The US loses NAFTA Decision.

...this should have happened ages ago. That Helms-Burton law about handing over tariff cash to US companies when they raise "objections" to "unfair competition" has got to be one of the most intuitively stupid laws you could devise.

"Hey lets give companies 2 good reasons to object to foreign trade! Free cash, and distorted, US biased markets!"

"Good idea! It'll tie up the courts, cause massive foreign relations problems, screw the US consumer and melt the economy!"

"We can't lose!"

Helms, by the way, also legislated that the Georgia Strait is not Canadian water. That's right, he legislated away our sovereignty. Objections, anyone?

U.S. Agrees to Abide by NAFTA Decision
09.10.2004, 07:30 PM

A U.S. trade body Friday agreed to comply with a NAFTA panel ruling concluding that Canadian softwood lumber imports are no threat to the U.S. industry.

In response to an Aug. 31 decision, the U.S. International Trade Commission voted 5-1 that "the U.S. softwood lumber industry is not threatened with material injury" by the Canadian imports.

But commission members made it clear in a statement they weren't happy about doing so.

"We disagree with the (NAFTA) panel's view that there is no substantial evidence to support a finding of threat of material injury and we continue to view the panel's decisions throughout this proceeding as overstepping its authority, violating the NAFTA, seriously departing from fundamental rules of procedure and committing legal error," the commission said in a statement

Oh **ck off. This is, what? The third or fourth time they have lost this same decision over the years?

Take it and love it. The US should have abided by the WTO rulings and other preliminary NAFTA rulings stating the same obvious conclusion: The US sells poor quality wood that is produced inefficiently and their loss of market share has nothing to do with "unfair competition". Now, because of the huge tariffs, our softwood producers have consolidated, efficiently made their products superior and are ready to ravage the US producers, pound for pound and all up in their grill!

Its go time.