Commerce Set to Reinstate Higher Canadian Softwood Lumber Duties

The Commerce Department intends to reinstate higher anti-subsidy duties on certain imports of Canadian softwood lumber, after concluding it didn’t have the authority to conduct a type of “expedited” duty review, the department informed a federal court.

The change is opposed by Canadian public and private interests, and is subject to approval by the U.S. Court of International Trade.

The U.S. imported an estimated $5.66 billion worth of softwood lumber from Canada in 2016, according to Commerce, but the product has long been a source of trade tensions between the neighboring countries. The Trump administration imposed antidumping and countervailing duties ...