Tariff Decision On Canadian Newsprint Could Have ‘Severe’ Impact On Newspaper Industry

By Paul Fletcher
Forbes
December 29, 2017
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

A single paper mill in Washington state has started a process that could rock the newspaper industry in 2018. The mill, North Pacific Paper Company, or NORPAC, has asked the government for import duties on groundwood paper from Canada. …The Commerce Department is expected to make a preliminary determination on Jan. 8. And except for NORPAC, which is owned by a hedge fund, most of the stakeholders are against the petitions, which, if approved, would add duties of as much as 50 percent. …They added, “The irony is that this trade dispute – brought by only one company with 400 employees – could accelerate the decline for an entire industry and may put small-market newspapers out of business.” There are 175,000 jobs in the industry at stake, they said. The ITC commissioners voted unanimously, 4-0, to let the investigation go forward.

Read More