Ross said, adding that the Trump administration has notified Canada of its decision."

Ross's announcement is the beginning of a process involving several U.S. government agencies, which must determine that the domestic timber industry has suffered harm before the tariff can be imposed.

The U.S. timber industry has complained for decades that Canada subsidizes its lumber products which are then sold at below-market prices in the United States....

[Frank Cannon]

Is this like the 30% tariff Bush imposed on Canadian wood in 2002?

[thackney]

Is this like the 30% tariff Bush imposed on Canadian wood in 2002?

Sounds like it.

http://money.cnn.com/2002/03/22/news/lumber_tariffs/

[thackney]

...In an interview Monday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the tariff will be applied retroactively and imposed on Canadian exports to the U.S. of about $5 billion a year....

http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/04/24/trump-plans-to-impose-tariff-on-imports-canadian-softwood-lumber.html

...The trade row between the U.S. and Canada over lumber dates back decades, although the countries struck a deal in 2006 that stopped the U.S. from imposing additional duties. Under that arrangement, which expired in late 2015, Canadian forest producers agreed to accept either a quota on U.S.-bound exports or pay a tax on goods shipped to the U.S. in exchange for no tariffs....

[ABX]

Is this like the 30% tariff Bush imposed on Canadian wood in 2002?

Trump should probably hope not. As I pointed out in the other thread, that tariff was in dispute for a half decade and ended up costing the US $5 Billion in addition to having to sign the softwood logging agreement to agree not to impose tariffs again (just expired).

That tariff ended up putting us in the hole.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Just makes lumber more expensive for Americans. 

[Frank Cannon]

Trump should probably hope not. As I pointed out in the other thread, that tariff was in dispute for a half decade and ended up costing the US $5 Billion in addition to having to sign the softwood logging agreement to agree not to impose tariffs again (just expired).

That tariff ended up putting us in the hole.

If you knew what you were talking about you would know that it cost us nothing. The $5 billion was the tariff we collected being returned in exchange for the Canucks playing fair with their stumping fees.......which they didn't. They got called out numerous times since '06.