US just slapped a 20% tariff on Canadian softwood

[Roxie]

According to their web page, "The WTO's top decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference."  They meet every two years.  No wonder they move at the speed of mud.   :D :D

[SwampDonkey]

Actually I wished they'd rule on fair market determination of forest products between private woodlots here and license holders of crown wood. Hard to compete against a government, they don't have to make money apparently. :D

[dustintheblood]

Where does hard wood from Columbia go? A friend that lives in Newport Vt. told me this morning that their yard is full full.

Hardwood logs delivered to the Newport, VT manufacturing facility are turned into veneer products via a rotary process. They may still truck some logs to Columbia/Presque Isle, ME, depending on the needs of each mill, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure what percentage of their finished products are shipped via truck or train, but they have a spur rail line that hooks into the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic line in Newport. As far as I know this rail line is still active. Columbia has a nice website.

Hardwood lumber and products are completely outside of the issue.  The litigation etc. is only related to softwood lumber products (and mostly focused on construction materials).

[Tarm]

Actually I wished they'd rule on fair market determination of forest products between private woodlots here and license holders of crown wood. Hard to compete against a government, they don't have to make money apparently. :D

Canada needs to dump the crown license system. It needs to;
1. Establish an overriding forest management strategy for each province. (This is a political process.)
2. Set timber harvest goals or targets.
3. Have timber sales set up by government foresters or private forestry contractors.
4. Auction off each timber sale and allow anyone to bid. Foreign, domestic, large firm or small.

If Canada did that then there would be a true free market and there would be no need for a tariff.

[SwampDonkey]

Yep, pretty much. Then hire someone that doesn't cruise from their windshields. That's pretty much what our DNR has been doing for 25 years.

[Bandmill Bandit]

Actually I wished they'd rule on fair market determination of forest products between private woodlots here and license holders of crown wood. Hard to compete against a government, they don't have to make money apparently. :D

Canada needs to dump the crown license system. It needs to;
1. Establish an overriding forest management strategy for each province. (This is a political process.)
2. Set timber harvest goals or targets.
3. Have timber sales set up by government foresters or private forestry contractors.
4. Auction off each timber sale and allow anyone to bid. Foreign, domestic, large firm or small.

If Canada did that then there would be a true free market and there would be no need for a tariff.

Think about all the Government jobs that would go down the tubes. It may even cause a nation wide crisis that would likely be declared a disaster.

[SwampDonkey]

I can't see the same picture. Here there are very few government jobs in DNR and has been eroded for 25 years doing it the old way.

[Bandmill Bandit]

I can't see the same picture. Here there are very few government jobs in DNR and has been eroded for 25 years doing it the old way.

Same is happening here too, Swamp Donkey. A logger i know just told me that the Alberta Forestry and Alberta Agriculture are now a single ministry. He's not sure when it was made effective.

[Roxie]

Don't know if it is related to the tariff or not, but I've seen more log trucks in the past two weeks than I've seen on the road for years. 

[Ron Wenrich]

Probably because there is more logging in your area.  Procurement foresters will work an area, then move on to another area.  Most of the willing sellers have been contacted, the timber marked up, and the logging begins.  And right now is some pretty good logging conditions.