WASHINGTON –  U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) is urging President Obama to seek a fair, effective, and sustainable agreement with Canada on softwood lumber trade.

Boozman, along with a bipartisan group of 23 other senators, sent a letter to the president last week urging him to protect U.S. timber jobs and communities as the administration pursues a new agreement with Canada that would require it to maintain softwood lumber exports at or below an agreed U.S. market share. Doing so would provide the American lumber industry with the stability and confidence needed for successful production in the years to come.

“Forestry and the lumber industry are important to the economy in Arkansas,” Boozman said. “It is important that our trading partners agree to participate in the U.S. market on fair and equal footing. Because Canada’s lumber industry is subsidized by its government, it must be willing to limit the amount of softwood lumber it imports into the U.S. in order to protect American jobs. Failure by Canada to reach an agreement should result in the Obama administration fully enforcing our trade laws and supporting any trade cases filed by the American lumber industry.”

The U.S. government has submitted detailed proposals to the Canadian government that would establish an agreement consistent with the terms of a Joint Statement by President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau. These proposals are designed to ensure that Canadian lumber imports would enter the U.S. market at or below an agreed U.S. market share and to provide appropriate flexibility for the Canadian government to administer such a program. In their letter, the senators express concern that the Canadian government has been unwilling to consider serious proposals consistent with the statement issued by Obama and Trudeau.

The letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), James Risch (D-ID), Patty Murray (D-WA), Al Franken (D-MN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), David Perdue (R-GA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Barasso (R-WY), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).