Duties on Upholstered Seating and Rebar

Summary#

On May 5, 2021, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued two trade decisions under the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA). One is a preliminary finding that certain upholstered domestic seating from China and Vietnam may be dumped and subsidized, and the other is a final finding that certain concrete reinforcing bar from Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam has been dumped. Both decisions mean extra duties may be collected while related injury inquiries continue.

What it does#

• Upholstered domestic seating (from China and Vietnam)

  • The CBSA made preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing on May 5, 2021.
  • Provisional duty can be charged on imports released from CBSA starting May 5, 2021 and continuing until the investigation ends, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) issues a finding, or an undertaking is accepted.
  • If the estimated dumping or subsidy margins are judged insignificant, the probe continues but provisional duties will not be collected.
  • A Statement of Reasons will be issued within 15 days and posted on the CBSA website or available from Kevin Lambertsen (contact given in the notice).

• Concrete reinforcing bar (from Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam)

  • The CBSA made a final determination of dumping on May 5, 2021.
  • Provisional duty stays in place while the CITT continues its inquiry and will issue a finding by June 4, 2021.
  • If the CITT finds dumping has caused or threatens injury, anti‑dumping duty will be applied to future imports and paid by importers.
  • A Statement of Reasons will be available on the CBSA website within 15 days of the decision.

Additional points that apply to both items

• The amount charged as provisional duty will not exceed the CBSA’s estimate of the dumping margin and subsidies.
• The Customs Act governs accounting and payment of these duties; interest rules apply if duties are not paid on time.
• More details and the investigation schedule are on the CBSA website.

Who's affected#

• Importers and customs brokers handling:
  • Certain upholstered domestic seating coming from China and Vietnam.
  • Certain concrete reinforcing bar coming from Algeria, Egypt, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
• Canadian retailers, furniture assemblers, wholesalers and installers who buy those goods.
• Construction companies and building supply distributors that use imported reinforcing bar.
• Exporters and manufacturers in the listed foreign countries.
• Domestic producers who said they were harmed; they may benefit if duties become permanent.

If the exact product coverage is unclear to you (for example, whether a specific sofa, chair or rebar product is included), the CBSA documents and the forthcoming Statements of Reasons are the authoritative sources.

Why it matters#

• Import costs may rise quickly for the affected products while provisional duties are applied. That can lead to higher prices, delayed shipments, or sourcing changes for businesses and consumers.
• If the CITT later finds injury, duties could become long‑term, changing supply chains for the furniture and construction sectors.
• Domestic producers hoping for protection from cheaper imports may get relief if injury is confirmed.
• Importers should watch the CBSA and CITT updates, and be prepared for duty accounting and possible interest charges under the Customs Act.