Canadian border officers investigate possible dumping of plywood from China

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is investigating whether plywood is being subsidized or sold at unfair prices in Canada.

The agency began investigating Friday to determine if decorative and other non-structural plywood was being sold at unfair prices — dumped (sic) — subsidized or both.

Investigators will be focusing on imports from producers operating in or exporting from China.

The agency says the practices can harm Canadian industries by undercutting Canadian prices and undermining fair competition.

The investigation follows after a complaint from Columbia Forest Products and the Canadian Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association.

They say they’ve faced lost sales, poor financial results and reduced employment.

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal will work with the agency and begin a preliminary inquiry in June to determine whether the imports are harming Canadian producers.

The CBSA will make a preliminary decision by July.

Last year, the CBSA launched a combined 33 dumping and subsidy investigations for nine different products.

This year so far, the CBSA launched seven dumping and subsidy investigations for four different products.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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