Finished lumber is seen at West Fraser Pacific Inland Resources sawmill in Smithers, British Columbia, Canada February 4, 2020.
REUTERS/Jesse Winter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Canada will challenge what Ottawa described as an "unfair, unjust and illegal" extension of U.S. import duties on Canadian softwood lumber products, the trade ministry said on Tuesday.
The softwood lumber tariffs are the legacy of a decades-long trade dispute over the structure of Canada's timber sector that could not be resolved when a quota agreement expired in 2015.
"For years, the United States has imposed unfair, unjust and illegal duties on Canadian softwood lumber, hurting Canadian industry and increasing housing costs in both countries," Trade Minister Mary Ng said in the statement.
"We are prepared to discuss another softwood lumber agreement when Canada is ready to address the underlying issues related to subsidization and fair competition so that Canadian lumber imports do not injure the U.S. industry," a USTR spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Persons:
Jesse Winter, Mary Ng, Ismail Shakil, Susan Heavey, Devika Syamnath, Andy Sullivan
Organizations:
West Fraser Pacific Inland Resources, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, Ottawa, U.S . Commerce Department, Canada, Washington, Trade, United, U.S . Trade, Thomson
Locations:
West, Smithers , British Columbia, Canada, U.S, Mexico, United States, Ottawa, Bengaluru