Charity Revocation, Trade Orders, CUSMA Panel Requests

Summary#

• Notices published in the Canada Gazette on September 24, 2022 include three separate items: the Canada Revenue Agency moved to revoke the registration of the charity Victorian Children’s Foundation; the Canadian International Trade Tribunal continued import orders under the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) for certain copper pipe fittings; and the CUSMA Secretariat announced that requests for binational panel review under the Canada—United States—Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) were filed about U.S. determinations on certain softwood lumber from Canada.

What it does#

• Canada Revenue Agency — revocation

  • A notice of proposed revocation was sent for charity business number 866909898RR0001, Victorian Children’s Foundation (Halifax).
  • The Gazette notice says the revocation of registration takes effect on the date the notice was published.

• Canadian International Trade Tribunal — copper pipe fittings

  • The Tribunal continued its existing orders (an expiry review) on the dumping and subsidizing of certain copper pipe fittings originating in or exported from the Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China (China), and the United States of America, under SIMA.
  • The Tribunal action was announced on September 14, 2022.

• CUSMA Secretariat — panel-review requests on softwood lumber

  • On September 8, 2022, requests for binational panel review were filed under CUSMA against final U.S. determinations on certain Canadian softwood lumber. The U.S. determinations were published in the Federal Register on August 9, 2022.
  • The requests were filed on behalf of the Government of Canada, several provincial governments and industry groups and companies.
  • The notice lists procedural deadlines for parties that want to challenge the U.S. determinations or participate in the panel: the deadline to file a Complaint is October 11, 2022, and the deadline to file a Notice of Appearance is October 24, 2022.

Who's affected#

• The charity named: Victorian Children’s Foundation (business number 866909898RR0001) — the organization itself and people or groups who donate to it or rely on its registered status.
• Importers, distributors and manufacturers of copper pipe fittings, and their customers, because the continued orders under SIMA can mean duties or trade restrictions remain in place.
• The Canadian softwood lumber sector and related companies and governments. Parties named among those involved in the panel requests include the Government of Canada, the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec, and companies such as Canfor Corporation, Resolute FP Canada Inc., Tolko Industries Ltd., and West Fraser Mills Ltd.
• Other interested parties in the U.S. or Canada who may want to take part in the CUSMA panel review (importers, exporters, industry groups, trade lawyers).

Why it matters#

• For the charity: losing registered status usually means it can no longer issue official tax receipts for donations and may lose other tax benefits. The Gazette notice makes that change effective immediately on publication.
• For copper pipe fittings: the Tribunal’s continuation of orders keeps anti-dumping and countervailing measures alive. That can affect prices, supply chains, and costs for businesses and consumers that use those fittings.
• For softwood lumber: the CUSMA panel-review process is the next formal step in challenging U.S. trade determinations. Outcomes could change duties or the rules that apply to Canadian lumber exports to the United States, which matters for forestry companies, workers, and regional economies.
• Deadlines listed in the notice (for example, October 11, 2022 and October 24, 2022) are the windows when interested parties must act if they want to join or challenge the panel review.