Where's the line between ruthless competition and unfair business practices? That's the basic question before the U.S. Supreme Court today as it considers an earlier verdict against Weyerhaeuser for violating antitrust laws.
As detailed in Hal Bernton's excellent overview in The Seattle Times, Weyerhaeuser allegedly bid up the price of alder logs across the region in order to drive rivals out of business. The Fortune 100 company argues that it developed the market for alder products through innovation and marketing.
The case is another sign that the wood-products industry that largely built Cascadia is a global business. The small mills that sued Weyerhaeuser still harvest logs from nearby forests and say the ability of local firms to prosper is at stake. The wood market in question amounts to a rounding error for Weyerhaeuser, which is under pressure from Wall Street as it competes for global markets.