SLA negotiations to continue despite expiration of standstill period

Negotiations toward a new softwood lumber deal between the U.S. and Canada are to continue despite the end of a standstill period, the one-year period since the 2006-2015 U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement expired. That is according to a statement from Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. Meanwhile, in a press release, the U.S. Lumber Coalition said that it “has no choice but to move to initiate trade cases against unfairly traded imports from Canada at the most effective time.” Canadian firms have expressed concern at the prospect of a trade war resulting in duties on their exports of softwood lumber to the U.S.