Upload
consumerprosperity
View
238
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
1/19
globalprosperi tyCONSUMERS ALLIANCE FOR
EMPIRES OFCOLLUSION
September 2010
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
2/19
2
Globally green non-government organizations, domestic
paper-based industries and unions representing workers are
colluding to promote green protectionism they have
formed an empire of collusion.
In the United States they are colluding to stop the
importation of pulp, paper and timber imports from Asian
developing countries.
The cost of this collusion will be worn by U.S. industries
reliant on pulp, paper and timber imports to remain
competitive internationally like the printing industry and
consumers who will ultimately foot the bill with higher prices.
These groups are colluding to accuse major Asian-based
pulp, paper and timber producers of being engaged in illegal
logging. They are using attacks against Chinese andIndonesian exporters of engaging in, or supplying, products
from illegally logged forests to justify trade barriers.
U.S. paper companies Appleton Coated, NewPage and
Sappi, with the support of the Alliance for American
Manufacturing and the United Steelworkers Union have
colluded and sought a dumping and subsidies complaint
against Chinese and Indonesian imports. The final decision
of the International Trade Commission to permanently
establish tariffs is set to be announced shortly.
To support their application for tariffs unions, industry and
the union-backed research group, the Economic Policy
Institute, have lobbied to have trade barriers introduced that
would cut competition from producers, particularly from
China.
Meanwhile the Dogwood Alliance, Greenpeace, the
Rainforest Action Network and the World Wildlife Fund have
colluded with industry and targeted big box store stationary
retailers Office Depot, OfficeMax and Staples to cease
sourcing paper products from Asia.
Democrats in Congress who are seeking to protect jobs in
their districts passedamendments to the Lacey Act requiring
imports to declare their origin on arrival into the United States.
The amendments will add costs on imports to protect
domestic industry.
Collusion is not just occurring in the United States. Similar
collusion is occurring in Australia between industry, unions
and green groups who are seeking to protect Australias
local industry and lock out imports from Asia.
Collusion by green groups, unions and industry will not
protect jobs. But it will increase costs for American
businesses and for consumers.
SUMMARY
Attacks on imported paper products from labor unions,
environmental nongovernment organizations, industry and
politicians are at fever pitch. They are the Empires of Collusion.
The industry faces increasing competitive pressure from lower-
cost producers like China and Indonesia.
In response labor unions, environmental NGOs, industry and
politicians are employing two strategies.
The first is to limit supply by imposing trade barriers that will
make imports less competitive against U.S. paper products.
The second is to claim imports are being sourced through
illegal logging with the objective of harming demand for
imports from major retailers and consumers.
This paper will look at the increasing various claims and tacticsbeing used by these groups and the seemingly convenient
consistency in their messages and strategies.
In particular this paper will assess the behavior of these groups,
analyze the environment in which the U.S. paper industry
operates in and the justification for attacking imports as well
as looking at equivalent events internationally.
Most importantly this paper will assess the consequences of
the campaign to oppose paper imports and the potential costs
on the U.S.s economic and trade interests and its impact on
consumers.
INTRODUCTION
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
3/19
3
EMPIRES
OF
COLLUSION
It is clear that the mutually-reinforcing activities of industry,
labor unions, green NGOs and politicians are not an accident.
They point to a concerted effort of vested interests in an
Empire of Collusion to stop both the supply and demand for
low-cost imported paper products from developing countries
that consumers demand.
But until the evidence is brought together it is hard to see the
proverbial individual activist trees from the collusion of vested
interests forest.
That is until this report.
There has been a longstanding campaign by green groups to
oppose imports. While China has emerged as a major exporter,
it currently has a limited domestic production capacity andrelies on pulp imports from other countries, especially
Indonesia. They have targeted Indonesias largest pro-ducer,
Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) of Sinar Mas accusing and pillaging
the company in the global media for sourcing their products
from forests claimed to be illegally logged. The accusations
are green lies.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace have been at the
forefront of these attacks. The Forestry Stewardship Council
(FSC), which counts WWF and Greenpeace as members, is
also involved. FSC is a Mafioso type organization which shakes
down developing world industry with no regard for the impact it
has on people.
Take for example their cooperation with APP whereby they
previously certified APP's products but later APP was forced to
end this agree-ment after FSC continually moved the goal
posts and changed the obligations to achieve certification.
EMPIRES OF COLLLUSION
Trade barriers and tariffs help
labor officials and their members,
and environmentalists would justas soon we all play with hemp
dolls, but they have very little
care for the real hardships of
others less fortunate.
ANDREW LANGER, WASHINGTON TIMES, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
4/19
4
Ever since relations broke down, WWF and FSC have
maliciously attacked APP and any industry and manufacturer
that does business with them. WWF and FSCs attacks have
now been picked up by other groups like the Rainforest Action
Network, the United Steelworkers and the U.S. Congress who
have developed the arguments further claiming Indonesian and
Chinese imports receive subsidies or are dumped in the U.S.
market. These arguments are now being used to justify
blocking paper imports from APP and Indonesia and China
more generally.
Failing to get consumers to adopt their agenda, the collusion of
vested interests is using legal instruments to force it on them.
Paper manufacturers, green groups, labor unions and
politicians successfully lobbied for amendments to the century-
old Lacey Act. These amendments require the recording and
disclosure of the origin of wood products through their wholesupply chain adding costs onto imports to cut competition for
domestic producers.
A similar collusion of vested interests are now pushing to have
the Lacey Act's anti-competitive regulations into Australian law.
But these vested interests have not stopped with the Lacey Act.
Domestic paper manufacturers including Appleton Coated,
NewPage and Sappi, with the specific support of the United
Steelworkers, applied to the International Trade Commission
(ITC) and the Department of Commerce to impose tariffs on
Chinese and Indonesian paper imports. The ITC's initial finding
concluded that temporary tariffs should be imposed to help
protect the U.S.s domestic industry and jobs. Now this
collusion of vested interests is actively lobbying the
government to make them permanent.
Green groups including Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the
Earth, the Rainforest Action Network and the Dogwood
Alliance have actively supported, and engaged in, publiclyholding hostage retailers Staples, OfficeMax and Office Depot
to stop stocking low-cost paper imports. Unfortunately these
Heres the deal. Labor groups and
a few scheming companies tired
of the rigors of a competitive
marketplace have increasingly
been turning to green groups for
cover and to push overlapping
agendas.
ANDREW LANGER, INSTITUTE FOR LIBERTY, WASHINGTON,
EXAMINER, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
5/19
5
companies have gone along with this greenmail. And
unsurprisingly these campaigns are supported by U.S.
paper companies and labor unions.
The tactics of these green groups demonstrate a clear
objective to end paper imports from the market-place.
These green groups have engaged in the environmental
equivalent of blackmail greenmail by hounding
these companies, and seeking to destroy their customer
base publicly, until they adopt their preferred green
procurement policies that would result in them ceasing
stocking and selling of low-cost paper imports.
But these retailers have not learned the lessons of
these campaigns and are now working with these
green groups to push a green agenda. However
doing so clearly suits their commercial interests asgreenmailing reduces competition enables these
stores to secure fatter profit margins.
It is certainly the motivation of these players who
will commercially gain from protectionism. U.S.
paper companies will secure bigger profits through
tariffs and regulations that cut competitive pressure,
while labor unions will protect their members high-paying
jobs and from the pressure of productivity gains. Both will
be at the expense of consumers who will have to pay more
for paper products to protect the profits of an industry
clearly in desperate need of reform if it is to survive.
Companies many of us have never
heard of Sappi, NewPage,
Appleton have teamed up with
the Steelworkers to get temporary
tariffs of as much as 135 percent
slapped on foreign paper products
ahead of a decision this month on
whether to impose permanent
protectionist costs.
ANDREW LANGER, THE DAILY CALLER, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
Now the Department of Commerce
is set to decide the fate of protec-
tionist policies being requested
by the United Steelworkers, its
newly acquired allies in the
environmentalist movement,
and a couple corporate cronies
who seeking tariffs on paperproducts.
ANDREW LANGER, WASHINGTON TIMES, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
6/19
6
The U.S. paper industry is an incredibly important contributor
to the national economy. The American forestry section
contributes significantly to the U.S. economy accounting for
5% of manufacturing GDP, employing 900,000 workers and
producing $175 billion in product.1The industry is as important
as the automotive industry. Alone the paper and packaging
industry has sales of roughly $115 billion annually and isresponsible for the employment of 400,000 people.
However, it is an industry that faces many challenges. Like all
industries it has struggled through the current recession. In
2009 total production of paper and paperboard fell by 10.6
percent from 2008, and exports fell by roughly the same amount
by 10.9 percent.2
But the problems for the U.S. industry existed before the
current recession. Graphs 1 and 2 illustrate that U.S.
production has progressively declined in the past decade. The
U.S. has faced a steeper decline in production than in its
decline in imports. Graph 2 shows the particularly noticeable
drop off in production of U.S. pulp for paper.
Meanwhile a large portion of U.S. imports in paper and
paperboard, as well as pulp and waste paper imports has
come from China. As graphs 3 and 4 show, the share of U.S.
imports from China has increased significantly in comparison to
imports overall. This data illustrating the comparative
advantage that China has in paper production and imports
underscores certain U.S. paper manufacturers and labor
unions tendency towards protectionism.
THE UNITED STATES PAPER INDUSTRY
There are entire organizations
now, going by names like the
BlueGreen Alliance and the
Apollo Alliance. Different
names but the same goal: Ineach case, green groups get
to dictate what consumers con-
sume, and labor bosses dictate
who makes the products and
for which (inflated) prices.
GEORGE LANDRITH, FRONTIERS OF FREEDOM,
TOWNHALL.COM, SEPTEMBER 13, 2010
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
7/19
7
As a consequence of these trends many U.S. paper companies
have actively criticized Chinese imports arguing that subsidies
are responsible for the big increase in imports because China
does not have a comparative advantage in paper.3
But Chinahas a comparative advantage in paper production forest
plantations in fact, exceeding those of the U.S.
The questionable claims of the unfair competition for the U.S.
paper industry also appears to be dubious based on evidence
closer to home. Americans spend $6 billion a year on toilet
tissue alone, and according to Tissue World North American
demand for tissue paper has increased steadily at 2% per year
since the year 2000 and only slowed to 0.6% as a result of the
recession. And because of the strength of the industry it is one
of the few paper industry segments that has seen new asset
build up over the past years.4
And despite facing similar competitive pressures the U.S.
tissue paper industry is continuing to produce equivalent
volumes of product to meet American consumption. There
continues to be an increase in tissue demand from consumers
matching the increased production from the U.S. industry.
As a consequence there appears to be little wrong with the
marketplace in which American paper operates, despite the
complaints of the paper industry about competitive pressure
from China and others. Instead the behavior of the industry
appears to demonstrate an unwillingness to adapt to changing
competitive pressures and the preservation of their profit
margins.
In response policy makers should consider proposals to
introduce trade restrictions against imports with caution.
Evidence does not demonstrate there is a justification for them,
and instead the impact could be to harm significantly competitive
sections of the American paper industry, such as the tissue
sector and thus unfairly increasing prices for consumers.
PUL
PANDP
APER
LABOR
COLLABORATORS
RETAIL
ER
S
AGRI-BU
SIN
ESS
UNITEDSTEEL-
BLUEGREEN DOGWO
OD
OFF
ICEM
AX
,STAPL
ES
,
INTERNATIONALTRADE ECON
OMIC
POLI
CY
COMM
ISSION IN
STITUTE
FOREST
KENTUCKY F
RIED
CHIC
KEN
ETHIC
S
WORKERSUNION
ALLIANCE ALL
IANCE
&OFFIC
ED
EP OT
WORKERSUNION
ALLIANCE ALL
IANCE
&OFFIC
ED
EP OT
NEEWPAGE,
SAP
PI ,APPLETON
FSC
WWF
GREENPEACE
The end goal of each group is to make foreign
products based on natural resources so expensive
(through tariffs, taxes, subsidies, and regulation)
that consumers will be driven to stick with the
groups costlier alternatives.
ANDREW LANGER, WASHINGTON EXAMINER, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010
Government action in the form of trade barriers
is the wrong solution. More regulation and US
corporate welfare do not benefit American
consumers, Asian companies or those in SoutheastAsia who desperately need employment.
ANDREW LANGER, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, SEPTEMBER 15, 2010
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
8/19
8
There is no doubt that Chinese companies directly, or indirectly,
receive some subsidy support from the government. But U.S.
industry complaining about subsidies is utterly hypocritical
based on their own track record of behavior as demonstrated
by their exploitation of black liquor to attract billions of dollars
of taxpayer subsidies.
Black liquor is a by-product of the kraft process when turning
pulpwood into paper pulp to extract cellulose fibres. Black
liquor is the black liquid that remains after this process and can
subsequently be used as a form of biofuel. Because of the
capacity for black liquor to be used as a fuel and the cost to
industry to dispose safely of black liquor industry has long used
it as a form of fuel for pulp mills.5
In 2007 the Congress passed legislation encouraging the use
of alternative fuels as a replacement for fossil fuels through theavailability of tax credits. Not intended to cover black liquor or
to support the U.S. pulp mill industry, an Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) ruling sought by the U.S. pulp mill industry
included black liquor as an eligible fuel for the tax credit, thus
providing billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies to pulp mills.
According to industry media the tax credit was particularly
helpful ... because many mills have been running with very low,
if any, profit margins.6 Reportedly the credit would deliver a tax
credit of $90 million to the average U.S. pulp mill.7 Similarly,
industry data shows that a major pulp producer, International
Paper received $516 million in tax credits under the scheme inthe 4th quarter of 2009 despite losing $101 million in the same
quarter ensuring it could turn a $415 million taxpayer- subsidized
profit.8
Despite the egregious nature of the subsidy, support for black
liquor wasnt rescinded and it only ceased at the end of 2009
as a result of the expiration of the subsidy program.
But following another IRS ruling sought by the industry in the
middle of 2010, tax credits were made available
again for the pulp mill industry turning black
liquor into black gold. This time the credits
increased in value from the previous tax credit of
$0.50 per gallon of black liquor to $1.01 per
gallon. Furthermore the 2010 ruling allowed pulp
mills to retroactively apply for the subsidy for 2009.
While the actual cost is not known, it is expected
to deliver a $10 billion subsidy to the industry.9
As an interesting point of comparison by the
left-wing Economic Policy
Institutes (EPI) policy paper,
No Paper Tiger(2010), the
Chinese government
subsidized its paperindustry with $33.1 billion
from 2002 to 2009
averaging slightly more
than $4 billion a year.
BIG PAPERS HYPOCRISY
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
9/19
9
Despite attracting dubious subsidies the U.S. industry continues
to complain about competition from imports. Rather than
adjust to competition the industry is increasingly looking at
ways to impose trade barriers to protect their profits. This is
not a new occurrence.
In 2006, the Ohio-based paper company NewPage applied to
the International Trade Commission (ITC) for tariffs to be imposed
on coated paper imports from China, Indonesia and South
Korea to cut competition. NewPage claimed that their imports
were subsidized and it was harming its business. But after
reviewing the application the ITC rejected the request because
the imports were not materially harming NewPages interests.
Paper manufacturers NewPage, Sappi and Appleton Coated
were dissatisfied with the result. In September 2009 they jointly
filed a petition with the Department of Commerce and theInternational Trade Commission to introduce tariffs in response
to claims of subsidies and dumping by Chinese and Indonesian
coated paper producers.
Claims against coated paper imports resulted from a rapid
increase of imports of nearly 40% in the first half of 2009
compared to the previous year. Meanwhile the market share
for domestic producers declined by 38%.10
The United Steelworkers Union also joined the application by
Appleton Coated, NewPage and Sappi. The action by the
United Steelworkers Union is unsurprising. They are seeking toprotect the roughly six thousand unionized workers that work
in NewPage, Appleton Coated and Sappis plants.
After consideration the ITC voted to support the investigation.
The decision received strong support from industry who
argued fair competition requires all companies, both domestic
and international, to abide by the trade laws and to make
investments in sustainable practices,11 and that it is
important that we offset the dumping and subsidies which are
benefiting the Chinese and Indonesian paper
companies at the cost of American jobs.12
The United Steelworkers Union also supported the
decision arguing we have seen thousands of job
losses by multiple plant shutdowns in coated paper
manufacturing caused by imports since the period in the
last petition to enforce fair trade rules.13
By March 2010 the Department of Commerce ruled in
favor of industry and union complaints that there had
been subsidies provided, and by April, that dumping
had occurred. In response the Department imposed
temporary countervailing duties.14
In response Asian paper makers have highlighted
the serious risk to U.S. jobs by imposing tariffs, especially onthe U.S. printing industry which relies on a competitive paper
stock to keep its costs down for exports. Other
reports have highlighted that the tariffs will push
printing jobs to Mexico or Canada where they do
not exist for brochures, catalogues and
viewbooks.15
The U.S. printing industry has also come out
swinging with the Printing Industry Association of Southern
California arguing if their request [for tariffs] is granted, our
work will become more expensive and less competitive.
America doesnt need to lose more jobs.16
The Chinese government is also considering lodging an appeal
to the World Trade Organization.17 Indonesias Sinar Mas, a
company heavily affected by the U.S. decision is also seeking
for the Indonesian government to do the same.18
Of concern, the level of support for the decision to impose
tariffs demonstrates how extensive the support for
protectionism in the U.S. now is.
SEEKING PROTECTION
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
10/19
10
In response to the decision Wisconsin Democratic
Congressman, Steve Kagen, said he will continue to work
hard to level the playing field for companies like Appleton
Coated, and ... keep these higher wage jobs.19
Similar calls were made by numerous other Congressmen,
including Wisconsin Democrat Senator, Herb Kohl, who said
he would continue efforts to support this vital industry, and will
work with the next Administration to ensure that anti-dumping
laws are vigorously enforced on behalf of American workers.20
Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins stated
the ruling was good news for Maines paper industry,
particularly NewPage and Sappi.21
Now the Department of Commerce is considering whether to
permanently impose countervailing duties.
In the lead up to this decision 108 Congressmen signed a letter
to President Obama calling for the President to carefully
examine the practices employed by the Chinese government
to provide its paper industry with artificial and unfair advantage
in the U.S. market, and determine the extent to which these
practices cause or threaten to cause harm to American
producers.
The letter was strongly supported by the United Steelworkers
Union who argued too many jobs and too many companies
are being destroyed.22
And the impact on industry from these tariffs is already being
felt. An industry poll found that 40% of printers were paying up
to 20% more for coated paper and 34% said it was higher.23
These price rises are being realized at the same time that pulp
prices are increasing as a result of the earthquake in Chile.
Industry reports that the price of pulp has increased from
$800 to $1,000 per metric ton.24
Each member of this cabal (which
includes groups like Greenpeace
and the United Steel workers)
hopes to make paper products
more expensive for U.S. con-
sumers.
ANDREW LANGER, THE DAILY CALLER, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
11/19
11
American labor unions working with paper companies are
clearly seeking to impose trade barriers through the introduction
of permanent tariffs against paper imports using subsidies and
claims of illegal logging as justification. It is a campaign that
builds on their earlier success to amend the century-old Lacey
Act that seeks to limit the trade of illegally poached animal
species.
Following strong campaigns from labor unions and green
NGOs claiming that wood and wood product imports were
entering into the U.S., Congress amended the Lacey Act to
introduce expensive regulations on imports.
In 2008 the Lacey Act was amended and its coverage was
expanded to include plant and plant products by:
Prohibiting all trade in plant and plant products ... that are
illegally sourced from any U.S. state or any other foreigncountry.
Requires importers to declare the country of origin of
harvest and species name of all plants contained in their
product.
Establishes penalties for violation of the Act, including
forfeiture of goods and vessels, fines and jail time.25
In supporting the passage of the Lacey Act Oregon Democrat
Senator Ron Wyden stated this legislation will go a long way
towards not only leveling the playing field for American
manufacturers, but to protecting jobs.26
To achieve the objectives of the Lacey Act, importers of wood
products must sign a declaration that identifies the name of the
species included, the country of origin, the quantity and value
and the value of the product.27
Armed with claims of illegally logged timber entering the U.S.,
the Lacey Act was supported by U.S. congressmen and a
coalition of environmental groups, labor unions and vested
interest industry groups. According to the Environmental
Investigation Agency, one of the green groups represented the
groups that supported the Lacey Acts introduction included:
American Forest and Paper Association Amazon Watch
Center for International Environmental Law
Conservation International
Defenders of Wildlife
Dogwood Alliance
Environmental Investigation Agency
ForestEthics
Friends of the Earth
Global Witness
Greenpeace
Hardwood Federation
International Brotherhood of Teamsters National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Rainforest Alliance
Sierra Club
Society of American Foresters
Sustainable Furniture Council
The Nature Conservancy
Tropical Forest Trust
United Steelworkers
Wildlife Conservation Society
World Wildlife Fund
Senator Wyden reiterated this point stating the Lacey Act
represents hundred(s) of hours of collective work by an
unprecedented coalition of industry, labor and environment
groups.28
THE LACEY ACT
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
12/19
12 BLOCKING MARKET ACCESS
Amendments to the Lacey Act sought to limit the supply of
imported timber, but green groups have also colluded with
industry and unions to cut demand for imports.
One of the most vocal advocates for limiting wood productimports is the Dogwood Alliance. The Dogwood Alliance is a
Southern-based green NGO that emerged from fighting
Southern State chip mills and now focuses its campaigns in
the marketplace.29The Dogwood Alliance has a number of
partners and members who support its work. Dogwood
Alliances partners and members are made up of other individual
green NGOs and alliances of Green NGOs, as well as
environment-dependent businesses.
The Dogwood Alliance is shockingly candid about its efforts
to greenmail businesses. Greenmailing is the equivalent of
environmental blackmail by threatening businesses withcriticism, bad publicity or undermining their customer base
unless they meet certain environmental objective.
According to the Dogwood Alliance large corporate
customers [of paper products] (such as Staples and Office
Depot) can influence directly the paper producers ... by
organizing high profile campaigns focused on these large
corporate customers Dogwood Alliance educates the public
about the impact of industrial paper production on our forests
and increase demand in the marketplace for sustainably
produced paper products.30
And the Dogwood Alliance also identifies its targets arguing
big box office supply retailers have become one of the worlds
largest retailers of paper ... for many people, familiar companies
like Staples, Office Depot and OfficeMax represent this link
from the forest to the paper mill producing the paper on the
shelves of Staples, Office Depot and OfficeMax.
And that is precisely what the Dogwood Alliance has done.
Teaming up with Californias ForestEthics they have targeted
Staples, Office Depot and OfficeMax and greenmailed them
into adopting procurement policies consistent with their values.
Similar campaigns have also been waged against fast food
companies, especially Kentucky Fried Chicken, to adopt green
policies in the purchasing of their paper products.31
But despite adopting green procurement policies the Dogwood
Alliance and Forest Ethics are continuing to greenmail companies
by producing Green Grades report cards arguing these
companies can do more.32 Similar tactics have been employed
by the World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace.
By 2003 Office Depot caved to environmental campaigns using
products from parts of Asia on environmental grounds. By
2008 Staples had done the same arguing that sourcing paper
from Asia Pulp and Paper was at great peril to our brand.33
In response to attacks these companies adopted procurement
policies consistent with the objectives of the Dogwood Alliance,
Greenpeace and WWF. But while these policies are consistent
with the demands of non-government organizations, they
ignore the consequences of their policies on economic
development for the worlds poor whose interests have been
discarded.
A BlueGreen Alliance report correctly highlights the enormous
importance of the timber industry to Indonesia and its economic
development stating forestry itself comprises a small sliver of
the nations total gross domestic product (0.8 percent), butwood-processing industries and trade of timber and timber
products are a large part of the Indonesian economy.34
The BlueGreen Alliance is an alliance of green NGOs and labor
unions advocating for tight environmentally-inspired regulations
to promote the greening of the American economy. It is a
union and green project meant to promote their mutual
interests of stopping imports from developing countries that
would harm American jobs. The Alliance is made up of the
Sierra Club, the United Steel Workers Union, the Rainforest
Action Network and the National Resources Defense Council.
And despite being greenmailed Staples have now teamed up
with the Dogwood Alliance, Columbia Forest Products, the
Rainforest Alliance, Green Press Initiative, Domtar, the Home
Depot, Environmental Defense, the Forestland Group and the
Keystone Center in a Carbon Canopy program that assesses
the carbon footprint of wood products.35
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
13/19
13PLAIN OLD COLLUSION
The application to the ITC for tariffs by industry, unions and
congressman indicates the level of cooperation that now
exists between vested interests in the industry. But to
provide ammunition to their arguments union-backed
research institutes and green NGOs have also beenworking to attack Chinese and Indonesian imports and
justify their positions.
Recently the union-backed Economic Policy Institute
(EPI) completed a research paper into Chinese subsidies
in the paper industry titled No Paper Tiger: Subsidies to
Chinas Paper Industry From 2002-09.36The paper
was designed to argue that Chinese paper manufacturers
have indirectly received subsidies of up to $33.1 billion
between 2002 and 2009 resulting in unfair competition for
the American industry.
According to their report China has overtaken the U.S. to
become the worlds largest producer of paper and paper
products. Furthermore that exports have led the
development of Chinas paper industry with detrimental
effects on the United States.37
The report argues that cheap, subsidized Chinese paper
exports have affected the U.S. paper industry ... Despite
comparable cost structures, high efficiencies, and plentiful
natural resources, U.S. paper companies have failed to
compete globally or nationally on price against much-
cheaper Chinese imports.38
EPI consistently argues that China has no comparative
advantage in paper manufacturing despite the strong
expansion of the industry and that labor inputs can be
half that of the U.S. industry. While Chinas labor
contribution may only be 4% in smaller companies
compared to 8% in U.S. companies, the difference is
significant in an industry with tight profit margins.
Following its release, the EPI report has been heavily relied
upon by numerous union, industry and green groups to justify
their positions in public statements and reports. The report was
also used to justify the arguments of the 108 Congressmen in
their letter to President Obama.
A similar tone of hostility to imported paper products was
released by the Rainforest Action Network. The Rainforest
Action Network has targeted the Indonesian industry accusing
it of supplying illegally logged timber that is used to produce
childrens books through China. Their report, Turning the Page
on Rainforest Destruction, claims nine out of ten publishers
are selling books with paper that threatens Indonesias
rainforests.39
A report by the BlueGreen Alliance was also launched directly
attacking the Indonesian timber industry.
The report argues that the Alliance of American Manufacturers
is struggling to compete.40
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
14/19
14 THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE
Concern of collusion between big business, big unions and big
green groups to promote green protectionism may appear
fantastic, but the same has been occurring in Australia. 41
The Australian tissue paper industry is dominated by threemajor producers KCA (a division of Kimberly-Clark), SCA (a
division of Swedish firm, Svenska Celulosa Aktiebolaget) and
ABC Tissue. KCA and SCA have traditionally dominated the
market and come under heavy pressure as a result of high cost
structures, unionized labor and the emergence of the non-
unionized ABC Tissue and discount private brands through
Australias supermarket providers, Coles and Woolworths.
According to the Bureau of Agricultural and Resource
Economics data Australian consumption of paper-based
household and sanitary products has increased considerably
in the past fifteen years.42
The primary forestry union, the Construction, Forestry, Mining
and Energy Union (CFMEU) is also threatened by the non-
unionized ABC Tissue and imports from Asia.
As a result KCA and SCA applied to the Australian government
for tariffs to be imposed on toilet tissue to protect their markets
from claims of dumping that were causing a material injury to
the Australian industry.
An initial investigation by the Australian government concluded
that dumping was occurring and tariffs were imposed onimports. But a subsequent investigation found that while
dumping was occurring the material injury to KCA and SCA
was from domestic competition including private brands and
ABC Tissue. As a result the tariffs were removed.
Now both KCA and SCA have appealed to the courts to have
them reinstated. The CFMEU has backed the legal action.
The CFMEU has had more success. The CFMEU primarily
funded a campaign targeting Australias major supermarket
chain, Woolworths, to stop using imported toilet tissue in its
private brand, Select. The 2008 Wake Up Woolworths!
campaign attacked imports from Asia Pulp and Paper on
environmental grounds and because of their impact on
Australian unionized labor. The campaign was run by a public
relations firm with known connections to the union. Links
between the Wake Up Woolworths! campaign and KCA and
SCA have not been exposed.
Greenpeace also supported the campaign which referenced
WWF and Friends of the Earth reports to justify their
arguments.
After considerable pressure and greenmailing, Woolworths
agreed to stock only toilet tissue sourced from certified
sources, but they did not secure any guarantees for Australian
union labor.
The union, KCA and SCA recently secured a big boost in their
efforts to lock out competition that would undermine their
profits. During Australias recent national election Minister for
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, committed a
re-elected Labor government to imposing a ban on all illegaltimber imports. The intent of Minister Burkes announcement is
to copy the Lacey Act into Australian law.
The policy was first announced by then Leader of the Opposition
and later Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who committed a Labor
government to the greater policing and enforcement of an
effective national ban on the sale of illegally logged timber
imports.43 Rudds announcement followed calls for bans by
industry and unions and large donations from the union to the
Labor Party.
Prime Minister Rudd failed to introduce the policy before beingdeposed in mid-2010. The stumbling block for Rudd was a
report commissioned by his government arguing against the
policy. According to the Centre for International Economics
report Australia imports 0.034 percent of global timber
production and 0.34 percent of products with illegally logged
timber.44
However industry, unions and green groups colluded to push
for the introduction of an Australian Lacey Act.
Australia recently had its Federal election delivering a hung
Parliament and the formation of a rainbow coalition made upof Labor Party, Greens Party and non-aligned Parliamentarians
in the House of Representatives. Critically, from July 1, 2011
the second chamber of the Parliament will be controlled by the
Labor and Greens parties alone.
As a result it is likely that the government will seek to introduce
an Australian Lacey Act equivalent with the support of
government, unions and industry.
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
15/19
15
Its clear that labor unions, industry and green non-government
organizations are colluding to promote protection for Americas
ailing paper industries. They represent the Empires of Collusion.
But the cost of doing so is already harming other U.S. industriesdependent on paper imports to remain competitive. And the
cost of protectionism always falls on consumers who have to
pay higher prices.
The Australian experience is instructive and provides an
interesting point of comparison.
In Australia the same tactics are being used by industry and
unions to attack imports and seek legislative and regulatory
protection. To date neither has been successful once
investigations have been conducted. The only successful
campaign has been one by green groups and unions designed
to tarnish the image of businesses who import paper products.
The real concern is that the Department of Commercepermanently introduces tariff barriers against Chinese and
Indonesian imports. Doing so would dramatically increase the
price of imports and cut competition for domestic producers.
Like the introduction of the Lacey Act, the cost of these tariffs
will be passed onto export industries that will be less
competitive, like the printing industry, and consumers.
The domestic U.S. industry is also hypocritical. While they
are seeking trade barriers against Chinese and Indonesia
exporters claiming they receive subsidies, the U.S. industry
has successfully exploited taxpayer-funded subsidy programs
at a rate far in excess of the rates they claim Chinese and
Indonesian companies are receiving.
The domestic industrys behavior demonstrates that their efforthas nothing to do with a level playing field and everything to do
with cutting competition so they can make bigger profits and
exploit consumers.
In the U.S. Office Depot, OfficeMax and Staples have had
similar experiences and have been aggressively pursued by
environmental non-government organizations until they stop
sourcing imported paper products. Despite having caved in to
their demands these companies are still being pursued by
green groups.
CONCLUSIONS
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
16/19
16 GRAPH 2:
UNITED STATES PRODUCTION VERSUS IMPORTS OF PULP FOR PAPER (METRIC TONS)SOURCE: FORESSTAT
GRAPH 1:
UNITED STATES PRODUCTION VERSUS IMPORTS OF PAPER AND PAPERBOARD (METRIC TONS)SOURCE: FORESSTAT
90,000,000
88,000,000
86,000,000
84,000,000
82,000,000
80,000,000
78,000,000
76,000,000
74,000,000
72,000,000
70,000,000
18,000,000
17,000,000
16,000,000
15,000,000
14,000,000
13,000,000
12,000,000
11,000,000
10,000,000
1990 1995 2000 2005 2009
PRODUCTION IMPORTS 70,000,000
65,000,000
60,000,000
55,000,000
50,000,000
45,000,000
7,000,000
6,500,000
6,000,000
5,500,000
5,000,000
4,500,000
4,000,000
1990 1995 2000 2005 2009
PRODUCTION IMPORTS
GRAPH 4:
UNITED STATES PULP AND WASTE PAPER IMPORTS ($000S)SOURCE: USITC
GRAPH 3:
UNITED STATES PAPER AND PAPERBOARD IMPORTS ($000s)SOURCE: USITC
$4,500,000
$4,000,000
$3,500,000
$3,000,000
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$0
1996 97 98 99 00 01 02 0403 2009 05 06 07 08
WORLD CHINA $4,500,000
$4,000,000
$3,500,000
$3,000,000
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$0
$7,000,000
$6,500,000
$6,000,000
$5,500,000
$5,000,000
$4,500,000
$4,000,000
$4,500,000
$4,000,000
1996 97 98 99 00 01 02 0403 2009 05 06 07 08
WORLD CHINA
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
17/19
17
21 Harlow, D. 2010.U.S. imposes tariffs on imported paper, The Portland Press Herald, athttp://www.pressherald.com/news/u_s_-imposes-tariffs-on-imported-paper_2010-05-02.html
22 US W. 20 10. USW Cites Congressional Effort Asking Obama Administration to AddressChinese Subsidies of Paper Industry Threatening U.S. Jobs , Press Release, athttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usw-cites-congressional-effort-asking-
obama-administration-to-address-chinese-subsidies-of-paper-industry-threatening-us-jobs-99492569.html
23 Morris, H. 2010. Trying to follow the paper trail, Print Week, athttp://www.printweek.com/paper/news/1017700/Trying-follow-paper-trail/
24 Sunday Telegraph. 2010.Price of toilet roll to rocket as pulp jumps in value, athttp://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/sunday-telegraph-the-london-uk/mi_8064/is_20100411/price-toilet-roll-rocket-pulp/ai_n53106641/
25 EIA. 2008. The U.S. Lacey Act: Frequently asked questions about the worlds first banon trade in illegal wood, District of Columbia, United States of America
26 Environmental News Network. 2008.The Lacey Act: Protecting American Wildlife, athttp://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/37222
27 EIA E IA. 20 08. The U.S. Lacey Act: Frequently asked questions about the worlds firstban on trade in illegal wood, District of Columbia, United States of America
28 Environmental News Network. 2008.The Lacey Act: Protecting American Wildlife, athttp://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/37222
29 Dogwood All iance, Our History, http://www.dogwoodalliance.org/content/view/23/38/
30 Dogwood All iance, Campaigns, http://www.dogwoodalliance.org/content/view/13/42/
31 Motavalli , J. 2010. KFC busted for where it gets material for its buckets , WalletPop, athttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/06/29/kfc-busted-for-where-it-gets-material-for-its-buckets/
32 Dogwood All iance, Office supply industry, athttp://www.dogwoodalliance.org/content/view/52/113/
33 Wright, T. 2008. Staples cuts off paper supplier, Wall Street Journal, athttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB120240874246651263.html
34 BlueGreen Alliance. 2010.Illegal logging in Indonesia: The environmental economic andsocial costs, District of Columbia, United States of America
35 Motavalli , J. 2010. KFC busted for where it gets material for its buckets , WalletPop, athttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/06/29/kfc-busted-for-where-it-gets-material-for-its-buckets/
36 EPI. 2010. No Paper Tiger: Subsidies to Chinas Paper Industry From 2002-09 , Districtof Columbia, United States of America
37 Ibid.
38 Ibid.
39 Rainforest Action Network. 2010. Turning the page on rainforest destruction: Childrensbooks and the future of Indonesias rainforest, San Francisco, United States of America,
at http://ran.org/sites/default/files/Turning_The_Page_on_Rainforest_Destruction.pdf
40 BlueGreen Alliance. 2010.Illegal logging in Indonesia: The environmental economic andsocial costs, District of Columbia, United States of America
41 Wilson, T. 2010. Green Excuses: Collusion to Promote Protectionism, Institute of PublicAffairs, Melbourne, Australia
42 Ibid.
43 ABC. 201 0. Timber Politics, Background Briefing, Radio National, Ultimo, Australia
44 CIE. 201 0.A final report to inform a regulation impact statement for the proposed newpolicy on illegally logged timber, Canberra, Australia
1 AF&PA, at http://www.AFandPA.org
2 AF&PA. 2010. Statistical Summary of Paper, Paperboard and Wood Pulp, District of Co-lumbia, United States of America
3 EPI. 2010. No Paper Tiger: Subsidies to Chinas Paper Industry From 2002-09 , Districtof Columbia, U.S.A
4 Tissue World Magazine. 2010. Market report: Made in North America, athttp://www.tis-sueworldmagazine.com/10JunJul/market-report.php
5 WhatTheyThink. 2010. Going Green, at http://blogs.whattheythink.com/going-green/2010/07/why-tax-credits-for-black-liquor-don%E2%80%99t-add-up-imho
6 World Resources International. 2009. The Black Liquor Tax Credit in the US has Limitedthe Fall of Wood Chop and Pulpwood Prices, Press Release, athttp://www.prlog.org/10274341-the-black-liquor-tax-credit-in-the-us-has-limited-the-fall-of-wood-chip-and-pulpwood-prices.html
7 Mufson, S. 200 9. Papermakers dig deep in highway bill to hit gold , Washington Post, athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032703116.html
8 AccuVal Associates. 2010. Black Liquor Tax Credits: The End of a Loophole for the Pulp& Paper Industry, Press Release, at http://www.prlog.org/10604836-black-liquor-tax-credits-the-end-of-loophole-for-the-pulp-paper-industry.html
9 Dead Tree Edition. 2010. IRS Brings Son of Black Liquor Back from the Dead; RulingMay Be Worth Billions to U.S. Pulp Makers , athttp://deadtreeedition.blogspot.com/2010/07/irs-brings-son-of-black-liquor-back.html
10 USW, Appleton Coated, SAPPI & NewPage. 2009. International Trade Commission Is-sues Preliminary Determination of Injury to US Coated Paper Industry in Unfair TradeCase Against China and Indonesia, Press Release, athttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-trade-commission-issues-pre-liminary-determination-of-injury-to-us-coated-paper-industry-in-unfair-trade-case-against-china-and-indonesia-69387407.html
11 Business Journal of Milwaukee. 2009. Trade agency presses ahead with paper importsprobe, at http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/11/02/daily94.html
12 Cook, C . 2009. US coated papermakers file antidumping complaint seeking import du-ties on Chinese, Indonesian sheet market imports , RISI, at http://www.risiinfo.com/tech-nology/pulping/U.S.-coated-papermakers-file-antidumping-complaint-seeking-import-duties-on-Chinese-Indonesian-sheet-market-imports.html
13 Business Journal of Milwaukee. 2009. Trade agency launches coated paper importsprobe, at http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/10/12/daily85.html
14 International Trade Administration. 2010.Fact sheet: Commerce preliminary findsdumping of certain coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fedpresses from the Peoples Republic of China and Indonesia, Department of Commerce,at http://ia.ita.doc.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-coated-paper-ad-prelim-042910.pdf
15 Alberts, H. R. 2010. The Asian Paper Chase, Forbes.com, athttp://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/china-indonesia-asia-pulp-paper-markets-econ-omy-tariff-trade.html
16 SavePrinterJobs.com. 2010. Stop the Presses! Paper Trade Dispute Could Shut DownU.S. Print Jobs, at http://www.saveprinterjobs.com/docs/PaperCaseThreaten-sPrintingIndustry.pdf
17 China Daily. 2010. WTO ruling on coated paper row sought, at http://english.peo-pledaily.com.cn/90001/90778/90861/6979827.html
18 The Jakarta Post. 2010. Sinar Mas requests WTO consultation, at http://www.thejakar-tapost.com/news/2010/05/31/sinar-mas-requests-wto-consultation.html
19 Kagen, S. 2010. Kagen hails decision against illegal imported paper, Press Release, athttp://kagen.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=522:kagen-hails-decision-against-illegal-imported-paper&catid=78:press-releases&Itemid=194
20 Kohl, H. 2010.Kohl, Feingold, Petri, Kagen applaud ITC ruling in favour of AppletonPaper Company, Press Release, athttp://kohl.senate.gov/newsroom/pressrelease.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1464=2079
ENDNOTES
ABARE Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource
Economics
ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation
AF&PA American Forest and Paper Association
CIE Centre for International Economics
CEPI Confederation of European Paper Industries
CFMEU Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
EPI Economic Policy Institute
EU European Union
GDP Gross Domestic Product
IRS Internal Revenue Service
ITC International Trade Commission
KCA Kimberly-Clark Australia
NGOs Non-government organizations
SCA Svenska Celulosa Aktiebolaget
U.S. United States
USW United Steelworkers
WWF World Wildlife Fund
ABBREVIATIONS
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
18/19
18
ABARE. 2010. Australian forest and wood products: statistical tables , Canberra, Australia
ABC. 2010. Timber Politics, Background Briefing, Radio National, Ultimo, Australia
AccuVal Associates. 2010. Black Liquor Tax Credits: The End of a Loophole for the Pulp &Paper Industry, Press Release, at http://www.prlog.org/10604836-black-liquor-tax-credits-the-end-of-loophole-for-the-pulp-paper-industry.html
Alberts, H. R. 2010. The Asian Paper Chase, Forbes.com, athttp://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/china-indonesia-asia-pulp-paper-markets-economy-tar-iff-trade.html
AF&PA. 2010. Statistical Summary of Paper, Paperboard and Wood Pulp, District of Colum-bia, United States of America
BlueGreen Alliance. 2010. Illegal logging in Indonesia: The environmental economic and so-cial costs, District of Columbia, United States of America
Business Journal of Milwaukee. 2009. Trade agency presses ahead with paper importsprobe, at http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/11/02/daily94.html
China Daily. 2010. WTO ruling on coated paper row sought, athttp://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90778/90861/6979827.html
CIE. 2010.A final report to inform a regulation impact statement for the proposed new pol-icy on illegally logged timber, Canberra, Australia
Cook, C. 2009. US coated papermakers file antidumping complaint seeking import dutieson Chinese, Indonesian sheet market imports, RISI, at http://www.risiinfo.com/technol-ogy/pulping/U.S.-coated-papermakers-file-antidumping-complaint-seeking-import-duties-on-Chinese-Indonesian-sheet-market-imports.html
Dead Tree Edition. 2010. IRS Brings Son of Black Liquor Back from the Dead; Ruling MayBe Worth Billions to U.S. Pulp Makers, at http://deadtreeedition.blogspot.com/2010/07/irs-brings-son-of-black-liquor-back.html
EIA. 2008. The U.S. Lacey Act: Frequently asked questions about the worlds first ban ontrade in illegal wood, District of Columbia, United States of America
Environmental News Network. 2008. The Lacey Act: Protecting American Wildlife, athttp://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/37222
EPI. 2010. No Paper Tiger: Subsidies to Chinas Paper Industry From 2002-09, District ofColumbia, United States of America
Harlow, D. 2010. U.S. imposes tariffs on imported paper, The Portland Press Herald, athttp://www.pressherald.com/news/u_s_-imposes-tariffs-on-imported-paper_2010-05-02.html
International Trade Administration. 2010. Fact sheet: Commerce preliminary finds dumpingof certain coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses fromthe Peoples Republic of China and Indonesia, Department of Commerce, athttp://ia.ita.doc.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-coated-paper-ad-prelim-042910.pdf
The Jakarta Post. 2010. Sinar Mas requests WTO consultation, at http://www.thejakarta-post.com/news/2010/05/31/sinar-mas-requests-wto-consultation.html
Kagen, S. 2010. Kagen hails decision against illegal imported paper, Press Release, athttp://kagen.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=522:kagen-hails-de-cision-against-illegal-imported-paper&catid=78:press-releases&Itemid=194
Kohl, H. 2010. Kohl, Feingold, Petri, Kagen applaud ITC ruling in favour of Appleton PaperCompany, Press Release, at http://kohl.senate.gov/newsroom/pressrelease.cfm?cus-tomel_dataPageID_1464=2079
Morris, H. 2010. Trying to follow the paper trail, Print Week, athttp://www.printweek.com/paper/news/1017700/Trying-follow-paper-trail/
Motavalli, J. 2010. KFC busted for where it gets material for its buckets, WalletPop, athttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/06/29/kfc-busted-for-where-it-gets-material-for-its-buckets/
Mufson, S. 2009. Papermakers dig deep in highway bill to hit gold, Washington Post, athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032703116.html
Rainforest Action Network. 2010. Turning the page on rainforest destruction: Childrensbooks and the future of Indonesias rainforest, San Francisco, United States of America, athttp://ran.org/sites/default/files/Turning_The_Page_on_Rainforest_Destruction.pdf
SavePrinterJobs.com. 2010. Stop the Presses! Paper Trade Dispute Could Shut Down U.S.Print Jobs, athttp://www.saveprinterjobs.com/docs/PaperCaseThreatensPrintingIndustry.pdf
Sunday Telegraph. 2010. Price of toilet roll to rocket as pulp jumps in value, at http://findar-ticles.com/p/news-articles/sunday-telegraph-the-london-uk/mi_8064/is_20100411/price-toilet-roll-rocket-pulp/ai_n53106641/
Tissue World Magazine. 2010. Market report: Made in North America, at http://www.tissue-worldmagazine.com/10JunJul/market-report.php
USW, Appleton Coated, SAPPI & NewPage. 2009. International Trade Commission IssuesPreliminary Determination of Injury to US Coated Paper Industry in Unfair Trade CaseAgainst China and Indonesia , Press Release, at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-re-leases/international-trade-commission-issues-preliminary-determination-of-injury-to-us-coated-paper-industry-in-unfair-trade-case-against-china-and-indonesia-69387407.html
USW. 2010. USW Cites Congressional Effort Asking Obama Administration to Address Chi-nese Subsidies of Paper Industry Threatening U.S. Jobs , Press Release, athttp://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usw-cites-congressional-effort-asking-obama-administration-to-address-chinese-subsidies-of-paper-industry-threatening-us-jobs-99492569.html
WhatTheyThink. 2010. Going Green, at http://blogs.whattheythink.com/going-green/2010/07/why-tax-credits-for-black-liquor-don%E2%80%99t-add-up-imho
Wilson, T. 2010. Green Excuses: Collusion to Promote Protectionism, Institute of Public Af-fairs, Melbourne, Australia
World Resources International. 2009. The Black Liquor Tax Credit in the US has Limitedthe Fall of Wood Chop and Pulpwood Prices, Press Release, athttp://www.prlog.org/10274341-the-black-liquor-tax-credit-in-the-us-has-limited-the-fall-of-wood-chip-and-pulpwood-prices.html
Wright, T. 2008. Staples cuts off paper supplier, Wall Street Journal, athttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB120240874246651263.html
BIBLIOGRAPHY
8/6/2019 Empires of Collusion
19/19
Pulp Wars is a project of the consumer advocacy group Consumers
Alliance for Global Prosperity in response to the pulp and paper
trade war promulgated by organizations such as Greenpeace and
WWF, in collusion with domestic labor unions and pulp and paper
producers.
CAGP was created by the Institute for Liberty and the Frontiers of
Freedom Institute, non-profit think tanks dedicated to preserving
individual rights, protecting entrepreneurship worldwide, and pro-
moting prosperity both in America and abroad.
The participants in Pulp Wars share an abiding faith in liberty and
human ingenuity to resolve our problems and a belief that economic
competition through free markets provides the greatest protection
for consumers while promoting opportunity for all. September 2010