It was amusing to see the spin put by various governments on the softwood lumber decision that came down in mid-January. Effectively, two opposing groups claimed victory following the decision of the international arbitrator of the Canada/U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement. The U.S. claimed victory because, well, it won the case; Ontario claimed victory because the fine wasn't nearly as hefty as the U.S. had requested. The text of Ontario's official press release reads: "Ontario is pleased with an international tribunal's decision to limit an additional export tax on Ontario softwood lumber to only one-tenth of a per cent (0.1%). This is dramatically lower than the 20% the U.S. had originally requested.
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