Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to free trade and to free trade in softwood lumber with the United States. We were very pleased with the steel exemption we got from the United States two weeks ago.
We are engaging in talks with the United States administration at this very moment. The Prime Minister raised it with President Bush when they met last week. President Bush expressed his own support for a satisfactory agreement between both parties. He even expressed that he hoped this would be done by March 2.
The government continues to be committed to working with the United States and to finding an agreement.