Proposed bill would give softwood duties to U.S. lumber companies

[Spazito]

VANCOUVER - - A powerful U.S. senator is set to introduce legislation next week to pay American lumber companies the more than $3 billion in softwood lumber duties the Americans have collected, The Canadian Press has learned.

The bill - to be introduced as early as Monday - comes despite the fact the softwood lumber dispute remains mired in trade litigation and the World Trade Organization has found such a move violates international rules.

snip

B.C. Forests Minister Mike de Jong warned the bill could trigger a "full-scale crisis in the bilateral relationship between Canada and the U.S."

"If they move ahead with this, it will require retaliation from Canada," he said.

more

http://www.canada.com/national/story.html?id=41618e56-c76a-48aa-9540-85d94be47d60

(This is total bullshit! If this bill goes through, I say we put tariffs on all oil, gas and electricity exported to the US. This bill negates NAFTA, imo)

[HEyHEY]

1. If that mother fucker gets away with this shit

I say let's go to economic war

[gjb]

2. The $3 billion in softwood lumber duties the Americans have collected have

been ruled illegal by the WTO. The Re-Punks can give the money to the already pampered and inefficient US forest industry. It just means that after they're ordered to return the money to Canadian producers the bill will be $6 Billion.

By the way the US companies call us inefficient when our wood waste is 3% because we use CAD assisted saws with 3mm blades while they're still using 1/4 inch blades from the 19th century.

Another thing they block our soft wood lumber but are happy to import our raw logs to run their mills. The US lumber industry is more pampered than baby Jesus.

[Mother Jones]

3. All these bullshit PR state visits

trying to look like they're "mending fences"

It's all PR so his supporters can say they are trying to make peace with the world.

This is a serious case of "actions speak louder than words" as they continue to snub every single international law and/or treaty for the sake of self-interest.

No one causes more anti-american sentiment than the bush administration themselves. Not even bin laden.