National Business

OTTAWA — The federal government is lashing out at the U.S. Commerce Department over plans to raise duties on Canadian softwood lumber. International Trade Minister Mary Ng says the U.S. has signalled it intends to raise duties to 13.

MONTREAL — TC Transcontinental says it's closing its printing plant in St-Hyacinthe, Que. The Montreal-based company says it will gradually reduce operations at the plant, with a complete closure scheduled in April.

TORONTO — Indigo Books & Music Inc. says it has received a proposal to take the retailer private from a pair of companies owned by controlling shareholder Gerald Schwartz. The non-binding proposal from Trilogy Retail Holdings Inc.

TORONTO — A blast from the past is coming to Toys "R" Us Canada. HMV, the entertainment brand that departed the country seven years ago, said this week that it has begun selling merchandise in five of the toy retailer's Ontario locations.

WATERLOO, ONT. — OpenText Corp. says it earned US$37.7 million in its second quarter, down 85 per cent from US$258.5 million during the same quarter last year.

TORONTO — Cineplex Inc. says its sale of Player One Amusement Group has been completed. The movie theatre chain announced the sale in November of its arcade game business to OpenGate Capital.

TORONTO — Industry group Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters is warning on the rising number of job vacancies in Ontario's manufacturing sector as positions go unfilled, thousands of new positions are set to be created and a wave of retirements take

MONTREAL — The union representing 2,100 Air Transat flight attendants has rejected a tentative agreement for the second time this year.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Thursdayon the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (21,119.21, up 97.33 points): FLINT Corp. (TSX:FLNT). Construction. Up two cents, or 66.67 per cent, to five cents on 12.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index gained almost a hundred points Thursday despite weakness in energy stocks, while U.S. markets erased a big chunk of their losses from the day before.