Replies

1. 
   Ron_Teti | Nov 01, 2001 06:51pm | #1

   *
   ???????

1. 
   Dick_ | Nov 02, 2001 03:55am | #2

   *Softwood tariffs, also called economic blackmail. Total of 32% has been added on to Canadian exports to the US, to be distributed to the southern softwood producers who initiated this action (for the fourth time; the previous three have not stuck because it isn`t a US agency that makes the final decision). Root of the matter is that they want our raw logs. In the mean time, 30,000 people are out of work in BC alone and you guys are paying an extra thousand or two to frame a house.

1. 
   gtwilkins | Nov 02, 2001 08:20pm | #3

   *Good Morning,As of this morning the largest cedar mill in Canada has shut down (450 jobs gone overnight) our local mills are anouncing shut-downs, our local economies are going into the tank.Granted these tariff decisions will go to WTO hearings were they will be overturned, as they have been in the past, however this will be in a year or two depending on how long the lobbying groups can stall, but by then the mills have been long shut, workers lost their homes, in some cases even small communities abandoned. In the mean time what are you going to do for lumber? Frame with southern yellow pine? There is a rapidly growing sentiment here that if you don't want our timber at a fair price, maybe you don't want our natural gas and electricity and we should just pull the plug and shut the pipelines down. I would hate to see that happen but unless there is a more equitable playing field this is a possibilty, people here are totally pissed off and are asking for retribution.Trade Wars are ugly but the U.S. gov. could stop this one with a stroke of a pen!so long from an angry Kootenays, gtw

1. 
   Adrian_Wilson | Nov 07, 2001 11:32pm | #4

   *Agreeing on oil, gas, electricity....lumber of course. Posted my thoughts for the umpteenth time on the 'Lumber Grading' thread on the main board at Breaktime. the tariffs will almost certainly be overturned....same worthless argument being fought over and over again. the Southerners and that idiot from montana won't take "No, you're totally and completely wrong for an answer". But until then, all the Canadian producers have to post bonds for the value of the tariffs, and that ties up a companies lifesblood in a non-interest bearing bank account. and that's if folks can hold on with a united front until then, or it's divide and conquer.With you, amongst the harwood operations in the east....took my class to see three operations on monday.....where the small softwood people were smart enough to see the writing on the wall, and leave the field to the big guys. We now have two big softwood operations in the region, everyone else has moved to markets where they can compete....the other option for the southerners is to learn how to do it right, without a helping hand from the government.