WTO approves sanctions against the U.S-How will this effect trains?

[Junctionfan]

I just read a few articles about an anti-dumping law that has annoyed the European Union, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, India and Chile and so they are interested in imposing trade sanctions against the U.S-something to do with the Bryd Amendment? Anybody else here about this?

How bad would this effect the railroads particularly intermodal?

[andrewjonathon]

I agree. Consider the long term impact of the 27% tariff the US imposed on Canadian softwood lumber trade a couple of years ago as an example. While initially the effect may have been painful and the railroads lost some transborder shipments, the longer term impact was that it forced the Canadian lumber mills (interestingly many of them American owned) to become even more efficient in order to continue to compete in the market place. Today, over here on the westcoast the stream of lumber trains heading south on the BNSF from BC seems to be even heavier than before the tariffs were put in place.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Junctionfan

I just read a few articles about an anti-dumping law that has annoyed the European Union, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, India and Chile and so they are interested in imposing trade sanctions against the U.S-something to do with the Bryd Amendment? Anybody else here about this?

How bad would this effect the railroads particularly intermodal?

On dumping[?]
The US is very good about handling waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) keeps close watch on how American consumers dispose of worn out products produced by Europe, China and Japan and the others. Believe me all of this free trade is producing a lot of trash and filling our existing landfills. Everytime US producers try to ship goods to foreign markets we hear whining. Whats is fair about a 500 billion dollar trade deficit? Our markets are wide open to their products, but their markets are closed to our products. The US is the worlds largest free market. Can't say that about any other nation.

[andrewjonathon]

That sounds like whining to me. The US has a trade deficit has less to do with the trade policies of other countries and more do with the insatiable appetite of US consumers for cheap products from Asia and high end products from Europe. I would suggest that all of this internation trade with Asia and Europe has been very good for North American railroads.

[railman]

You're right, trade has been good, but it's pretty sad that the WTO comes after the US- because we're trying to save a little domestic industry. Let's not actually do something about China- keeping it's currency artificially low; keeping wages low, and working conditions that are dangerous at their best.

If any other country in the world pulls something like the US is doing, it's "okay." When we do it or complain about it, then we're the bad guys. Go figure.

On railroads, if less is being shipped, then I guess traffic to and from the ports will also dip.

[Junctionfan]

Does anybody know of this case and the positions of the parties? Not knowing the whole story kind of stinks and so I can't make or begin to make an informed opinion.