Review of Hot‑Rolled Carbon Steel Plate

Summary#

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has started an expiry review under the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) of its anti‑dumping order on hot‑rolled carbon steel plate from the People’s Republic of China. The review will check whether ending the order would likely bring back or continue dumping, and then whether any dumping would hurt Canadian producers; the Tribunal aims to finish with a decision by May 15, 2024.

What it does#

• Opens expiry review RR-2023-002 of the order originally made on August 9, 2018.
• Covers hot‑rolled carbon steel plate and certain high‑strength low‑alloy plate described by size:
  • widths from 24 in. (+/- 610 mm) to 152 in. (+/- 3,860 mm);
  • thicknesses from 0.187 in. (+/- 4.75 mm) to 4.0 in. (+/- 101.6 mm).
• Excludes specific products such as plate for making pipe and tube (skelp), plate in coil form, floor plate, and some pressure‑vessel grade plate (see the notice for full details).
• Process steps:
  • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will first decide whether expiry is likely to cause continued or resumed dumping. The CBSA’s determination was to be provided within 150 days of the Tribunal’s initiation (noted as no later than December 7, 2023 in the notice).
  • If the CBSA finds dumping is likely, the Tribunal will then decide whether that dumping would likely cause injury to the Canadian industry and will issue its order and reasons by May 15, 2024.
• Participation and timeline items listed in the notice include a filing deadline of July 25, 2023 for parties who wanted to take part, distribution of the record on January 29, 2024, and a public hearing beginning March 4, 2024. The notice also says the Tribunal may hold a written‑submissions (file) hearing if there are no opposing parties.

Who's affected#

• Canadian producers of hot‑rolled carbon steel plate and similar plate types.
• Importers, distributors and exporters dealing with these plates that originate in or are exported from the People’s Republic of China.
• Companies that buy or use this plate in their products or projects (e.g., manufacturers and fabricators) may be indirectly affected by any change in duties or market conditions.
• The Canada Border Services Agency and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal are the government bodies running the review.

Why it matters#

• The review will determine whether anti‑dumping measures on Chinese hot‑rolled plate stay in place. That can affect prices, supply and competitiveness for Canadian steel buyers and makers.
• If duties are continued, domestic producers keep protection against low‑priced imports; if removed, import competition could increase.
• Companies that trade in or use this specific type of steel should watch the schedule and consider participating, because the review can change the rules that govern imports of these plates.