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. MCCOL-
LUM, 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Softwood Lumber Fair
Competition Act’’.
SEC. 2. IMPORT RELIEF.
(a) REDUCTION.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, within 60 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the President shall take the necessary steps,
by imposing quotas, tariff surcharges, negotiated enforce-
able voluntary export restraint agreements, or other meas-
ures, on imports of softwood lumber products of Canada
to ensure that the volume of each softwood lumber prod-
uct, as measured in thousand board feet, that is a product
of Canada and is imported into the United States during
any month does not exceed the average volume of such
product that was imported monthly during the 24-month
period preceding December 1995.
(b) ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY.—Within 60 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of the Treasury, through the United States Customs Serv-
ice, and the Secretary of Commerce shall implement a pro-
gram for administering and enforcing the restraints on
imports under subsection (a). The Customs Service is au-
thorized to refuse entry into the customs territory of the
United States of any softwood lumber products that ex-
ceed the allowable levels of imports of such products.
(c) APPLICABILITY.—For the purposes of this Act,
the term ‘‘softwood lumber product’’ means any product
classified under any of the following:
(1) Subheading 4407.10.00 of the Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States.
(2) Subheadings 4409.10.10, 4409.10.20, and
4409.10.90 of such Schedule.
(3) Heading 4418 of such Schedule.
(d) WAIVERS DURING PERIODS OF SHORT SUPPLY
AND HIGH PRICES.—The President may waive the appli-
cability of subsection (a), for periods of not more than 3
months each, with respect to any product referred to in
subsection (c) if—
(1) the President determines that the product
cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in com-
mercial quantities, or at an affordable cost, in a
timely manner;
(2) the President has obtained advice regarding
that determination from the appropriate advisory
committee established under section 135 of the
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2155) and the United
States International Trade Commission;
(3) the President has submitted to the Congress
a report that sets forth that determination and the
reasons therefor, and the advice obtained under
paragraph (2); and
(4) a period of 30 calendar days has elapsed
since the report was submitted under paragraph (3).
(e) DEFINITION.—For purposes of subsection (d), the
term ‘‘affordable cost’’ means, with respect to a product,
a price at or below the highest average price, adjusted for
inflation, for any calendar quarter occurring during the
period beginning January 1, 1996, and ending December
31, 2000, per thousand board feet of that product.
(f) EXPIRATION.—This section shall expire at the end
of the 5-year period beginning 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
Æ