Abstract
This paper explains that, in the Canadian-U.S.A. softwood lumber dispute, Washington objected to the low Canadian lumber prices; whereas, the provinces of Canada saw their role as regulating lumbering so that the mainly Crown lands on which it takes place are maintained ecologically well. The author points out that the 2006 agreement removed the tariff on Canadian softwood, but also established export taxes that will kick into place should the price of lumber drop too low, thus preventing Canadian exporters from "dumping" or selling lumber in the United States at prices less than what goods cost to produce. The paper stresses that Canada like many Third World countries, is a raw material exporter, subjected to prices and rulings made elsewhere and with whole local or even national economies revolving around particular commodities and their related industries.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Canada's Objectives
The British Columbia Lumber Trade Council
Concluding Notes

From the Paper
"Critics said that there should be no duty paid by Canadian forestry companies, in the first place, that Americans either wanted to buy lumber that they could not produce in the United States to keep up with demand, or they did not. A Duke University expert on international economic law wrote that the 2005 negotiations that have gone before the present Softwood Lumber Agreement of 2006 involved Washington being made aware of having reacted too quickly to the earlier situation. Some Americans realized that they were on 'thin ice' in terms of the position taken against Canadian producers of lumber, by suddenly charging tariffs, in view of the NAFTA."

Tags:nafta, tariffs, globalization, materials, dumping

Abstract
This paper explains that the origin of the dispute between the federal governments of Canada and the United States is the belief of U.S. lumber companies that lumber in some Canadian provinces, such as British Columbia, is subsidized by the lumber coming from Crown lands where its cost is cheaper than if it came from private lands. The author points out that, although Canada disputes this view, it accepted the Canada-US Softwood Lumber Agreement of 2006, which cancels any legal actions and duties with regard to the softwood lumber issue, as a way of resolving the trade problem and returning billions of dollars the U.S. government has claimed in duties over the past five years. The paper relates that the public interest group, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) did not advocate one policy to government but attempted to work with the government to create a "unified" approach, which best reflects the diverse interests of its member companies.

From the Paper
"Canada had a number of objectives in entering into the free trade agreements with the United States. In general, these different objectives may be grouped under the one overriding priority of the Canadian government, which was to secure open and unthreatened long-term access to the large U.S. market for Canadian exporters. This was an important issue for the Canadian government as Canadian industries in the last decades of the 20th century were growing increasingly dependent upon the United States as their primary export market."

Tags:duties, regional, responsibility, border, free

Abstract
The paper discusses how the proposed Softwood Lumber Agreement between Canada and the United States represents the latest effort at resolving a longstanding trade dispute between Canada and the United States. The paper relates that the agreement will be of seven years duration with the option of being extended for two more years. The paper also discusses how the government of the United States agrees that it will not investigate any complaints related to softwood lumber, and will dismiss all current trade actions, complaints and investigations. The paper further points out that the United States will return more than US$4 billion in duties collected from Canadian lumber exporters since 2002.

From the Paper
"The proposed Softwood Lumber Agreement between Canada and the United States, whose final text was agreed upon on July 1, 2006, represents the latest effort at resolving a longstanding trade dispute between Canada and the United States. The agreement will be of seven years duration with the option for being extended for two more years. Under the agreement the government of the United States agrees that it will not investigate any complaints related to softwood lumber, and will dismiss all current trade actions, complaints and investigations. The United States will also return more than US$4 billion in duties collected from Canadian lumber exporters..."

Tags:canada, us, softwood

Abstract
This paper discusses the Softwood Lumber Agreement between Canada and the United States, which aims to resolve a longstanding trade dispute between Canada and the United States. It describes the advantages and disadvantages of the agreement, as well as the interests of the provincial and federal governments. The paper also discusses the history of the dispute and the role of the Quebec Forest Industry Council.

From the Paper
"This approach to lobbying the federal and provincial governments becomes understandable when we view other documents on the QFIC website, such as its statement of condemnation of the previous Liberal government in Ottawa in November 2005 for not doing enough to supply aid to the Quebec lumber industry. In this the QFIC reiterated to the federal government that the member companies of the organization were suffering under the current ongoing dispute, and that approximately US$1.2 billion in export duties charged by the United States government lay in the United States; money that the QFIC asserted was not only rightfully the money of the exporters, but that it also was desperately needed by many struggling companies in the industry in Quebec (QFIC). As an institutional interest group with a range of members, a collective memory and extensive resources (Stanbury and Moore 229), the QFIC represents a potent force in this particular area as may be seen in the Bloc Quebecois decision to support the minority federal government and insure passage of the agreement."

Tags:QFIC, Quebec, exporters

Abstract
The paper is for a first year business course, focusing on the Canadian-US softwood lumber dispute. The paper is divided into three questions. The first section deals with the new agreement, the second section deals with the Canadian perspective and the third section deals with the role of a Canadian interest group in the dispute.

From the Paper
"The Agreement: a) The proposed softwood lumber agreement between Canada and the United States is designed to end the trade dispute between Canada and the United States. In the article U.S.-Canada Sign Softwood Lumber Agreement it is explained that the proposed agreement will be 7 years in duration(Anonymous [1]http://www. lumberyard.ca/). In order to eliminate potential disputes exporting provinces have some options. According to the article U.S.-Canada Sign Softwood Lumber Agreement,"..."

Tags:softwood, lumber, dispute

Abstract
This paper discusses the softwood lumber dispute between the U.S. and Canada which strained already hostile relations between the two neighbors. It examines the justification for the U.S. ?protective? tariffs for guarding their own lumber industry, while there are several hundred thousand Canadian forestry workers unemployed. It looks at the negotiations between the two countries with U.S. officials unwilling to compromise and evaluates whether the Canadian lumber industry survive under these restrictions imposed by its number one importer.

From the Paper
"The duties imposed adversely affect many while benefiting few. The seven million US workers employed by the housing and forest industries are virtually unaffected by the tariffs and the consumer price will only rise due to the tariffs. While the rise of housing costs in the US may be excused as a boom in the housing market, the real reason lies within its framing of more-expensive domestic lumber. Some Canadian mills have shifted from processing softwood lumber to processing specialized products, such as pallets, posts, and rails. The lower price at which the Canadian mills can supply, in comparison to US mills, has attracted the attention of the US consumer, therefore crippling a small part of the industry the duties were designed to protect."

Tags:environment, forestry, timber, duties

Abstract
The paper examines the proposed Softwood Lumber Agreement that was tentatively agreed between the federal government of Canada and the government of the United States in 2006 and explains that it is an effort to create a medium-term solution for an long-running trade dispute between the two countries. The paper explains that the origin of the dispute is the argument of US lumber companies that lumber in some Canadian provinces, such as British Columbia, is subsidized by the lumber coming from Crown lands where its cost is cheaper than if it came from private land.

From the Paper
"The proposed Softwood Lumber Agreement that was tentatively agreed between the federal government of Canada and the government of the United States in 2006 is an effort to create a medium-term solution for an long-running trade dispute between the two countries. The origin of the dispute is the argument of US lumber companies that lumber in some Canadian provinces, such as British Columbia, is subsidized by the lumber coming from Crown lands where its cost is cheaper than if it came from private land. Although Canada disputes this view, it agreed to the proposed deal as a..."

Tags:business, canada, context

Abstract
This paper discusses the 2006 Softwood Lumber agreement between the United States and Canada. It describes the reasons for the agreement and its implications. The paper also discusses the different interests of the Canadian federal and provincial governments in terms of this agreement and their role in implementing the agreement. It then analyzes Canada's objectives in entering into the two free trade agreements with the United States (the FTA and NAFTA) and how it relates to the Softwood Lumber agreement. Finally the paper looks at the BC Lumbar Trade Council and its role in supporting Canadian interests in the Canada-US softwood lumber dispute.

Table of Contents:
Overview of the Softwood Lumber Agreement
Free Trade Agreements
The BC Lumbar Trade Council

From the Paper
"In this analysis, the advocacy strategy of the BCLTC is not only audacious but is also reflective of the nature of the proposed softwood lumber agreement and the importance of this agreement's structure to the lumber industry in British Columbia. The fact that the organization is willing to go to the extreme step of implying that its members would scuttle the agreement if they do not get what they want in subsequent drafts is political brinkmanship of the highest order. While this power and strategy is unusual for most Canadian interest groups, it is reflective of the complex and long-running nature of this dispute in British Columbia, as well as of the provincial industry's desire for long term stability in its trade with the United States."

Tags:policy, NAFTA, FTA, BCLTC

Abstract
The paper relates that the Softwood Lumber Agreement was introduced in 1996, and established the rules governing export for the following five years. The paper looks at how this agreement marked the latest point in a dispute that has been unremitting for two decades. The paper discusses the core issue that concerned stumpage fees charged to Canadian firms that remove lumber from Crown lands.

From the Paper
"The Softwood Lumber Agreement was introduced in 1996, and established the rules governing export for the following five years. This agreement marked the latest point in a dispute that has been unremitting for two decades. The core issue concerned stumpage fees charged to Canadian firms that remove lumber from Crown lands. The agreement stipulated the limit on the amount of lumber which might be exported to the US annually, and also introduced a system of fees to be used if the exports exceeded the limits. "The main provision was for a free export quota per year of 14.7 billion...""

Tags:interests, trade, disputes