Mr. Speaker, I think that the exceptional situation we are facing requires action from the government.
The U.S. is said to be a free trade country. It is all very well when the flow is going one way, but when it starts flowing the other way, protectionism takes over. Imports alone account for 11% of the GDP in the United States. This clearly shows that when the Americans do business with other countries, it is not to buy their stuff but to sell them theirs.
If the softwood lumber industry is going relatively well in the United States because prices are high and the industry has some degree of control, I would not say that there is collusion, but they keep prices high. The American government just imposes countervailing duties to protect its own market.
It is obvious that we should return to full free trade.