Nobody is cheering in timber producing states...we got f''''kt AGAIN. The entire chapter concerning Canadian softwood imports was adopted and incorporated into USMCA from NAFTA.
Basically, the Canadian government almost gives Crown timber to their industry to keep it alive. American producers have to pay full market value, about 5 times more. Nobody can compete with those numbers. The US timber industry was hurt with enviro regulations...but it was Slick Willy's NAFTA deal that was the death stab. He did a trade off with the Canadians, protected union auto jobs for the sellout of the timber jobs.
It's not as simple as you make it sound.
Our trees grow much slower, so regen is proportionately slower. Climate is colder after all. Haul distances are long, few mills left. A northern Alberta forest cannot compete with an Alabama private forest. The Alabama forest can get a crop off and the Northern Alberta tree still needs another 30+ years to mature to the same stage. Temperature wise, a world of difference between Oregon and British Columbia. Pretty much the same species, guess where the trees grow faster. If the stumpage fee was the same cross border, the government couldn't get anyone to lumber up here. May as well let the pine beetles and forest fires get everything. Seems lately, the fires ARE getting everything.
Maybe US stumpage fees are too high?
Most all timber companies in Canada are American timber companies, or US majority owned timber companies. Talk to Weyerhauser.
Maybe you should do an analysis of what goes into each jurisdiction's stumpage fees, do a fair comparison, stop taking pablum from your union.
As I recall, Canada has won most all World Trade Grievances brought forward by both countries. Sometimes it seems like the US does not want to abide by the trade agreements or lumber agreements.
