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January-February 2017

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INSIDE NWPCA 10 PalletCentral • January-February 2017 palletcentral.com Trump Transition: Positive Outlook for Pallet Industry A Trump presidency bodes well for the pallet industry as the President focuses on an environment that is pro-business. The excitement in Washington, DC is palpable and electrified. My workload has changed from "fight" this to "let's get it done!" Pro-business NWPCA association partners like the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), American Trucking Associations, UnitedFresh and others have geared up to create a more positive business environment. As an example, two proposals are being discussed "inside the beltway" of Washington, DC: (1) The Regulatory Accountability Act, which would require agencies to choose the least costly method of regulation, and (2) The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, which would expand the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), which requires regulatory agencies to account for the impact on small businesses in their rulemaking. It would require agencies to include the indirect impact of regulations on small businesses, not just the direct impact. It would also require agencies to have a small business advocacy panel to review major regulations. Many initiatives that died at the desk of President Obama (even if they passed the Senate) now have a real chance of being signed into law. The House and Senate are hashing out plans for tax reform, regulatory relief, access to capital for small businesses, and other proposals that will usher in economic growth and stimulate the national economy. This is where you come into play. What is keeping you up at night from a regulatory standpoint? What regulatory activities eat- up your administrative time filling out repetitive or unclear paperwork? Now is the time to act and voice your ideas, and I kid you not, there is energy and drive to make the environment more pro-business than in the past eight years. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts or join the NWPCA Government Affairs committee to participate, or to listen-in on what is going on in Washington, DC that will affect you. Softwood Lumber Agreement O n January 6, 2017, The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted to continue investigations into softwood lumber products from Canada based on "reasonable indication of material injury" to the U.S. industry after a December 12th proposal for a new lumber agreement was not accepted by Canadian negotiators. The United States and Canada are operating in the absence of a Softwood Lumber Agreement that expired in October of last year. As a result, opponents of the agreement filed an Anti-dumping (AD/ Countervailing Duties (CVC) suit saying they are being "materially harmed" by government subsidized Canadian wood products. The U.S. International Trade Commission subsequently opened an investigation put forth by softwood lumber producers/ sawmills regarding anti-dumping (AD)/ countervailing duties (CVD) on Canadian softwood lumber entering into the United States. The ITC is following standard protocol in this matter. The ITC held a hearing on December 16, 2016 with proponents (sawmills) and opponents (end-users) testifying. There was a 45-day window for preliminary determinations, which started from the time the petition was received. The ITC considered the arguments for and against additional tariffs. Imposing the duties is up to the Department of Commerce. Pallet material may be affected by the decision depending on outcomes, however at the hearing, wooden pallets were not on the agenda due to limited time for oral arguments (concerned participants were able to submit post-conference briefs to the ITC). NWPCA will continue to follow this issue closely and report on timely developments as this issue develops. More information is available at: https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2016/softwood_ lumber_canada/preliminary.htm NWPCA is monitoring the situation. It will likely take time for a final decision due to the change in Administration, including a new Secretary of Commerce and Subcabinet that need to make it through Senate confirmation hearings and then assume office. PC Capitol Hill Corner By Patrick Atagi, Vice President of Advocacy & External Affairs

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