The Department of Commerce (DOC) issued its final countervailing duty order on Thursday on imports of supercalendared paper, an issue first championed by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME).
The order follows a 5-0 vote by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that found that unfair Canadian subsidies on supercalendared paper unlawfully hurt Maine businesses, including Madison Paper.
“As I have said before, this final order from the DOC is a victory for Madison Paper and a victory for Maine workers,” Poliquin said. “This decision will preserve more than 200 jobs at Madison Paper and keep the facility operating and producing their quality product.
“For months, I have made it a top priority to investigate these unfair trade practices and job-killing subsidies from Canada that have been detrimental to Maine’s businesses. It is unacceptable that so many Maine families have lost work because of these illegal trade practices.
“This final order is a critical step forward in growing jobs in Maine, but it’s certainly not the end of the fight. As Maine’s Second District congressman, I will continue to fight for Maine jobs and fight to end unfair trade policies.”
A petition from the Coalition of Fair Paper Imports first raised the issue, alleging that Canadian supercalendared paper producers, including the Port Hawkesbury Paper Company, benefited from subsidies from the Canadian government.
Madison Paper, as a result of the subsidies, was forced to close down the operation of its mill this year for 17 days and temporarily lay off approximately 200 workers. Three other Maine paper mills closed permanently in 2014, taking approximately 1,000 jobs with them.