The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to hike anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, with B.C. lumber organizations calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist.
The hiked softwood lumber duties come amid the growing trade war between Canada and the U.S., and represent the latest blow to B.C.'s beleaguered forestry industry.
B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar described the long-awaited rate hike as a “gut punch” for B.C.'s forestry industry which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years.
The article never answers what a “anti-dumping duty” is, so here is a definition “An anti-dumping duty is a tariff imposed by a government on foreign imports that are believed to be priced below fair market value, aimed at protecting domestic industries from unfair competition”
Also. Thanks to Dump Truck Donnie. “This is going to mean that Americans, in particular middle-class Americans, are going to be paying more to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000 more USD to purchase or to build a home."
Add remodel or fix up a home to that last quote. I specialize in restoring and preserving old buildings, in the US that’s usually 100+years. Most of our cost is labor but the main material we use is eastern white pine, AKA soft wood, and you can probably guess where that comes from.
Pine trees?