USITC Makes Determination in Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews Concerning Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that revoking the existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on certain softwood lumber products from Canada would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time. 

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the existing orders on imports of this product from Canada will remain in place. 

Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative. 

Today’s action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. See the attached page for background on these five-year (sunset) reviews.

The Commission’s public report Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-566 and 731-TA-1342 (Review), USITC Publication 5479, December 2023) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews. 

The report will be available by January 17, 2024; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

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Background

The Uruguay Round Agreements Act requires the Department of Commerce to revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the Department of Commerce and the USITC determine that revoking the order or terminating the suspension agreement would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping or subsidies (Commerce) and of material injury (USITC) within a reasonably foreseeable time. 

The Commission’s institution notice in five-year reviews requests that interested parties file responses with the Commission concerning the likely effects of revoking the order under review as well as other information. Generally within 95 days from institution, the Commission will determine whether the responses it has received reflect an adequate or inadequate level of interest in a full review. If responses to the USITC’s notice of institution are adequate, or if other circumstances warrant a full review, the Commission conducts a full review, which includes a public hearing and issuance of questionnaires.

The Commission generally does not hold a hearing or conduct further investigative activities in expedited reviews.  Commissioners base their injury determination in expedited reviews on the facts available, including the Commission’s prior injury and review determinations, responses received to its notice of institution, data collected by staff in connection with the review, and information provided by the Department of Commerce.

The five-year (sunset) reviews concerning Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada were instituted on December 1, 2022.

On March 6, 2023, the Commission voted to conduct full reviews. Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, Randolph J. Stayin, and Amy A. Karpel concluded that the domestic interested party group response and the respondent interested party group response were adequate and voted for full reviews. 

A record of the Commission’s vote to conduct full reviews is available from the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.  Requests may be made by telephone by calling 202-205-1802.

To view the original report, click here.

Source: United States International Trade Commission