WTO Decision in favor of Port Hawkesbury Paper | Business



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PORT HAWKESBURY

Enterprise Minister Geoff MacLellan praised the decision of the World Trade Organization that greatly favored Canadian glossy producers in a dispute over fees imposed by the US government.

Thursday morning and had a direct impact on companies producing supercalendered paper for export to the United States. The paper is widely used for magazines, catalogs, company brochures and advertising inserts.

"This is a perfect example of how" As a province and as a nation, we adhere to very fair and reasonable rules with our international trading partners and that is an example, a situation where our processes and rules are enforced. "

MacLellan said the decision was important in defending the country's" commercial rights. "

Port Hawkesbury Paper, owned by Stern Partne, of Vancouver rs Inc. had a 20.18% duty on products shipped south of the border since August 2015.

In January, as a result of a preliminary administrative review of Canada's supercalendered paper, the US Department of Commerce adjusted the rate of Port Hawkesbury Paper to 15.65 percent

The commercial skirmish resulted from a complaint filed by two US companies producing supercalendered paper, which argued that Canadian paper is unfairly subsidized.

In the case of Port Hawkesbury Paper, the badistance received in 2012, worth about $ 124.5 million, from the province to reopen the ". factory after a year sales process, as well as a special electricity tariff.

The company employs about 330 supports 400 to 500 jobs in trucking and wood harvesting in Nova Scotia

Port Hawkesbury paper development manager Marc Dubé did not returned request for comment Friday.

Global Affairs Canada spokesman John Babbad told The Canadian Press by email that the government acknowledged the WTO decision that the United States had breached its obligations when They issued their countervailing duty decision. 19659002] He said that Canada is asking the United States to promptly implement the panel's findings, rescind the order of duties and refund all taxes collected since its entry into force

]. Three years ago

Last year, a NAFTA Review Board also ruled in favor of Canada by unanimously deciding to order the Department of Commerce to reconsider its duties against Canadian factories producing glossy paper. the rights were Resolute Forest Products of Montreal, JD Irving Plant in New Brunswick and Catalyst Paper of British Columbia.

MacLellan A person from his department has been talking to Port Hawkesbury Paper officials since the release of the WTO ruling.

Without giving any indication of the reaction of the US government, he stated that Nova Scotia is respecting the appeal process. We do not intervene or make any calls to our political counterparts on the US side. We let these things unfold as they should in the independent nature.

Canada's exports of supercalendered paper to the United States were valued at $ 959 million in 2014.

• Settlement Agreement reached in the Port Hawkesbury Paper Transboundary Dispute [19659002] – With files from The Canadian Press

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Twitter: @cbpost_chris

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