Trade commission completely reverses newsprint tariffs - Entrepreneur Generations

The International Trade Commission voted unanimously to nullify the tariffs on Canadian newsprint after finding that American newsprint producers were not harmed by such imports.

"The ruling is a victory for the U.S. newspaper industry, which complained that the rising cost of newsprint made it harder to operate and required them to trim the size of papers or lay off employees," Kevin Freking reports for The Associated Press.

The tariffs were unpopular with lawmakers from both parties as well as newspapers that were forced to reduce production or lay off staff to cope with the increased costs. The tariffs were announced Jan. 8 in response to a complaint from a paper mill in Washington state that had recently been purchased by a hedge-fund owner, Freking reports. 

The Commerce Department gave papers some breathing room earlier this month, ruling that it would proceed with the tariffs at a lower rate and on a smaller scale than initially announced. The ITC's reason for completely reversing the tariffs will likely be made clearer when the commission issues a final report on Sept. 17, according to Paul Boyle, Senior Vice President of the News Media Alliance. 

Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, hailed the move, saying "These tariffs had proven to be the most existential threat to newspapers, ever."

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