Aluminum imports: smelt and cast reporting

Summary#

The Order Amending the General Import Permit No. 83 — Aluminum Products changes the rules for reporting imported aluminum. Starting October 1, 2026, importers must give extra information about where the aluminum was smelted and cast when they clear goods with the Canada Border Services Agency.

What it does#

• Adds clear definitions for the “country of largest smelt”, “country of second-largest smelt” and “country of most recent cast”.
• Requires importers using General Import Permit No. 83 — Aluminum Products (the GIP83) to include the code “GIP83” or “LGI83” on customs accounting forms.
• Requires importers to provide, when accounting or at importation:
  • documents to show country of origin, whether the aluminum is primary or secondary, the country(s) of smelt, the country of most recent cast, value for duty and quantity; and
  • in the customs form, the country of largest smelt, the country of second-largest smelt (if any) and the country of most recent cast.
• Exemptions and flexibilities:
  • The reporting rule does not apply to importers who are participants in the Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) program for certain low-risk releases.
  • The customs-form reporting requirement does not apply if the total value for duty of the shipment is $5,000 or less.
• Requires importers to keep related documents for six years after the year of importation.
• The new rules will be collected through the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration system used by the Canada Border Services Agency.

Who's affected#

• Aluminum importers into Canada — both large and small businesses that bring in monitored aluminum products.
• Customs brokers, who typically fill in customs declarations and will add the new data fields.
• Participants in the Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) program (they get an exemption in some cases).
• Government bodies that handle import monitoring, such as Global Affairs Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency.

If anything is unclear from the official text about exactly which specific product lines or narrow cases are covered, that detail is in the full permit and related guidance.

Why it matters#

• It gives the Canadian government and industry clearer information about where imported aluminum was produced and last cast. That helps track supply chains and identify trade patterns.
• It aligns Canada’s monitoring with existing measures (including a related surtax regime) and with North American efforts to publish similar country-of-smelt-and-cast data.
• For most importers the change is a small extra step: three new data fields in the existing customs declaration system. Shipments under $5,000 and some low-risk CSA imports are exempt, so small-value trade sees less impact.
• The new data can affect trade analysis, enforcement of surtaxes, and public transparency about the origins of aluminum products.