British Columbia‘s lumber producers have filed their statement of defense against the U.S. allegations that Canada is exporting mountain pine beetle lumber at unfairly low prices.

Their statement of defense has been filed before the London Court of International Arbitration. Oral arguments in the case will be heard in February. It is not known when the London Court will render a decision.

The B.C. lumber producers contend that the U.S. is ignoring the devastating impact of the mountain pine beetle on the wood supply in British Columbia’s interior. As well, despite efforts to increase the harvest of beetle-damaged pine, British Columbia’s share of the U.S. market has fallen significantly while offshore export volumes, particularly to China, have grown.

The U.S. forest companies believe too much of the lumber exported from B.C. is misgraded as Grade 4.

The head of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, John Allan, says the U.S. lumber industry is trying to increase costs for Canadian producers. “The (U.S.) coalition has always sought to use trade action to increase our costs, anything to increase stumpage rates, any opportunity to increase costs of exporting across the border whether it is a tariff or a tax or a quota.”

Read more:
U.S. trying to increase costs for B.C. lumber producers: industry says (The Canadian Press)
B.C. lumber producers file statement of defence in pine beetle export case (The Canadian Press)