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October 9, 2003
The Honorable Jim Jochum
Assistant Secretary, Import Administration
Central Records Unit, Room 1870
U.S. Department of Commerce
Pennsylvania Ave. & 14th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20230
Re: Treatment of Section 201 Duties and Countervailing Duties
Dear Mr. Jochum:
The American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance (AHGA) is responding to the
proposed Federal Register notice on September 9, 2003 requesting
comments regarding the deductibility of Section 201 duties and
countervail duties from the gross unit price used in anti-dumping
calculations. AHGA represents the nation’s 70 million homeowners as well
as future homeowners. We are opposed the proposal.
We request that the Department of Commerce study the financial impact
this proposed rule on U.S. home buyers. WTO and NAFTA panels have
already ruled illegal many of the actions taken by the Department in
imposing antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian Softwood
Lumber. We believe future WTO and NAFTA decisions will find similar
flaws in the duties.
The continued imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on
Canadian lumber is hurting U.S. home buyers, slowing the U.S. economic
recovery, putting innocent Canadian timber companies out of business and
costing innocent Canadian timber workers their jobs. These tariffs may
add $1,000 to the price of a new home, preventing 300,000 U.S. families
from buying homes.
As we approach an election year in a weak economic recovery we urge you
to put the interests of the 70 million US homeowners and millions of
future homeowners ahead of a bunch of greedy U.S. timber companies.
Sincerely,
Beth D. Hahn
President
American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance
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