The truth about softwood lumber

There is more involved in the current palaver over the soft-wood trade dispute than just the money or that the industry represents just 2% of Canadian exports to the south. There is the creditability of both the Americans and how they don't live up to their word, and how little affect the Prime Minister has shown in much of anything, except hanging on to power by his finger nails.

Yes, in the scheme of things $7.5 billion U.S is a small part of the entire picture. It is though a big thing to the people of B.C., and Western Canada.

Yes, we did ship 20,950 million feet in 2004, but how much of that was processed into dimensional lumber?

Much of the growth has been the shipment of raw logs.

That is wrong.

There does not need to be a huge peeing match type trade war. Canada can impose an export tariff of their own on raw logs.

If the rest of Canada is expected to cough up $400,000,000 to prop up Ontario's rusting auto industry sector, the least the rest of Canada can do is join the fight to get the USA to live up to their commitments.

What's wrong with the Prime Minister actually showing the country he has a spine and stands up to the USA?