'Agree to U.S. pact' or lumber deal's off - CanWest News Service; Vancouver Sun
The softwood agreement, first reached in April, would end U.S. duties on Canadian lumber and return $4 billion of duties to Canadian companies that have been collected since 2002. Canada, in return, would voluntarily restrict exports if lumber prices fall below $355 US per square board feet. They would also face an export tax of up to 15 per cent.
That creates a problem for the industry because lumber prices are trending downward.