General information on the administration of steel import controls

Steel Import Monitoring

Import monitoring of steel products began on September 1, 1986, when carbon steel products were added to the Import Control List (ICL) for the purpose of collecting information on such goods pursuant to subsection 5.1(1) of the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA). Specialty steel products were initially added to the ICL on June 1, 1987. Carbon and specialty steel products were added to the ICL under the authority of subsection 5.1(1) of the EIPA, following their deemed removal, in 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017. On November 2, 2020, carbon and specialty steel products were re-added to the ICL pursuant to paragraph 5(1)(e) of the EIPA, in order to continue to implement the steel related commitments agreed to by Canada in the Joint Statement by Canada and the United States on Section 232 Duties on Steel and Aluminum, which enabled the indefinite continuation of the Program.

Enhanced Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

The Government of Canada has established a strengthened steel import monitoring system following consultations with the steel industries, workers, and other stakeholders from various sectors on ways to improve Canada’s trade remedy and import monitoring regimes. Canada’s steel import monitoring capabilities have been enhanced by adding a reporting and record keeping requirement to the steel General Import Permits No. 80 and 81. Global Affairs Canada is able to ask importers to submit detailed documentation on their imports of steel at its discretion, to help identify any possible discrepancies in import data and determine the source of any inconsistencies in a targeted manner. This supports the accurate tracking of imports and import patterns, to better identify when the import situation may require trade remedy action and to track the pattern of imports once a trade remedy is in place.

Steel safeguards for the period from May 13, 2019 – October 24, 2021

For the period from May 13, 2019 to October 24, 2021, the Government of Canada imposed final safeguards in the form of tariff rate quotas (TRQs) on imports of certain heavy plate and stainless steel wire goods. These TRQs were administered by Global Affairs Canada by way of shipment-specific imports permits. Subsequent to the expiry of these safeguard measures, importers are no longer required to apply for shipment-specific import permits to import subject goods free of the safeguard surtax, and are to use General Import Permit No. 80 or 81, as applicable, for their shipments.

Please refer to Notice to Importers, Serial No. 1032 for detailed information on import requirements and procedures.

Additional information

• News Release
• Steel and Aluminum
• Handbook of Export and Import Commodity Codes
• Archived: Frequently Asked Questions – Steel Safeguard Tariff Rate Quotas