The U.S. Lumber Coalition took note of today's expiration of the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement between the U.S. and Canada, and expressed its thanks to the many U.S. government officials who negotiated and implemented this trade agreement. Charlie Thomas, chairman of the Coalition and vice president of Shuqualak Lumber, Shuqualak, Miss., stated: "We sincerely appreciate the hard work that the U.S. government and many members of Congress have put into making this agreement work as well as possible for U.S. industry over the last nine years." As part of the agreement, members of the Coalition committed not to file petitions under U.S. trade laws for one year after today's expiration. "We hope Canada will make use of this next year to work constructively with the U.S. government to secure a stable and effective agreement that all stakeholders can support," said Thomas