© 2024 Maine Public | Registered 501(c)(3) EIN: 22-3171529
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scroll down to see all available streams.

Poliquin Complains About Slowness of Trade Complaint

WASHINGTON - Maine 2nd District Rep. Bruce Poliquin says the International Trade Administration's investigation into Canadian government subsidies for the Port Hawkesbury paper mill in Nova Scotia is moving too slowly.

The probe was launched earlier this year. Poliquin says the slow pace of the investigation is tough on the Madison Paper Company, which is finding it hard to compete with the subsidized paper being made in Canada.

"At Madison Paper - very concerned that the unfair and unlawful Canadian subsides that are being provided to a competing paper mill across the border are stopped," Poliquin says.

The Madison mill closed for two weeks in late January and early February. The company attributed the shutdowns to unfair competition from Canada.

Poliquin says he is worried about how long it will take investigators to determine if the U.S. should impose tariffs on the subsidized paper, since he was recently scheduled to testify in the case in October. The Canadian mill denies that the subsidy violates trade agreements.

 

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.