Minister Ng welcomes NAFTA dispute panel ruling on U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber

October 5, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, issued the following statement regarding today’s North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Chapter 19 panel ruling on Canada’s challenge of the Unites States Department of Commerce’s final dumping determination on Canadian softwood lumber products:

“Canada is pleased that the NAFTA dispute panel agrees that elements of the U.S. dumping determination are inconsistent with U.S. law. These duties are unwarranted—the only fair outcome is for the United States to revoke all duties on Canadian softwood lumber without further delay.

“The panel directed the U.S. Department of Commerce to review key aspects of its determination. Canada will continue to have an active voice during this process.

“Canada is a world leader in softwood lumber, which is an important industry that creates good, well-paying jobs for thousands of Canadians and supports communities across our country.

“For years, the United States has imposed unjust and illegal duties on Canadian softwood lumber, disrupting our deeply integrated supply chains. We will continue to advocate for Canadian softwood lumber workers and industry as we pursue other legal challenges of unjustifiable U.S. duties.”