Commerce Slaps Preliminary Dumping Duties on Canadian Lumber Giants
Published Date: 3/5/2025
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Department of Commerce reviewed Canadian softwood lumber sales from 2023 and found that some companies sold lumber at unfairly low prices. This affects 309 Canadian producers, including big names like Canfor and West Fraser. Expect updates on duties and possible money changes by May 7, 2025, so businesses and buyers should stay tuned!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 5 costs, 0 mixed.
Preliminary dumping margins for Canfor & West Fraser
Commerce preliminarily found that Canfor had a weighted-average dumping margin of 34.61 percent and West Fraser had a 9.48 percent margin for shipments during the period January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. These preliminary margins were published March 5, 2025 as part of the administrative review.
Assigned review rate for non-selected companies (20.07%)
Commerce preliminarily assigned a 20.07 percent weighted-average dumping margin to the non-selected companies covered by this review, based on the weighted average of the calculated margins for Canfor and West Fraser. The period of review is January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 and this assignment was published March 5, 2025.
Final assessment and cash deposit rules for duties
Upon issuance of the final results, Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review. Cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the final results for shipments entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after the date of publication: firms subject to this review will have cash deposit rates equal to the dumping margins established in the final results, while the all-others rate established in the LTFV investigation remains 6.04 percent for other producers/exporters.
Importer reimbursement certificate and double-duty risk
Importers must file a certificate regarding reimbursement of antidumping and/or countervailing duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2). Failure to file this certificate could lead Commerce to presume reimbursement occurred and result in assessment of double antidumping duties and/or an increase in antidumping duties by the amount of countervailing duties.
Review covers 309 Canadian producers/exporters
The administrative review covers 309 producers/exporters of softwood lumber from Canada, including Canfor and West Fraser, for the period January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. These listed companies are part of the review published March 5, 2025.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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