Softwood Lumber from Canada
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SOFTWOOD LUMBER FROM CANADA Determination of the Commission in Investigation No. 701-TA-312 (Preliminary) Under Section 703(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, Together With the Information Obtained in the Investigation USITC PUBLICATION 2468 DECEMBER 1991 United States International Trad~ Commission Washington, DC 20436 UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS Anne E. Brunsdale, Acting Chairman Seeley G. Lodwick David B. Rohr Don E. Newquist Carol T. Crawford Janet A. Nuzum Charles Ervin, Director of Operations Slaff assigned: Jim McClure, Investigator Fred Ruggles, Commodity-Industry Analyst Elizabeth Ravesteijn, Economist John Ascienzo, Accountanl/Financial Analyst J udilh Czako, Auomey Robert Eningcr, Supervisory Investigator Address all communications to Kenneth R. Mason, Secretary to the Commission United States International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 CONTENTS Page Determination----------------------------------------------------------- 1 Views of the Comm.ission------------------------------------------------- 3 Information obtained in the investigation------------------------------- A-1 Introduction---------------------------------------------------------- A-3 Investigations concerning softwood lumber----------------------------- A-3 The products--------------------------------------------------------- A-6 Description and uses----------------------------------------------- A-6 U.S. tariff treatment----------------------------------------------- A-9 Nature and extent of alleged subsidies-------------------------------- A-10 The U.S. market------------------------------------------------------ A-11 U.S. producers----------------------------------------------------- A-11 U.S. importers------------------------------------------------------ A-15 Apparent U.S. consumption------------------------------------------ A-16 Consideration of alleged material injury to an industry in the United States----------------------------------------------------- A-21 U.S. production, capacity, and capacity utilization---------------- A-22 U.S. producers' shipments, inventories, and exports---------------- A-26 U.S. producers' employment, wages, and productivity---------------- A-31 Financial experience of U.S. producers------------------------------ A-32 Overall establishment operations--------------------------------- A-32 Softwood lumber operations--------------------------------------- A-32 Investment in productive facilities and return on assets---------- A-40 Capital expenditures---------------------------------------------- A-41 Research and development expenses-------------------------------- A-42 Capital and investment-------------------------------------------- A-42 Consideration of the question of threat of material injury----------- A-43 Inventories of U.S. importers-------------------------------------- A-45 Ability of foreign producers to generate exports and the availability of export markets other than the United States----- A-45 The industry in Canada------------------------------------------- A-45 Canadian exports----------------------------------------------- A-47 Canadian imports----------------------------------------------- A-49 Canadian consumption-------------------------------------------- A-50 Consideration of the causal relationship between imports of the subject merchandise and the alleged material injury-------------- A-50 U.S. imports and market penetration-------------------------------- A-50 Imports by domestic producers--------------------------------------- A-52 Prices-------------------------------------------------------------- A-53 Market characteristics------------------------------------------- A-56 Purchases of softwood lumber-------------------------------------- A-57 Transportation costs--------------------------------------------- A-57 Published prices------------------------------------------------- A-57 Questionnaire prices---------------------------------------------- A-58 Composite price trends----------------------------------------- A-59 Price trends and comparisons----------------------------------- A-60 Atlanta, GA, market area-------------------------------------- A-62 Boston, MA, market area--------------------------------------- A-62 Chicago, IL, market area-------------------------------------- A-64 Dallas, TX, market area--------------------------------------- A-64 Jacksonville, FL market area--------------------------------- A-64 Lost sales and lost revenues---------------------------------------- A-67 Exchange rates------------------------------------------------------ A-67 ii CONTENTS--Continued Appendixes A. Federal Register notices------------------------------------------- B-1 B. Calendar of the public conference---------------------------------- B-13 c. Comments received from U.S. producers on the impact of imports of softwood lumber from Canada on their growth, investment, ability to raise capital and/or existing development and production efforts----------------------------------------------------------- B-17 D. Weighted-average f .o.b. prices of the domestic and imported Canadian products, and f.o.b. prices as reported by Random Lengths--------- B-21 E. Composite f.o.b. prices for U.S. and Canadian softwood lumber------- B-25 Figures 1. Softwood lumber: U.S. production by region and major producing States, 1990------------------------------------------------------ A-13 2. Softwood lumber: Canadian production by principal provinces and and regions, 1990------------------------------------------------- A-14 3. Softwood lumber: Composite price indexes for U.S. and Canadian softwood lumber and producer price indexes for softwood lumber and softwood logs, bolts, and timber, by month, October 1989- September 1991---------------------------------------------------- A-59 4. Softwood lumber: Weighted-average f.o.b. prices for U.S.-produced SYP, by market areas and by months, and from Random Lengths, October 1989-September 1991--------------------------------------- A-61 5. Softwood lumber: Weighted-average f.o.b. prices for U.S and Canadian-produced SPF, by market areas and by months, and from Random Lengths, October 1989-September 1991----------------------- A-61 6. Softwood lumber: Weighted-average f.o.b. prices for U.S.-produced hem-fir, by market areas and by months, and from Random Lengths, October 1989-September 1991--------------------------------------- A-61 7. Softwood lumber: Weighted-average f.o.b. prices for U.S.-produced Douglas Fir, by market areas and by months, and from Random Lengths October 1989-September 1991------------------------------- A-61 Tables 1. Softwood lumber: U.S. and Canadian production, 1986-90------------- A-15 2. Softwood lumber: U.S. production, exports of domestic merchandise, imports from Canada, total imports for consumption, and apparent consumption, 1986-90, January-September 1990, and January- September 1991---------------------------------------------------- A-17 3. Housing starts: U.S. housing starts, privately owned and total, by type of structure, and by region, 1986-90------------------------- A-19 iii CONTENTS--Continued Tables--Continued 4. Softwood lumber: U.S. production, exports of domestic merchandise, imports for consumption, and apparent consumption, by regions, 1986-90, January-September 1990, and January-September 1991------- A-20 5. Softwood lumber: U.S. production, by geographic regions and by specified States, 1986-90, January-September 1990, and January- September 1991---------------------------------------------------- A-23 6. Softwood lumber: U.S. production, by species and species groups, 1986-90, January-September 1990, and January-September 1991------- A-24 7. Softwood lumber: U.S. production, capacity, and capacity utilization, 1986-90, January-September 1990, and January- September 1991---------------------------------------------------- A-25 8. Softwood lumber: U.S. production, capacity, and capacity utilization, 1988-90, January-September 1990, and January- September 1991---------------------------------------------------- A-26 9. Softwood lumber: Shipments from the Western United States to U.S. destinations, by areas and by methods of transportation, 1986-90-- A-27 10. Softwood lumber: Selected shipments from the Southern United States to U.S. destinations, by areas and by methods of transportation, 1986-90------------------------------------------ A-28 11. Softwood lumber: U.S. producers' domestic shipments, export shipments, company transfers, total shipments, and end-of-period inventories, 1988-90, January-September 1990, and January- September 1991--------------------------------------------------- A-29 12. Softwood lumber: U.S. exports, by markets, 1986-90, January- September 1990, and January-September 1991----------------------- A-30 13. Average number of production and relate~ workers in establishments producing softwood lumber; average number of hours worked by such workers; wages, total compensation and hourly compensation paid to such workers; labor productivity for production and related workers; and unit labor costs, 1988-90, January-September 1990, and January-September 1991--------------------------------------- A-31 14. Income-and-loss experience of U.S. producers on the overall operations of their establishments wherein softwood lumber is produced, fiscal years 1988-90, January-September 1990, and January-September 1991------------------------------------------- A-33 15. Income-and-loss experience of U.S. producers on their operations producing