Madison Paper joins complaint against Canadian mill; seeks higher import duties

Madison Paper Industries has joined a Minnesota paper mill seeking higher import duties on a special publishing paper made by a Canadian mill.

The Morning Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/1E586xe ) they filed a complaint Thursday with the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Commerce against Port Hawkesbury Paper in Nova Scotia.

Madison Paper has temporarily laid off many of its employees as it cuts production, in part, mill officials say, because it has struggled since the Nova Scotia government provided more than $125 million in subsidies to restart the Port Hawkesbury mill.

Port Hawkesbury officials did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Maine lawmakers also have asked the federal government to address the subsidies that they say place U.S. mills on unequal footing with their northern counterparts.