WASHINGTON (News release) - American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the anti-circumvention petitions filed on August 2 by several U.S. manufacturers and the United Steelworkers with the U.S. Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission for uncoated freesheet paper in rolls from Australia, China, Indonesia, Brazil and Portugal.

"AF&PA supports free and fair trade policies. U.S. trade laws include provisions to ensure that U.S. companies and workers are not harmed by foreign unfair trade practices. The petitions represent an effort to ensure that foreign producers do not circumvent the payment of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on uncoated free sheet paper in sheet form that have been in place since early 2016 by importing sheeter rolls into the U.S. that are then converted into sheet form. We encourage the U.S. Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission to review carefully the evidence provided in the petitions and to make a determination as quickly as possible.

"The U.S. paper industry operates in a highly-competitive global market. Government enforcement of domestic and international trade rules is important to safeguard the health of the U.S. paper industry and for markets to function properly."