The United States has responded to Canada's mighty roars in the softwood lumber dispute with a deafening yawn. But as Ottawa makes rumblings about trade retaliation and the prime minister prepares to weigh in, the Americans are holding out the hope of a negotiated settlement.

International Trade Minister Jim Peterson immediately called on Washington to concede defeat and return about $5 billion in countervail and anti-dumping duties collected from Canadian companies.

The U.S. refused, saying the ruling is not the end of the matter because it does not deal with a 2004 decision from the U.S.-based International Trade Commission. That decision supported the American case, although it's believed it and other earlier decisions have all been trumped by the NAFTA conclusion.

Originally posted by Seekerof

as posted by Dulcimer
No Canada is not happy. Time to grow some spines and slap the states around a bit.

Please do at your convenience.
It might give the Western half of Canada further reason to seek becoming states of the US or to become separate from Eastern Canada.

Btw, did you wish to discuss the issue or simply turn it into a US versus Canada slugfest?


seekerof

Meanwhile, former Liberal cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal called on Ottawa yesterday to slap a surtax on natural gas exports to the United States, saying it is the only way to force the Americans to refund the $5-billion.