So just when you thought the US - Canada lumber dispute was settled...

[Monk06]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060815/pl_nm/trade_wto_lumber_dc_1

Tue Aug 15, 12:22 PM ET

"GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Trade Organisation's Appellate Body, reversing an earlier panel report, on Tuesday ruled that the U.S. method for calculating anti-dumping duties on softwood lumber imports violated global free trade rules.


A WTO dispute panel on April 3 rejected a challenge brought by Canada against a U.S. method known as "zeroing" for calculating anti-dumping duties on billions of dollars worth of softwood lumber imports.

But in a 60-page ruling issued on Tuesday, the three judges on the WTO's Appellate Body -- its highest arbitration court -- found that the use of zeroing was inconsistent with the WTO's Anti-Dumping Agreement.

"The Appellate Body recommends that the (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) request the United States to bring its measure into conformity with its obligations under the Anti-Dumping Agreement," it said.

Either side has 30 days to ask the Dispute Settlement Body to adopt the ruling, which then becomes final unless there is a consensus against it. The DSB, composed of the WTO's 149 member states, is expected to meet in September."

Turns out that the US Coalition For Fair Lumber Imports cooked the numbers in their anti dumping case at the WTO. The WTO has reversed its previous decision against Canada before the recent compromise agreement has been signed.

Around and around we go. Where it stops nobody knows.