U.S. OKs tax on Canadian newsprint

communities at risk of losing their local newspapers.”

Other papers have turned to layoffs to help offset the additional costs of newsprint. The Tampa Bay Times announced in April it would lay off about 50 employees in response to a potential $3 million annual cost increase.

“This decision will make our jobs harder, in part because we know we will be able to employ fewer people to do those jobs,” said Alfredo Carbajal, president of the American Society of News Editors.

Congress is overwhelminglyopposed to the tariffs on the paper used by newspapersand other publications.

House Speaker Paul Ryan contacted Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross directly to voice his concerns. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declared in a newspaper column that the tax “would do irreversible harm” to the newspaper industry.

The tariffs are a response to a complaint to the Commerce Department from the North Pacific Paper Co. The company’s CEO, Craig Anneberg, said that since the imposition of the current tariff rates, the market has stabilized to the point the company has been able to hire 60 new employees and is working to hire 40 more.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, said that despite the slight reduction in some duties, “Canada remains disappointed with the final duty rates” announced by the Commerce Department.