U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement Extended To 2015

The Softwood Lumber Agreement, which limits Canadian lumber shipments to the United States when demand and prices are weak as they currently are, has been extended three years beyond its original expiration date of 2013.  Reached in 2006 after years of sometimes bitter negotiations, the agreement had been set to expire in 2013.  No changes to the basic agreement were made by the extension.

The U.S. Lumber Coalition, a Washington lobbying group representing lumber producers and generally supported by timber growers, endorsed the extension but continues to have problems with enforcement of SLA.  “…we support extension of the agreement with the expectation that Canada will improve its record of compliance,” said Steve Swanson, chairman of the Coalition and an Oregon lumber manufacturer.

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