U.S. Consumers Bring Softwood Concerns to Canadian Parliament

U.S. Consumers Bring Softwood Concerns to Canadian Parliament
-- Home builders disappointed Canada is willing to sacrifice NAFTA victories, jeopardize Canada's U.S. market share, give a handful of U.S. producers veto on Provincial forest policies

OTTAWA, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. consumer group representatives were in Canada Monday to express concerns to members the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade over a proposed softwood lumber settlement agreement with the U.S. government that would harm housing affordability and millions of U.S. consumers.

Rather than rushing to enact an ill-conceived agreement that would also constrain Canadian lumber companies by forcing them to abide by a complex system of quotas and border taxes, members of the American Consumers for Affordable Homes (ACAH) told lawmakers that their best strategy to achieve free trade and a complete refund of all duties collected is for Ottawa to continue to vigorously pursue its legal cases before the North American Free Trade Agreement, World Trade Organization and the U.S. Court of International Trade. Through this process, Canada has already received several unanimous legal victories, and is close to achieving its aims as the cases move to their conclusion.

"This deal sends the message that the U.S. lumber coalition's claims are legitimate and that Canada has been at fault," Rutenberg added. "We don't believe that to be true, and we don't understand why Canada would want to create that impression."

Petniunas said, "No rational Canadian company will ever use the NAFTA dispute process again if Canada agrees in this deal that it has given up its right to get all illegally collected duties back."

http://sev.prnewswire.com/construction-building/20060620/CGTU07420062006-1.html

Wonder if shareholders get a chance to sue if the deal goes through?

It was so obvious only seven months ago. What's happened since then, Mr. Harper?