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A World Trade Organization panel has found the United States broke international trade rules with some of its 2017 tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, which the U.S. set at 20.23 per cent after accusing Canadian federal and provincial governments of subsidizing softwood. However, it is unlikely that the ruling will take affect since the U.S. is blocking the WTO’s dispute-resolution system.
The U.S. had claimed that the Canadian governments charged lower-than-market rates for companies to cut down trees on Crown land. South of the border, most lumber is on private lands. However, the WTO has found that the U.S. was wrong, and that the Canadian governments had taken measures to ensure prices were comparable to market rates. The panel wrote that the U.S. had improperly rejected those measures.
The ruling still needs to be upheld by the WTO’s appellate body before taking effect; however, the body currently cannot decide any cases at it is down to only one member since the Trump administration has blocked attempts to appoint new ones. Until the case can reach a conclusion, the tariffs will remain.
(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 20, 2019 US Presidnt Donald Trump greets Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House in Washington, DC. The WTO has found that the U.S. broke international trade rules in its imposition of tariffs on Canadian softwood.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
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Nunavut leaders call for answers after officer cleared in shooting of Inuk man
Community leaders in Nunavut are demanding justice for Attachie Ashoona, an Inuk artist who was shot dead by an RCMP officer on Feb. 26 in Kinngait. The officer was cleared of criminal misconduct, though the investigators have released few details of the shooting.
The Ottawa Police Service sent a team to investigate whether the officer had committed a criminal act. Although the officer was cleared of wrongdoing, the report does not name the officer, nor the type of weapon used, the number of shots fired, the circumstances surrounding the shooting, or the cause of death.
Ashoona was a carver and sculptor who came from a family of storied artists, including two winners of the Order of Canada, his great-grandmother Pitseolak Ashoona, in 1977, and his grandfather Kiawak Ashoona, in 1999. He is the third person to be shot by RCMP in Nunavut since February, two of which were fatal. There have been six fatal police shootings of Indigenous people in Canada since April, including the widely reported deaths of Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi in New Brunswick.
Wisconsin Governor calls in National Guard as protests erupt over police shooting of Black man
Protests broke out in Kenosha, Wis., after police shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake, a Black man, on Sunday. Blake has been hospitalized in serious condition. In a cellphone video captured by an onlooker, Blake was apparently shot in the back as he leaned into his SUV while his three children were inside.
Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers summoned 125 members of the National Guard after clashes between protesters and police became violent. Protesters are demanding justice for Blake in the midst of a historic summer of racial unrest, set off by the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky.
Police said they were responding to a domestic dispute, though they did not give any details of the call or say whether Blake was armed and why police opened fire.
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DISPATCH FROM GLOBE CLIMATE
This week’s Globe Climate newsletter dives into Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s promise of a green economic recovery for Canada, especially given her new power of determining the country’s spending priorities. There have already been ideas on the table prior to Freeland’s appointment, but they have yet to be given anything close to a green light.
Other highlights include reporting on ongoing B.C. wildfires, smart gardens and renewable energy stocks’ expected performance under a potential Joe Biden presidency.
Want to dive into more stories about the environment, climate, energy and resources? Sign up for our Globe Climate newsletter.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Political parties intensifying efforts with prospect of federal election: With a confidence vote looming once Parliament reconvenes in the fall, federal political parties are ramping up their preparation efforts. While the Liberals, Conservatives and the Bloc are likely ready for an election, even if they don’t want one, attention is falling on the NDP and whether they’re prepared.
Gun-control reforms passed delayed: An internal government memo says that several approved federal gun-control measures may not be implemented before 2022. These measures, including expanded background checks and stricter licensing requirements, are being held back by regulatory, administrative and technical changes.
Belarussian authorities detain two leading opposition activists: A day after thousands of people marched in the streets of Minsk calling for the downfall of President Alexander Lukashenko, Belarussian authorities have arrested two members of the Coordination Council, an opposition body set up last week. They also called in Nobel laureate author and Council member Svetlana Alexievich for questioning.
Hong Kong researchers report first documented coronavirus reinfection: University of Hong Kong scientists say they have found the first confirmed case of someone being reinfected with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Tests revealed the 33-year-old man had a different strain in mid-August than the one he had in March.
First night of Republican National Convention paints bleak picture of U.S.: The Republican National Convention kicked off yesterday mostly from an empty auditorium in Washington, DC. Speakers stuck to a theme of painting President Donald Trump as the only person who could save the United States.
MORNING MARKETS
European markets gain on trade, vaccine hopes: European shares opened higher on Tuesday, with market sentiment propped up by the United States and China saying they are still committed to their Phase One trade deal, and some increased optimism around COVID-19 vaccine development. Just before 6 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.14 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.60 per cent and 0.66 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei jumped 1.35 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng finished down 0.26 per cent. New York futures were higher. The Canadian dollar was trading at 75.68 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
The Conservatives’ new leader, Erin O’Toole, scores an overtime goal – and captures the team’s spirit
Andrew MacDougall: “The trick for Mr. O’Toole will be to apply conservative principles to Canada’s current problems and not just offer up Liberal-lite fare, as many Conservatives clearly feared Mr. MacKay would have. He must find a way to put family, fairness, hard work and dignity together in a way that doesn’t spell either severe cuts or billions in new spending. It’s a big ask on a potentially tight timeline, with a Prime Minister who is clearly spoiling for a fight.”
The dangerous politicization of the scientific process
André Picard: “The President claims to be cutting red tape, but his bumbling forays into medical prescribing are much more sinister. His snake oil salesman approach is not about getting better treatments to people, it’s craven politicking that undermines the scientific enterprise and erodes democracy.”
The second wave of the virus could spark a homelessness crisis
Dana Granofsky, Kira Heineck, Steve Lurie and Kwame McKenzie: “With homelessness on the rise and the second wave looming, we need to act now to avert a disaster. We have come a long way and made many gains during this pandemic. We need to take the opportunity to build on our success and invest in solutions we know work. An acquisition fund and a renewed Reaching Home program will do this. We cannot afford to squander this chance.”
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian GableBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
How can I help my children feel less anxious about going back to school this fall?
If we don’t want our kids to feel more worried than they already are, we need to hide from them our own frustration and anxiety about the school situation.
Also, parents need to understand that it’s okay to worry about making the wrong choice. Since none of us have a crystal ball, it’s important to remember that we are making the best decision we can with the information we have and considering the needs of our families. One thing I try to remind myself when I’m feeling stressed about our current situation is that our kids are resilient and so are we. We can handle this.
MOMENT IN TIME: August 25, 1954
Singer Eleanor Collins, during guest appearance on CBC musical variety show, "A Hatful of Music", 1960. Elnora Ruth Collins (née Procter), singer, actor (born 21 November 1919 in Edmonton, Alberta). Vancouver’s “first lady of jazz,” Eleanor Collins was the first Canadian woman [also first Black woman] to have her own national television show, CBC TV’s The Eleanor Show (1955) and Eleanor (1964).CBC
Eleanor Collins debuts on Canada’s first mixed-race TV show
A pioneer in the most literal sense of the term, Eleanor Collins was at the forefront of Canada’s arts scene, as well as the civil rights movement, throughout her long and storied career. Eleanor was born outside Edmonton in 1919 to Black settler parents from Oklahoma who seized on the Canadian government’s offer to settle the Prairies. Music was an important part of her family life, and she began her career in Vancouver as a CBC staff musician, moving into acting roles before eventually landing a role on Bamboula: A Day in the West Indies, a Caribbean-influenced live musical variety show, and the first television show in Canada with a mixed-race cast. She didn’t stop there, and later in the year headlined her own variety show, The Eleanor Show, becoming the first musician of colour in North America to host their own show, predating The Nat King Cole Show in the United States by two years. Despite numerous international offers, Eleanor chose to stay in Canada, and currently lives in Vancouver, where she celebrated her 100th birthday this past November. Claire Porter Robbins
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