Last year may be remembered for a deal between Canada and the U.S. that finally halted the long-running fight over the trade of lumber.

The agreement had a major impact on industry by ending legal proceedings and freeing up funds that Canadian exporters had paid in duties to the U.S. But the deal itself will be remembered for what it didn’t address.

Most important, it simply replaced one form of trade barrier (a duty) with another (an export tax). It didn’t bring regulation any closer in line with the market by addressing the ownership of forestland or the other factors that influence the price of materials. That means that when the market for wood recovers the trade spat is sure to rekindle.