In the April 23rd Federal Register, the International Trade Administration (Department of Commerce) will provide notice that they seek public comments on subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, applicable to softwood lumber and softwood lumber products. The bi-annual solicitation for public comments is mandated under the 2008 Softwood Lumber Act and applies to HTSUSA 4407.1001. The solicitation covers the period from July 1 through December 31, 2014, and applies to countries that account for over 1% of US imports (i.e., Canada and Chile).
Parties making comments should include the name of the country providing the subsidy, the name of the subsidy program, a brief description of the program and the government or authority providing the subsidy. The original softwood lumber agreement extends through October 2015; therefore, this series of comments may have an impact on future agreements.