NAFTA Ruling A Significant Victory: West Fraser entitled to a $24 million refund in antidumping duty deposits

VANCOUVER, June 9 /CNW/ - West Fraser achieved a significant victory in
the long-running softwood lumber dispute when a NAFTA panel today ordered the
U.S. Department of Commerce to revoke the anti-dumping duty order against the
Company.
As a result of this morning's ruling, West Fraser is entitled to a refund
of more than US $24 million, plus interest, of antidumping duty deposits that
have been posted by the Company from May 2002, excluding deposits made by
Weldwood of Canada, which was acquired on December 31, 2004.
"While we had long expected this decision, we are pleased with today's
NAFTA ruling," says Hank Ketcham, Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer.
In making its ruling, which confirmed an earlier finding that West Fraser
does not dump lumber into the U.S., the NAFTA panel rejected U.S. claims that
West Fraser was not entitled to a refund of its antidumping duty deposits.
Specifically, the NAFTA panel held that, "the Order was never valid as to West
Fraser." The United States has 30 days to comply with the NAFTA panel's
ruling.
"We expect the Department of Commerce will comply with today's ruling and
return the monies that are rightly owed to West Fraser," says Ketcham.

West Fraser is an integrated forest products company that produces
lumber, LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp, linerboard, kraft paper and newsprint. The
Company has manufacturing operations in British Columbia, Alberta and the
southern United States. West Fraser has approximately 7,300 employees and is
headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.

West Fraser shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the
symbol: WFT. The Company's web site is: www.westfraser.com.


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