WASHINGTON (News release) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the final determination of a combined anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duty rate of 14.54% in the fifth annual review of unfairly traded Canadian softwood lumber imports into the United States.

This United States government ruling substantiates that Canada continues to subsidize and dump its softwood lumber products in the United States, distorting the U.S. softwood lumber market to the detriment of U.S. sawmills, their employees and communities.

"This even higher level of unfair trade by Canada could not have come at a worse time for domestic producers," stated Andrew Miller, Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition and CEO of Stimson Lumber. "Lumber demand and prices are at record lows and mills across the country are struggling to keep afloat."

The increased levels of unfair trade confirmed by the Commerce Department makes it clear that Canadian unfair trade practices are making a bad situation worse by accelerating and deepening market downcycles, resulting in today's extreme low lumber prices, forcing U.S. mill closures and layoffs.

"The United States does not need the unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports to supply current levels of home construction, added Miller. "What American mills, workers, and timberland holders need is the continued strong enforcement of the U.S. trade laws help facilitate a level playing field. That is how we retain production and availability of lumber produced by U.S. workers to build U.S. homes," concluded Miller.

The U.S. lumber industry established its right to the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties in the face of unfair competition from Canada, and the Coalition supports the Commerce Department's continued commitment to enforce the U.S. trade laws against subsidized and unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports.