Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) today said it is gratified that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that upheld a 2003 Portland, Ore., jury verdict in an antitrust lawsuit involving the alder sawlog market.

  (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-a
         http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-b )

"We believe that the Court's decision to review this case underscores the national importance of the issues we have raised," said Kenneth F. Khoury, Weyerhaeuser senior vice president and general counsel. "It is important to the business community that there be clear standards established before any business can be found to have engaged in so called predatory buying."

The review involves a $79 million antitrust judgment won by Ross Simmons Hardwood Lumber Co., which argued that Weyerhaeuser purchased or paid more than necessary for alder sawlogs and deprived its competitors an opportunity to buy alder sawlogs at a "fair price." Weyerhaeuser appealed, arguing that the Ross Simmons claim did not meet objective standards set by previous Supreme Court rulings. The appellate court rejected that argument and affirmed the judgment.

Weyerhaeuser has already taken an after-tax charge for the judgment.

Industry representatives, businesses, and timber owners filed briefs with the Supreme Court supporting Weyerhaeuser's position. In addition, the U.S. Solicitor General, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission recommended that the Court grant review.

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest integrated forest products companies, was incorporated in 1900. In 2005, sales were $22.6 billion. It has offices or operations in 18 countries, with customers worldwide. Weyerhaeuser is principally engaged in the growing and harvesting of timber; the manufacture, distribution and sale of forest products; and real estate construction, development and related activities. Additional information about Weyerhaeuser's businesses, products and practices is available at http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/.

  For more information contact:

  Media - Frank Mendizabal (253) 924-3357
  Analysts - Kathryn McAuley (253) 924-2058

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: Weyerhaeuser Company

CONTACT: Media - Frank Mendizabal, +1-253-924-3357, or Analysts -
Kathryn McAuley, +1-253-924-2058, both of Weyerhaeuser Company

Web site: http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/