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Monitoring Programme for Imports: Item 80 - Carbon Steel, Item 81 - Specialty Steel

Update: March 12, 2001

Table of Contents


1.0 Coverage

1.1 Items 80 (Carbon Steel) and 81 (Specialty Steel) of the Import Control List. Carbon steel products include semi-finished products (ingots, blooms, billets, slabs and sheet bars), plate, sheets and strip, wire rods, wire and wire products, railway-type products, bars, structural shapes and units, pipes and tubes made of carbon steel. Specialty steel products include stainless flat-rolled products (sheet, strip and plate), stainless steel bar, stainless steel pipe and tube, stainless steel wire and wire products, alloy tool steel, mold steel and high-speed steel. Import permits are required for all steel products with Harmonized System headings 7206-7302, 7304-7306, 7308, 7312-13 and 7317.

1.2 The following shipments of steel products imported by residents of Canada are exempted from the import permit requirement under General Import Permit number 80 for carbon steel and number 81 for specialty steel products (SOR/97-57 and -58 December 23, 1996):

(a) the value for duty is less than C$5,000

(b) the importer is a company participating in the 1965 Canada-USA Automotive Products Trade Agreement (The AutoPact)

(c) the goods are of Canadian origin, are returning to Canada after having been exported without any processing abroad and are classified under tariff item 9813.00.00; or the goods have entered Canada, have been accounted for and released under the Customs Act, have been exported, are returning to Canada without any processing abroad and are classified under tariff item 9814.00.00.

2.0 Purpose

2.1 Canada's monitoring programme for imports of carbon and specialty steel products has been extended to August 31, 2002.

2.2 This action does not limit the quantity of carbon and speciality steel products that may be imported into Canada.

3.0 Authority

3.1 The monitoring programme has been extended under the authority of Subsection 5.1(1) and Section 6 of the Export and Import Permits Act. Subsection 5.1(1) provides that monitoring may be initiated when steel is being traded in circumstances of world surplus supply and depressed prices and where a significant proportion of world trade is subject to control through the use of non-tariff barriers. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 6, the Governor in Council has the discretion to revoke, amend, vary or re-establish the Import Control List.

4.0 Background

4.1 Monitoring of imports of steel products began on September 1, 1986, when carbon steel products were added to the Import Control List for the information concerning the importation of such goods. This action was taken as a result of an inquiry conducted by the Canadian Import Tribunal. The inquiry revealed that excess capacity, subsidization and dumping was prevalent and threatened of injury to the domestic industry. The Tribunal recommended import monitoring in these circumstances. Specialty steel was added to the Import Control List on June 1, 1987.

4.2 As the abovementioned conditions in steel markets continued, the steel import monitoring programme was renewed in 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996 and 1999 until August 31, 2002.

5.0 Duration

5.1 This notice is in effect until further notice.

6.0 Import permit requirement and procedures

6.1 Pursuant to the provisions of section 8 of the Export and Import Permits Act, individual import permits are required for each shipment of carbon and specialty steel products. Permits will be issued upon application in accordance with the Act and are to be presented to the Canada Borders and Services Agency at the time of customs clearance. The possession of an import permit does not relieve importers from complying with other legislative requirements administered by the Agency.

6.2 Customs brokers and importers are urged to cooperate fully with the Trade Controls Policy Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, as administrators of the monitoring programme. In particular, they are requested to ensure that quantity (in kilograms), value (in Canadian dollars), product classification, country of origin, supplier name and address and importer name are given correctly, if necessary by requesting amendments to the original permit. Such cooperation will enhance the reliability of the permit issuance data and reduce the burden of post-clearance auditing of permits issued.

7.0 Compliance and enforcement

7.1 Customs brokers usually apply online to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade for import permits for steel on behalf of Canadian importers. However, importers may apply directly by calling the permit officer listed below. They will receive a copy of form EXT 1466 (06/10), which must be completed and sent back to the Department, together with payment of the corresponding permit issuance fee (see below) at least three days before customs clearance.

7.2 The importation of goods without an import permit issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade may lead to prosecution under the Export and Import Permits Act.

8.0 Permit fees

8.1 A fee will be levied for each permit issued in accordance with the Export and Import Permits Certificates Fees Order.

9.0 Further Information

Enquiries may be addressed to:

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Trade Controls Policy Division (TIC)
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2

Telephone:
Johanne Gauthier (Permits and Information)
Telephone: (613) 944-0778
Facsimile: (613) 995-5137