Replies

That is the reality of the lumber marketplace in Canada - a country larger than ours with only 32 million people living in it. The only way we can stay competitive with them in the short term is to slap unfair tarifs on their products. Then, when we want Canada to play ball with us on other issues (MD, Iraq)we seem surprised when they say no.

We HAVE to stop giving our largest trading partner the finger on things that are important to them if we want them to stop giving us the finger on things important to us...

Expecting others to be fair, especially socialists, is a gamy proposition. However, I am a free trader and I know the market place will eventually sort things out. The timber industry may suffer for awhile but trees will continue to grow . In my opinion, in this case the WTO is wrong to blame us for tariffs but not blame Canada for what is a government subsidy to the lumber producers.

A danger in all industries in situations like this and in trade with China and other so-called under developed countries, is that our infrastructure for certain certain things, like timber production and lumber processing, the oil industry, the steel industry, etc., will disappear and make it hard to recoup when the time is right.

Much of the problem is finding skilled labor after a lengthy shutdown. Mills, plants, etc., can be shut down and refurbished but finding people can't be done so readily.