Replies

1. 
   Mongo | Dec 09, 2003 05:04pm | #1

   The last time I ordered a load of wood (cedar from The Grat White North) , the tarriff alone was $7100.

   Ouch.

2. 
   PhillGiles | Dec 09, 2003 06:18pm | #2

   The deal is a ways off from being signed. While the US companies like the deal (one wonders how influenced they are by the fact they'll receive half of the duty refund ?), the Canadian companies mostly don't like it because it restricts their access to the US market (the US companies get preferential treatment) and plan to try and block the deal.

   .

   Phill Giles

   The Unionville Woodwright

   Unionville, Ontario

1. 
   Adrian | Dec 09, 2003 10:10pm | #3

   Yup, most of the industry veterans are calling it the worst deal they've seen in the last 20 years.cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, N.S

1. 
   JohnSprung | Dec 10, 2003 12:08am | #4

   As I understand the article, it's a trade:  Tarrifs off, quotas on.  So whether it's good or bad for a particular stake holder depends on the numbers.

   -- J.S.

1. 
   Adrian | Dec 11, 2003 10:30pm | #5

   The quotas restrict the tarrif-free imports to less market share than the Canadian producers used to have (31.4% compared to 34%.....which could have been higher)....and a couple of percentage points mean a lot at this volume. After the quota has been met, the tarriffs kick back in, and the Canadians can't afford the levy....$200 per thousand bd. ft., when the profit in a thousand is around $20.

   Plus, the Americans get to keep almost half of the tarriffs already collected.....a billion dollars or so....and if that goes to the American producers (even though the Byrd Amendment has been ruled illegal by the WTO).....not only are the Canadians punished, but the Americans get free money to reinvest in their businesses. On account of non-existant subsidies to Canadian comapanies. And there doesn't seem to be any exemption for the Atlantic provinces, where most of the land is provate anyway, and the stumpage 'subsidy' isn't at issue.

   So the Canadians, who DON'T subsidize, are getting screwed by the American firms that brought the dumping charges....who don't stay competitive (the ones that are complaining don't).....and losing market share to the Europeans, who subsidize like crazy. Like the Americans, do, by the way.

   The only ones for this deal, at this point, seem to be some, not all, of the BC firms.....the rest of the lumber provinces are against it. We'll see.cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, N.S

3. 
   BossHog | Dec 12, 2003 03:25pm | #6

   Found a Canadian perspective on this -An editorial from the "Montreal Gazette".

   http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/story.asp?id=E06666CB-7D47-45BF-8BAC-25FD111A0875

   I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate.

   And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it.