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Senators discouraged penalties on suspect imports

Posted On: Aug 20, 2008 (12:06:16)
Associated Press -- Senators discouraged penalties on suspect imports -- By BEN EVANS Georgia's two senators intervened on behalf of an Atlanta-area wholesaler last year to discourage trade sanctions against cheap Chinese paper imports as the Bush administration investigated complaints that the paper was illegally subsidized by Beijing. The pro-import stance put Sens Read More...

China's Shandong Tralin installs second-hand PM from USA

Posted On: Jul 14, 2008 (10:17:37)

China's Shandong Tralin installs second-hand PM from USA

SINGAPORE, Jul. 14, 2008 - China's Shandong Tralin Paper has bought a second-hand machine from the US firm Blue Heron Paper.

A source at the Chinese company said that the equipment has been dismantled and shipped to its mill in Gaotang, Shandong province. Installation work has kicked off, with startup targeted for February next year.

The source indicated that the firm aims to rebuild the 6.1 m wide PM, which originally produced newsprint in the USA, enabling it to churn out uncoated printing/writing paper using a mixture of virgin fiber and nonwood pulp as furnish. It will have a capacity of 150,000 tonnes/yr.

Shandong Tralin has placed an order with Metso to supply automation for the PM. Delivery is scheduled for November.

Blue Heron permanently closed its mill in Pomona, California, in May 2007, and sold off the plant's sole machine in December. It acquired the newsprint mill from the Smurfit Group in mid-2005.

TRADE Act - Let's get Washington State on board!

Posted On: Jul 07, 2008 (14:31:46)

TRADE Act - Let's get Washington State on board!

June 4, 2008 was a significant day in trade policy. This was the day that the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act was introduced in Congress. This bill (HR 6180) was introduced by Rep. Mike Michaud and Senator Sherrod Brown, and it represents a truly balanced and fair way forward for trade policy - something that we can finally all support!

The TRADE Act addresses the content of trade agreements, stipulating what must and must not be included in fair trade policy. This includes issues like enforcement of ILO conventions on core labor standards, adherence to international environmental treaties, and reduced powers for foreign investors. The bill also addresses certain process issues, and would require a full review of all previous trade agreements to assess their true impact, as well as advocating for increased Congressional input into writing any new agreements.

The bill currently has over 60 Congressional co-sponsors, and is supported by a vast array of important organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Change to Win, and the Sierra Club. However, we haven't yet had any Washington State members of Congress co-sponsor this bill. We hope to change that, and soon. The Washington Fair Trade Coalition is reaching out and garnering support for the TRADE Act in four ways:

Calls to Congress. We encourage you to call your member of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the TRADE Act. A sample script can be found at the end of this newsletter. Please call today and ask your elected representatives to support this important bill!
Meetings with Congress members. We are organizing meetings with members of Congress to discuss the bill and ask for co-sponsorship. Please contact me at stephanie@washingtonfairtrade.org if you are interested in joining us for some of these meetings.
Postcards. We have printed many "Support the TRADE Act" postcards and are gathering signed ones, for delivery to our members of Congress. If you would like me to email you a document with the postcards to print and get signed by your members, please email me!
Outreach to our members. We also want to talk with our member organizations to explain more about this bill, answer questions, and strategize about how to rally behind it. If you are interested in having us bring our Fair Trade Road Show (TRADE Act edition!) to your next board or relevant member meeting, please let me know!

Need more information? See www.washingtonfairtrade.org (includes the WFTC press release) and www.citizenstrade.org (includes links to the bill itself, plus endorsement letters and media).

Grays Harbor PUD does key step for Evergreen's deal at Weyco mill in Cosmopolis, Washington.

Posted On: Jul 07, 2008 (13:39:09)

Grays Harbor PUD does key step for Evergreen's deal at Weyco mill in Cosmopolis, Washington.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jul. 7, 2008 - While Lee & Man Paper's Evergreen Pulp negotiates to buy Weyerhaeuser's Cosmopolis, WA, specialty pulp mill, the Grays Harbor Public Utility District (PUD), which supplies local power in the mill's area, purchased the operation's two 7.5 MW energy turbines for $17 million.

The Grays Harbor Public Utility District (PUD) on July 3 approved the deal in which it pays Evergreen Pulp Cosmopolis the $17 million for the power house, according to a report by the Seattle Times.

The Grays Harbor PUD also plans to spend another $10 million for repairs to the mill's power unit, which is fueled largely with wood waste. The PUD's part is considered critical as part of Evergreen's potential buy of the Weyco mill. No deal on the mill sale had been announced as of July 3.

Under deals being negotiated, Evergreen Pulp Cosmoplis buys the mill from Weyco, and buys energy from the Grays Harbor PUD, which would run the mill's power house.

The Cosmopolis mill was shut down in October 2006.

Evergreen Pulp also runs a kraft pulp mill in Samoa, CA, near Eureka, in upper Northern California. Evergreen Pulp is a unit of Lee & Man Paper, the second largest containerboard producer in China.