Aluminum imports: country of smelt and cast reporting

Summary#

This is a proposed Order Amending the General Import Permit No. 83 — Aluminum Products that would require importers to report where primary aluminum was smelted and where it was most recently cast (country of smelt and cast, or CSC) when they bring aluminum into Canada. The information would be collected by the Canada Border Services Agency through the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration (SW IID) and, if approved, would come into force on October 1, 2026.

What it does#

• Adds new CSC definitions and makes reporting CSC information a condition of using General Import Permit No. 83 — Aluminum Products.
• Requires importers to state, at the time of importation:
  • the country of largest smelt and, if applicable, the country of second-largest smelt; and
  • the country of most recent cast.
• Collects that information through the Canada Border Services Agency’s Single Window Integrated Import Declaration (SW IID) by adding three new fields.
• Requires importers to keep related documents for six years after the year of importation.
• Exempts participants in the Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) program for certain releases and imports with a total value for duty of $5,000 or less.
• This is a proposal: stakeholders have 30 days from publication (April 4, 2026) to comment. If approved, the Order would be scheduled to come into force on October 1, 2026 (or on registration if later).

Who's affected#

• Aluminum importers of all sizes, including small businesses.
• Customs brokers, who will likely enter the new CSC fields on import declarations.
• Global Affairs Canada, which runs the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program and will publish the CSC data.
• Canada Border Services Agency, which will collect the data through the SW IID.
• Participants in the Customs Self-Assessment program (they are proposed to be exempt from the new reporting requirement for certain releases).
• The item notes it is unclear whether some importers will face difficulty obtaining CSC details from suppliers; stakeholders raised this during consultations.

Why it matters#

• It increases transparency about where aluminum is produced and processed. That helps governments and businesses track supply chains and spot trade trends or unfair practices.
• It aligns Canada’s monitoring with U.S. practice and supports enforcement of the existing Steel Goods and Aluminum Goods Surtax Order (which applies a 25% surtax on certain goods with Chinese-origin metal; surtax rules already require similar CSC documentation since July 31, 2025).
• Most importers (about 93%) already use the SW IID, so officials expect limited extra paperwork. Estimated annualized administrative costs are small ($16,011 total; broken down as $13,445 and $2,566 for specific tasks).
• Small businesses get some relief: the rule does not apply to imports with value for duty of $5,000 or less, and many already keep the records because of the surtax rules.
• Some stakeholders warned the change could increase administrative burden if suppliers cannot easily provide CSC details. The government says consultations found overall support but notes these concerns.