Lumber Letter Report Sparking Concern

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 04:01 AM

A letter from the Bush Administration to the US lumber producers leaked to Vancouver Sun Reporter Gordon Hamilton is sparking wide spread comment in the forest industry across the province.

Local Producers are saying that if even a portion of the letter is true, then the US Government is set to give the US lumber producers the hammer over the Canadian industry.

Forest experts say the agreement, if followed in the recommendation, would see the Canadian industry chained to seven years of domination under the US lumber producers.

According to the Sun report, the US Government has told its industry that the whole purpose of negotiating a softwood lumber deal is to mitigate, to the greatest extent possible, Canadian lumber trade practices that it claims are unfair.

The report goes on to say the US government will consult the US lumber coalition, the main opponent to the proposed pricing system and the group which has lobbied to have the duties in place. It is also the same group seeking payment of the money collected in countervailing duties.

The newspaper account of the letter goes on to say the US Administration will consult with its lumber industry and take action if BC policy for beetle-damaged timber results in lower costs. The US could terminate the agreement, the letter states, a move that would plunge both sides into a new round of Litigation.

Canada has won all of the arguments before the North American Free Trade panel. The panel has ruled that the Canadian forest practices do not harm the US producers.

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Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 04:01 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: owl on June 21 2006 4:40 AM

It appears that neither Harper or Emerson are capable of dealing with the "big boys".

So we have a guy leading this country who is just another one of those who counts his chickens before they hatch, or really does not deal with details and has no understanding. Now I can see why he wants to shut up his cabinet. He is afraid they will show him up as not really being leadership material.

I wish this country good luck.

Posted by: diplomat on June 21 2006 10:24 AM

Well, he had promised during the election campaign that under his guidance and with Emerson's unequalled skills the whole thing would be settled between him and his buddy from Texas in no time at all.

Go figure.

Even the willingness to give up a billion in illegally collected duties doesn't seem to make any difference.

We are on the blacklist for a reason that is out there in plain sight - and it doesn't have anything to do with lumber.

Posted by: owl on June 21 2006 11:42 AM

You'reprobably right diplomat.

I suppose with Canucks in Iraq, the whole problem in that country would have been solved by now, we would have been the heroes of the world, and we could have sold all the lumber we wanted to.

Somehow I think we also got caught up in a refreshed nationalism in the USA which looks at other countries trying to take advantage of the largesse of the people who let in millions of "alien" invaders from the south, farm out millions of well paying high tech jobs to India and buy too many cars made in Canada and electronics from the far east. Of course, the war effort and the revenous hunger for oil has nothing to do with it.

Anyway, this too shall pass. I mean, what would life be like without these mini crisis such as a North Korean missile flying overhead on the way to Chicago,a mere 6,200 miles or New York, just another 400 or so miles, all supposedly within the range of one of their missiles with an apparent range of 9,000 miles.

Here is the apparent result of a previous test according to a SK newspaper.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200303/kt2003030417272311970.htm

and the current concern is still there:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060621/NEWS07/606210363/1009

Posted by: owl on June 21 2006 11:47 AM

Oh, I forgot to mention that the flight path to New York or Wasington would take it over Ottawa. I am sure that just like severl of the House reps and Sentors are still saying about 9/11, the attack came through Canada so we have to tighten borders with that pinko nation because they just do not understand security.

Maybe the US will put a bid in on the sale of Moose Spring Resort and re-open it as a Distance Early Warning site while keeping an eye on those ornery northerners.

;-)

Posted by: diplomat on June 21 2006 1:26 PM

Lumber is good material for the making of boxes, such as coffins.

You have a good sense of humour, although the killing of 44,000 women, children, men and seniors is not to be forgotten when looking at that part of the world.

Let's not get caught up in any such nationalism. One can be patriotic and still treat others with respect and compassion.

The sun shines on all people equally and we all breathe the same air.

The notions of empire building and colonialism should be relegated to the dust bin of history.

That's my humble opinion.

Posted by: kimbo on June 21 2006 2:21 PM

I'm at the point were I find it very difficult to believe what comes out of the media. A story like finding missel parts in Alaska or even the recent arrests of the 17 terroists in Canada. The CIA has the power to pull off any number of stunts to back up their President .

Look back on the weapons of mass destruction story. Its all smoke and mirrors. The Americans actually knew and were warned that terrorists were becoming more active in the USA before 9/11 took place but did nothing about it.

I guess you can call it "nationalism" but I think its this little guy from Texas thats saying, dont mess with me cause I'm vindictive and I'll put you in your place.

Posted by: camoose on June 21 2006 4:18 PM

Lets just carry on with the legal action against the US lumber tariffs or did Harper give that up also. George Doubleya seems to think that might and size is always right. With an attitude like his it's no wonder that Central America is turning to socialism. Taht's my opinion y'all.

Posted by: Palopu on June 21 2006 8:10 PM

Maybe all you anti-US complainers should have said something years ago. We have sold most of our lumber production to the USA because we were to lazy to get off out butts and sell it in other markets around the world. As a result the Americans now have us where they want us. We are trying desperatly to sell to Japan, and to expand markets in China and India, however in our good old lazy Canadian ways we are a little late. Dont blame the Americans, when in fact we are the cause of our own misfortunes.

We have done the same thing with our Military. We have sat on our butts and spent our money on usless things, and high paid politicians, and let the Americans supply the safekeeping of the North American Continent. The chickens have now come home to roost. There is little doubt that the Americans have stated on the **QT** that we better get involved, or we will feel the financial pinch. Like it or not we are **Hoisted on our own Petard**

Of all the Prime Ministers in the last 10 or more years, I would suggest that Harper will get us out of this situation, much faster, and in better condition, than previous Prime Ministers. Dont sell him short as he is nobodys fool. A few of our previous Prime Ministers were no more than Court Jesters.

Posted by: spanky on June 21 2006 8:18 PM

hey , i called creepy stevie a sellout before the last election and all of you clowns said he was the man. well stand up and be counted. i see no one. figures

Posted by: Palopu on June 21 2006 8:56 PM

Spanky. Most of Canada was sold to the Americans before Harper was born. Dont try to download the assine decisions of the past 60 years on Harper. Look to yourself and others like you if you want to see what the real problem with this Country is.

Posted by: thereasonableman on June 21 2006 11:24 PM

I don't think this dispute will be settled until America elects a different President. Bush is relentlessly vindictive to the point of being a character flaw and he is furious with everyone who didn't join the party and thus hung him out to dry, in his eyes. He will never relent. He will crush us any way he can, and taking our money and giving it to American Lumber Producers, is just his way of saying "This is personal". It can be summed up in two nasty words, accompanied by a one-finger gesture.

How to fix this ?
Can we all register to vote in the USA and elect a President for them ? They really screwed up the Bush/Gore election, maybe we should do the election for them once, just to show them how it's done.
Let's bring back Bill Clinton, all he wants out of life is a puff and a piece. He can't be all that bad...heck, he sounds like most of my friends !

Secondly, I also agree with this previous post:

The sun shines on all people equally and we all breathe the same air.

The notions of empire building and colonialism should be relegated to the dust bin of history.

Posted by: Marty on June 22 2006 7:58 AM

I was very vocal pre-election about how much i hated harper...and still am.
I would vote for hitler if he was running for election before harper.
And before he took office oficially he lied and cheated and did the emerson backdoor deal.
now he has rotally screwed us with the us lumber deal.
the man is a liar, cheater, and stupid on top of it!!!
They tried to impeach clinton for just getting a blowjob, and harper does WAY worse.
We need to get harper out of office immediately.
Hopefully something of this once great country is still salvageable.
I said it would happen and it is right before our eyes. I hope all you that voted for harper are hanging your heads in shame now!

Posted by: kimbo on June 22 2006 10:05 AM

The apathy in our society is even more evident in the last municipal election. Forty nine persent turned out to vote and we clapped our hands with the wonderfull turn out on election day.

Polapu you are right on the money. We no longer care about our country all we care about is our "economy" with that attitude we have sold our souls to the Americans.

Just a few short months ago we called the government of our province liars, cheats, drunks and the list goes on. Today the liberals in our Province have the highest poll ratig by any government in along time.

Plato keeps runing through my head and i have to repeat his words again, "UNLESS WE TAKE AN INTERST IN THOSE WHO GOVERN US WE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THOSE WORSE THEN OURSELVES."
Have a nice day.

Posted by: diplomat on June 22 2006 10:21 AM

I don't wish to say anything about the character of Harper but his policies are sure those of brown-nosing Bush, in my opinion.

What still baffles me is that Jack Layton and all his policy advisors did not anticipate the distinct possibility that by the all out total demonization of Martin and the Liberals there would be a Conservative victory and a Harper PM.

Certainly Layton shouldn't have gambled like he did, because things worked a lot better for him when he was supporting the Liberal agenda with NDP modifications.

I consider the NDP strategy to have been a total blunder and failure - perhaps Layton was euphorically envisioning an NDP sweep of the country with him in the Prime Minister's office?

3 or 4 of the sponsorship affair cheats have already been convicted and are serving jail time.

It wasn't under Martin's watch that the money was being stolen, after all.