With various journals, publications, blogs and just plain “internet chatter”, there is a chance that you have now suffered from “information overload” having to do with the current Softwood Lumber investigation currently being conducted by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).
Let’s be very clear, here. The last “authoritative” document published in the Federal Register pertaining to Softwood Lumber was January 13, 2017 by the USITC.
Before that time, the USITC voted on January 6, 2017 to “continue” the investigations and sent, via a press release, on January 9, 2017.
Their findings, including the target dates when these investigations are scheduled to be completed are included therein and are as follows:
“As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of these products from Canada, with its countervailing duty determination due on or about February 20, 2017, and its preliminary antidumping duty determination due on or about May 4, 2017.
The “fact sheet” for the USITC findings and date-lines can be found HERE.
As of this day, we wait for the DoC to render its determination as to how much, if any, countervailing duty will be payable. The “expected” date is February 21, 2017 (for February 20th is a US Federal holiday), but it may come before then.
On the Canadian side, Global Affairs Canada issued the following message back on December 23, 2016 explaining, “For the purposes of the Softwood Lumber Export Permit Monitoring Program use of the HS 2017 changes will be delayed until January 1st, 2018.”