I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2181

To impose certain restrictions on imports of softwood lumber products of

Canada.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 14, 2001

Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. NORWOOD, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr.

SHOWS, Mr. BOYD, Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. GRAHAM,

Mr. ROSS, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr.

CALLAHAN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. KUCINICH, and Ms. DEGETTE) introduced the following bill;

which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

A BILL

To impose certain restrictions on imports of softwood lumber

products of Canada.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Softwood Lumber Fair

5 Competition Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. IMPORT RELIEF.

7 (a) REDUCTION.—Notwithstanding any other provi8 sion of law, within 60 days after the date of the enactment
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1 of this Act, the President shall take the necessary steps,

2 by imposing quotas, tariff surcharges, negotiated enforce3 able voluntary export restraint agreements, or other meas4 ures, on imports of softwood lumber products of Canada

5 to ensure that the volume of each softwood lumber prod6 uct, as measured in thousand board feet, that is a product

7 of Canada and is imported into the United States during

8 any month does not exceed the average volume of such

9 product that was imported monthly during the 24-month

10 period preceding December 1995.

11 (b) ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY.—Within 60 days

12 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary

13 of the Treasury, through the United States Customs Serv14 ice, and the Secretary of Commerce shall implement a pro15 gram for administering and enforcing the restraints on

16 imports under subsection (a). The Customs Service is au17 thorized to refuse entry into the customs territory of the

18 United States of any softwood lumber products that ex19 ceed the allowable levels of imports of such products.

20 (c) APPLICABILITY.—For the purposes of this Act,

21 the term ‘‘softwood lumber product’’ means any product

22 classified under any of the following:

23 (1) Subheading 4407.10.00 of the Harmonized

24 Tariff Schedule of the United States.
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1 (2) Subheadings 4409.10.10, 4409.10.20, and

2 4409.10.90 of such Schedule.

3 (3) Heading 4418 of such Schedule.

4 (d) WAIVERS DURING PERIODS OF SHORT SUPPLY

5 AND HIGH PRICES.—The President may waive the appli6 cability of subsection (a), for periods of not more than 3

7 months each, with respect to any product referred to in

8 subsection (c) if—

9 (1) the President determines that the product

10 cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in com11 mercial quantities, or at an affordable cost, in a

12 timely manner;

13 (2) the President has obtained advice regarding

14 that determination from the appropriate advisory

15 committee established under section 135 of the

16 Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2155) and the United

17 States International Trade Commission;

18 (3) the President has submitted to the Congress

19 a report that sets forth that determination and the

20 reasons therefor, and the advice obtained under

21 paragraph (2); and

22 (4) a period of 30 calendar days has elapsed

23 since the report was submitted under paragraph (3).

24 (e) DEFINITION.—For purposes of subsection (d), the

25 term ‘‘affordable cost’’ means, with respect to a product,
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1 a price at or below the highest average price, adjusted for

2 inflation, for any calendar quarter occurring during the

3 period beginning January 1, 1996, and ending December

4 31, 2000, per thousand board feet of that product.

5 (f) EXPIRATION.—This section shall expire at the end

6 of the 5-year period beginning 60 days after the date of

7 the enactment of this Act.

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