Appeal over vinyl rug and shelf liners

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice collects a few routine tribunal and commission items. It announces a public appeal hearing by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, reports tribunal findings about certain imported steel, and notes recent Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) application postings and deadlines.

What it does#

• Announces a public appeal hearing by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal in Appeal No. AP-2019-045.
  • Appellant: A.S.P. Management Inc. (d.b.a. PCT Vinyl Group).
  • Respondent: President of the Canada Border Services Agency.
  • Goods in dispute: rug liners (Product U54X30) and grocery shelf liners (Product RSL3X60-10048X).
  • Tariff items contested: 3918.10.90, 3926.90.99 (CBSA positions) vs 3921.12.00 (appellant’s claim).
  • Hearing date is December 17, 2020 (to be held by videoconference).
• Reports that the Canadian International Trade Tribunal made findings on November 16, 2020 (Inquiry No. NQ-2019-002) about dumping and subsidizing of corrosion‑resistant flat‑rolled steel sheet of carbon steel originating in or exported from the Republic of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
• Notes that the CRTC posted Part 1 applications and related documents on its website between November 13 and November 19, 2020, and lists some applications (for example, Byrnes Communications Inc. and EBox inc.) with intervention deadlines such as December 17, 2020.

Who's affected#

• Importers, distributors, and retailers of the specific rug liners and shelf liners named (and companies that import similar vinyl floor or shelf products).
• A.S.P. Management Inc. (d.b.a. PCT Vinyl Group) and the President of the Canada Border Services Agency, and anyone whose shipments are classified under the tariff items listed.
• Canadian steel producers and Canadian importers of corrosion‑resistant flat‑rolled carbon steel from the Republic of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
• Broadcasters, service providers, and local communities following CRTC Part 1 applications — and any person or group who wants to file interventions or comments by the posted deadlines.

Why it matters#

• The tariff classification dispute can change how the rug and shelf liner products are treated at the border. That affects duties, import paperwork, and the final price for businesses and consumers.
• The tribunal’s findings about dumping and subsidizing of steel can lead to trade remedies (like anti‑dumping or countervailing duties) or other measures that affect prices, supply, and competition in the Canadian steel market.
• The CRTC postings are the step that allows interested parties to see applications and to participate (for example, by filing comments). That can influence local broadcasting and telecom services people use.