Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s preliminary decision to impose 11.19% duties on Catalyst’s exports of supercalendared paper:

“Of course, we are disappointed in the decision which puts onerous duties on the company’s exports and significantly affects its competitiveness. The allegation that Catalyst received government subsidies is unwarranted and we believe a full investigation will confirm this.

“The British Columbia government takes its international trade obligations seriously, and we are confident that our programs are consistent with international trade rules.

“It is concerning that the preliminary decision does not accurately reflect Catalyst's economic reality and that Catalyst was not given the opportunity of due process. Instead, Catalyst was assigned the average subsidy duty determined for two other Canadian exporters selected by the U.S. Department of Commerce, rather than being individually investigated based on Catalyst’s unique situation.

“We encourage a full investigation into this matter, and will continue to work with the federal government to defend the interests of British Columbian companies doing business abroad.”