The U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed final anti-dumping and countervailing duties of up to 20.26% (combined) on imported Canadian uncoated groundwood paper and newsprint – a ruling that will hurt workers, weaken businesses, and increase costs for the consumer, says Forest Products Association of Canada.
FPAC, the voice of the Canadian forest products sector, expressed extreme disappointment and concern about the latest ruling because of its far-reaching impact.
“It will be damaging to newspapers, printers, book publishers and a range of other related industries,” said Association CEO Derek Nighbor. “It stands to impact Canadian jobs, and will result in continued increased costs for business and consumers. And while it hurts Canadian workers and their families, it also does real damage to U.S. workers and businesses – we have already seen evidence of that south of the border,” Nighbor added.
The ruling also speaks to a deteriorating trade relationship with America.
“The international trade rules that have for so long delivered economic growth for North America are now facing unprecedented pressure,” said Nighbor. “In the last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce has initiated dozens of anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations, more than any period in recent memory – and signals a significant change in what has long been a healthy, productive relationship between our two nations.”
FPAC applauds the leadership of the many Democratic and Republican U.S. Senators, and the publishers of over 1,000 small and medium-sized U.S. newspapers who have demanded that Washington not impose countervailing and anti-dumping duties on Canadian newsprint exports.
Canada is the largest exporter of newsprint in the world. According to the Government of Canada’s Trade Data Online, Canadian uncoated groundwood and newsprint paper exports to the United States totaled about 2 billion CAD in 2017.
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FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $69-billion-a-year forest products industry is one of Canada’s largest employers operating in hundreds of communities and providing 230,000 direct jobs across the country.
For more information contact:
Cheryl Miltimore
Director, Communications and Labour Policy
Forest Products Association of Canada
cmiltimore@fpac.ca 613-563-1441 x303
Follow us on Twitter: @FPAC_APFC
