Canada will require importers to provide information on the country of origin of steel

Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development Canada announced that beginning November 5, 2024, importers completing customs declarations under the Canada Steel Import Monitoring Program will be required to provide the Canada Border Services Agency with information about the "country of initial melting and casting" to increase transparency in the collection and publication of data related to steel imports.

As part of the phased implementation approach, steel importers can now selectively report data on crude steel first-producing countries to support an effective and smooth transition to mandatory reporting.

This significant change follows a public consultation with steel industry stakeholders in 2022 and mirrors previous US measures. At present, the United States is the only country that requires imported steel to declare "the country where the steel was originally melted" information.

Mary Ng, Canada's Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, said: "Canada is using a predictable and transparent process to collect information on the melting and casting countries of imported steel products, which will enhance the reliability and flexibility of the North American steel supply chain."

Global Affairs Canada will analyze the data and release a report on steel import trends. The department said that in the coming months, there will be more opportunities for stakeholders to provide input on upcoming related regulatory changes.

The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) expressed support for the move and issued a statement saying that at a time when the Canadian steel industry is facing significant risks from global steel overcapacity and unfair trade practices, the disclosure is required as a new condition for steel imports into the country. In March 2023, the Canadian Steel Producers Association called on the Canadian federal government to take swift action to protect the competitiveness of the country's steel industry and save related jobs.