Expressing the sense of Congress regarding housing affordability and urging fair and expeditious review by international trade panels to ensure a competitive North American market for softwood lumber.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative should work to support a fair and expeditious review and assure that no delays occur in resolving current disputes before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and World Trade Organization (WTO) trade dispute panels involving the imposition of special duties on imported softwood lumber from Canada; (2) U.S. antidumping and countervailing duties are a rules-based system that should proceed to conclusion in WTO and NAFTA trade dispute panels; (3) the President should continue discussions with Canada to promote open trade between the two countries on softwood lumber free of trade restraints that harm consumers; and (4) the President should consult with all interested parties, including consumers, in future discussions regarding such trade.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 197 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 197

 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding housing affordability and 
  urging fair and expeditious review by international trade panels to 
    ensure a competitive North American market for softwood lumber.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2003

    Mr. Kolbe (for himself, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Davis of 
 Florida, Mr. Dooley of California, Mr. Frost, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Gary G. 
 Miller of California, Mr. Moore, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Dreier, Mr. 
  Bass, Mr. Bilirakis, Mrs. Bono, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Cunningham, 
Mrs. Kelly, Mr. Knollenberg, Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Price of North Carolina, 
    Mr. Ramstad, Mr. Terry, and Mr. Weller) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding housing affordability and 
  urging fair and expeditious review by international trade panels to 
    ensure a competitive North American market for softwood lumber.

Whereas since 1989 the United States and Canada have worked to eliminate tariff 
        and nontariff barriers to trade;
Whereas free trade has greatly benefited the United States and Canadian 
        economies;
Whereas, with respect to importation of Canadian lumber, the United States 
        International Trade Commission only found the potential for a threat of 
        injury (as opposed to actual injury) to domestic lumber producers, but 
        the Department of Commerce imposed a 27 percent duty on such Canadian 
        lumber, to be paid by United States lumber consumers;
Whereas trade restrictions on Canadian lumber exported to the United States 
        market have been an exception to the general rule of bilateral free 
        trade;
Whereas the legitimate interests of consumers are often overlooked in trade 
        disputes;
Whereas the availability of affordable housing is important to United States 
        home buyers and the need for the availability of such housing, 
        particularly in metropolitan cities across the United States, is growing 
        faster than it can be met;
Whereas imposition of special duties on United States consumers of softwood 
        lumber, essential for construction of on-site and manufactured homes, 
        jeopardizes housing affordability;
Whereas the United States has agreed to abide by dispute settlement procedures 
        in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American Free Trade 
        Agreement (NAFTA), providing for international review of national remedy 
        actions; and
Whereas the WTO and NAFTA dispute panels are reviewing the aforementioned 
        findings of the United States International Trade Commission: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade 
        Representative should work to assure that no delays occur in 
        resolving the current disputes before the World Trade 
        Organization and North American Free Trade Agreement trade 
        dispute panels involving the imposition of special duties on 
        softwood lumber imported from Canada, supporting a fair and 
        expeditious review;
            (2) United States antidumping and countervailing duties are 
        a rules-based system that should proceed to conclusion in World 
        Trade Organization and North American Free Trade Agreement 
        trade dispute panels;
            (3) the President should continue discussions with the 
        Government of Canada to promote open trade between the United 
        States and Canada on softwood lumber free of trade restraints 
        that harm consumers; and
            (4) the President should consult with all interested 
        parties, including consumers of lumber products, in future 
        discussions regarding any terms of trade in softwood lumber 
        between the United States and Canada.
                                 <all>