Jobs, tourism and innovation minister Pat Bell is confident Interior British Columbia lumber companies will come out ahead in the face of he United States' claim for a $499 million penalty in a complaint filed under the Softwood Lumber Agreement.
"At one point we were expecting the claim for damages might even be higher, that is usually the way they pursue any of these sorts of claims," Bell said Monday.
"This number doesn't make any sense either but the fact that it's less than what we thought they might ask for probably reflects the weakness of their case."
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