Timber Dumping
By: Lance Winslow
Recently in Professional Builder a cover article discussed how the industry was concerned about the anti-dumping tariffs of Canadian Lumber. I understand how they fill from a cost stand point, however let us discuss the hardships that Canadians have placed on trucking companies going into Canada with US goods. They have been a royal pain in the ass, while their trucks drive like crap, too fast on back roads-two lane highways, causing accidents and acting very inhospitable towards US motorists.
Their trucks full of cattle (beef still on the hoof) and lumber always speed and are unsafe in their driving. Their border crossings are hostile towards Americans, while we are friendly. They took advantage of our hospitality and are somewhat demanding. When I am at a truck stop in my motor home, I am going first and they can friggin wait. They always try to cut in lines. They do not obey our driving laws for hours allowed to drive before sleep and cheat the laws here. They are cutting down major checkered boards of open space without allowing proper re-growth, they are depriving native Indians of their land and hunting grounds. No, I am not an environmentalist, but we need level playing fields and we all suffer from global warming effects from such cutting down of vast sections and areas of trees. We are having major opposition in our lumber industry; it has killed the paper mills coupled with the environmentalists in this country. We have companies like Potlatch growing fast growing trees in rows like orchards to appease the environmentalists for use in paper products.
We have done so much here and the Canadians have not appeared to even be close to the same page. Yes they have more trees, but they do not have significantly faster growth. I find that the prices of increased lumber might cost first time home-buyers from qualifying, but if we are really concerned about that, there are free market levers from the Fed such as interest rates to prevent a housing bubble burst situation. We need to level the playing field with Canada, we have a huge trade deficit with them. We protect their nation since they have only 8,000 in their military. They are clear cutting and destroying their environment and we have laws yet the environmental aspects know no boundary drawn in the land by mankind. How about a little cooperation from the Socialist Government over there AYE?
Let’s think about fair trade and then we can talk about free trade. If you don’t like my opinion then you are not living in the right country or looking at it from both perspectives; AYE?
Lance Winslow