Quote:
Originally Posted by Parkview_Pirate
only the government can balance the scales across all products to ensure a level-playing field that does not give advantage to one industry/country at the cost of another.
|
Canada has a big advantage over the US in producing lumber. They are cutting old growth timber on government property, while there is much less old growth timber available here, and US companies are usually cutting on private property. The Canadian timber companies pay a lot less to cut that timber than do American loggers.
Is that fair? If Canadian companies charge less for their lumber than US companies, how is that bad for US consumers? The US only produces about two-thirds of the lumber we use, and most of the rest comes from Canada. Domestic companies cannot meet the demand, so how does it hurt us to have cheaper lumber from Canada?
Canada's advantage in producing lumber is not "at the cost" of the US, it is to the advantage of US consumers. Trump's tariffs on Canadian lumber, supposedly in the interest of national security, is to the disadvantage of US consumers. How does that level the playing field?
