Steel Import Monitoring Re-added to Import Control List

Summary#

The Order Amending the Import Control List: SOR/2020-221 re‑adds certain carbon and specialty steel products to Canada’s Import Control List so that monitoring of steel imports can continue. The order takes effect on November 2, 2020 and keeps in place the data-collection work used by government and industry to track steel imports.

What it does#

• Re‑adds the steel product entries (previously listed as items 80 and 81) to the Import Control List so those products remain subject to Canada’s steel import monitoring.
• Clarifies the wording for the specialty steel listing (item 81) but does not add new product categories.
• Uses authority in the Export and Import Permits Act to place these items on the list without the three‑year expiry that applied before. This makes the monitoring arrangement continuous unless changed later.
• Keeps the existing practice where importers cite a General Import Permit on their customs forms; it does not reintroduce individual permit fees for shipments.

Who's affected#

• Steel importers in Canada. They must continue to follow the existing requirement to cite the relevant General Import Permit and provide records if asked.
• The Canadian steel industry, including the Canadian Steel Producers Association, which uses the monitoring data to spot possible dumping or unfair trade.
• Federal departments that run the program: Global Affairs Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Statistics Canada.
• Small businesses are not expected to face new costs, since no permit fees are being reintroduced.

Why it matters#

• The monitoring gives weekly, near‑real‑time information on the type, quantity and value of steel coming into Canada. That helps Canadian producers detect sudden surges or suspicious trade patterns faster than other public data sources (Statistics Canada data is slower).
• Quick detection can lead to earlier investigations into dumping or transshipment and, if warranted, to enforcement actions that protect domestic producers.
• Keeping these items on the list implements Canada’s trade commitments in the Joint Statement by Canada and the United States on Section 232 Duties on Steel and Aluminum and helps reduce the risk of tariff disputes between the two countries.
• The government expects to add 3 full‑time equivalent staff to run the program, but importers should see no new routine costs.