A decadelong truce over softwood lumber trade between the United States and Canada is set to expire this week, potentially reigniting a trade battle for the fifth time since the 1980s. The U.S. lumber industry will be legally allowed to file a damaging trade case at midnight on Oct. 12. The U.S. industry could contend that Canadian provinces, which control about 90 percent of available timber, subsidize lumber companies. The U.S. industry's argument is that the provinces charge the lumber companies too little, whereas in the United States most timber is owned by the private sector and is sold at auction.
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