The US and Canada are due to lock horns again over softwood lumber duties during a case set to go before the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) this month, according to industry newsletter Random Lengths.
US officials claim Canada has not collected all taxes due from Canadian timber companies which ship softwood to America, as specified under the terms of the Softwood Lumber Agreement signed in 2006.
The LCIA’s ruling will be final with no right of appeal, unlike previous arbitration cases heard by the World Trade Organisation and North American Fair Trade Agreement panels.
A second arbitration case has been filed by the US, relating to alleged forest industry subsidies provided by Québec and Ontario.
