Senator Collins’ Statement on Department of Commerce Decision That Will Benefit Workers at Jay Mill

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued this statement following the announcement that the U.S. Department of Commerce has granted Verso’s request to revoke duties on Canadian supercalendered paper imports retroactively, allowing a settlement agreement between the U.S. and Canadian paper industries to move forward. 

“This announcement is great news for Verso and its Jay mill, a cornerstone of Franklin County’s economy, as well as for the hundreds of hardworking employees in Jay,” said Senator Collins.  “I commend the Canadians and Verso for their good faith negotiations, which will help ensure a bright future for Verso and the Jay mill, leading to greater investment and ultimately the creation of more jobs.”

In 2015, countervailing duty orders were issued on supercalendered paper imports from Canada.  In March of 2018, Verso, the last remaining producer of supercalendered paper in the U.S., filed a request asking the Commerce Department to revoke its order imposing these duties.  Verso determined that, in retrospect, the duties were not offsetting the impact of Canadian subsidies as intended and subsequently entered into a settlement agreement with Canadian producers of supercalendered paper.

The decision by the Department of Commerce will permit the settlement agreement between Verso and the Canadian producers to move forward, allowing Verso to reinvest in its U.S. operations.