High prices spur call to action
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association is asking members to ask their senators to step in on the side of negotiations for a new softwood lumber deal with Canada.
In a legislative alert released Thursday, the NLBMDA specifically called on dealers to ask their senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the Commerce secretary and the U.S. trade representative, encouraging them to return to the negotiating table.
The rising price of softwood lumber spurred the alert. Domestic softwood lumber prices have increased 35% since the countervailing duties (CVD) and antidumping duties (AD) investigation started in December 2016 according to the Producer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite price has increased 29% in the past year, and the Random Lengths Structural Panel composite price has increased 20% in the past year.
Last month, 171 lawmakers in the House of Representatives sent a letter to Secretary Ross and Ambassador Lighthizer asking that the U.S. renew discussions with Canada to end the softwood lumber dispute.
Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Jack Reed (D-RI) authored the letter. Senators have until Aug. 17 to sign on to the letter. Here is the draft of the letter.
In a legislative alert released Thursday, the NLBMDA specifically called on dealers to ask their senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the Commerce secretary and the U.S. trade representative, encouraging them to return to the negotiating table.
The rising price of softwood lumber spurred the alert. Domestic softwood lumber prices have increased 35% since the countervailing duties (CVD) and antidumping duties (AD) investigation started in December 2016 according to the Producer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite price has increased 29% in the past year, and the Random Lengths Structural Panel composite price has increased 20% in the past year.
Last month, 171 lawmakers in the House of Representatives sent a letter to Secretary Ross and Ambassador Lighthizer asking that the U.S. renew discussions with Canada to end the softwood lumber dispute.
Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Jack Reed (D-RI) authored the letter. Senators have until Aug. 17 to sign on to the letter. Here is the draft of the letter.