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WTO Can/US lumber spat

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WTO Can/US lumber spat
Jan 19, 2004
WTO Rules in Favor of the United States Over Duties on Canadian Lumber


GENEVA (AP) - A World Trade Organization appeals panel gave a boost to the United States Monday, reversing most of an earlier ruling that said U.S. special duties on Canadian lumber were illegal...

Reuters version here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/...29794-2004Jan19.html

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I don't know what impact that will have on the recently rumored warming of relations between Ottawa and Washington.
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Re: [ArmyAirForces] WTO Can/US lumber spat In reply to
First, any warming of relations between Canada and the US will largely have to have from south of the 49th parallel. Although it would be to an advantage for the Bush administration, if the converse were true as it could contribute to a reversal of power come this Spring when a general election is called. One is reminded of ex-Prime Minister Brian "Oh Danny Boy" Mulroney, whose Progressive Conservative Party was virtually wiped off of the Canadian political landscape. The average Canadian-on-the-street is not all that warm to the US.

Second, this decision (one of many to follow, but unlike most others that had favoured Canada) does not give blanket endorsement to the US side. It only says that the duties are legal. The WTO did not rule on the amount of the duties. Opponents on both sides of the border argue that the amounts imposed in duties are unfair and outrageous - many of whom argue that the billions to be paid to US lumber companies will fuel their war chest for future disputes or to rehash this dispute. And, the WTO said that the US must still carry out more investigations to justify imposing duties on some imports of logs.

This dispute in unlikely to go away. It took several months to resolve the trade dispute between Canada and the US when the US banned potatoes outright from Prince Edward Island when potato wort was discovered on the corner of one farm in PEI. I expect a series of blistering and nasty trade battles between Canada and the US in the years to come. And, I doubt if Canadian-US relations will warm all that substantially. There is a possibility that relations will sour even more.

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Cheers,

Dan
Founder and CEO

LionsGate Creative
GoodPassRobot
Magelln
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Re: [dan] WTO Can/US lumber spat In reply to
Quote:
The average Canadian-on-the-street is not all that warm to the US.


I'd hate to live on your street! Fortunately the Canadians in my circle of friends are much easier going.

I can certainly say there is no great dislike of Canadians down here.

Besides 2003 polling data (Enivonics Research Group/Focus Canada) would seem to contradict your opinion. Looks like over 60% of Canadians over all hold a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the US, compared with 35% in the somewhat or very unfavourable opinion. The numbers by region vary greatly, and I suspect you can predict where they'd be different.
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Re: [ArmyAirForces] WTO Can/US lumber spat In reply to
Well, I said "not all that warm." Nothing to ruffle your feathers about =) And, it can be inferred with high probability from that study that only a minority of Canadians have a very favourable opinion of the US - ten million plus Canadians have a unfavourable opinion of the US. Poll survey results are fluid, and change over time and across polls within any given time frame - look at Bush's popularity which runs from the 50's to the 90's to the current 50's. But it also comes down to how the poll questions were phrased. If you asked specifically about Bush and his administration (and their values and actions), you would find a strong disfavourable opinion across Canada. I don't dislike America per se as a whole or in general. Like most of the World, just the ideologies and actions of Bush (and people like him), his administration and those connected to it.

But let's face it, us Canadians are different than Americans, and we have different value systems. To quote Rick Mercer (CBC Rick Mercer Monday Report - http://www.cbc.ca/mondayreport/), we are a bunch of dope-smoking, homo-loving peaceniks. BTW, any Canadians catch the Monday Report tonight? Great stuff!

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Cheers,

Dan
Founder and CEO

LionsGate Creative
GoodPassRobot
Magelln
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Re: [dan] WTO Can/US lumber spat In reply to
10 million, hell that's nothing. We could find 10 million US citizens who don't even know where Canada is, and another 50 or 60 million who wouldn't be sure that's even a problem Tongue
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Re: [ArmyAirForces] WTO Can/US lumber spat In reply to
I agree qualitatively. But multiple those numbers by five, and we are in quantitative agreement as well =)

----
Cheers,

Dan
Founder and CEO

LionsGate Creative
GoodPassRobot
Magelln