Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, Minister. Welcome to the committee.
I will try not to interrupt you too much, but I can't guarantee it.
On August 13, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a substantial increase in countervailing duties on wood. I'm going to reveal my Saguenay roots by telling you that I grew up in northern Quebec. I am therefore extremely aware of what is happening in the forest industry.
The crisis in this industry has been going on for decades. Twenty per cent of the wood exported by Canada comes from Quebec. Almost 50% of the amounts that are currently being disputed and withheld in the United States stem from Quebec exports. Quebec's forestry regime was rejigged a few years ago, precisely to avoid this sort of problem following statutory tariff reviews.
The Americans, who, I have to say, are acting in bad faith here, have time and litigation on their side.
Even if we ultimately win, businesses affected by this crisis will find themselves in a precarious situation and will struggle to invest and increase their productivity because of the lengthy litigation proceedings. You know that, being a lawyer.
Jobs in the regions are at stake. Solutions exist, however. Obviously, we can negotiate free trade agreements. I know you want to protect supply management and put pressure on senators. That approach can be used to fight countervailing duties as well. However, in the short term, what you and your department can do is develop an emergency aid program to help these businesses deal with costs in a timely manner.
I'll ask you my usual question: when will an announcement be made?