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The U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Dispute
Canadian lumber subsidies were harming U.S. workers and making a mockery of free trade agreements.  The U.S. lumber industry brought trade actions against the Canadian lumber subsidies, causing the largest trade conflict with America’s largest trading partner. 

The Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports used the media to explain the harmful effects of Canadian lumber subsidies.  The New York Times ran opinion editorials from Former-President Jimmy Carter and Harvard economist Robert Lawrence explaining the how Canadian lumber subsidies violate free trade rules and unfairly injure U.S. businesses, while state and local papers personalized the issue.  Environmental organizations and unions were also rallied to publicly support the trade actions.  The result: a successful legal battle and bi-partisan political support.