Notices to Importers

Item 80 - Carbon Steel

Item 81 - Specialty Steel

Serial No. 907
Date: November 2, 2017

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Purpose and Coverage
• 2.0 Authority
• 3.0 Background
• 4.0 Import requirements and procedures
• 5.0 Fees
• 6.0 Further information

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1.0 Purpose and Coverage

1.1 The purpose of this Notice is to inform importers that the steel import monitoring program, covering items 80 (Carbon Steel) and 81 (Specialty Steel) of the Import Control List (ICL), has been extended to November 1, 2020.

1.2 Carbon steel products (ICL item 80) include semi-finished products (ingots, blooms, billets, slabs and sheet bars), plate, sheets and strip, wire rods, wire and wire products, railway-type products, bars, structural shapes and units, pipes and tubes made of carbon steel. These items are covered by Harmonized System (HS) headings 7206-7229.

1.3 Specialty steel products (ICL item 81) include stainless flat-rolled products (sheet, strip and plate), stainless steel bar, stainless steel pipe and tube, stainless steel wire and wire products, alloy tool steel, mold steel and high-speed steel. These items are covered by HS headings 7301-7302, 7304-7306, 7308, 7312-7313 and 7317.

1.4 The steel import monitoring program does not limit the quantity of carbon and specialty steel products that may be imported into Canada.

1.5 This Noticeextends previous notices to importers concerning the steel import monitoring program and should be read in conjunction with the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA) and the EIPA Regulations.

2.0 Authority

2.1 The steel import monitoring program is conducted under the authority of Subsection 5.1(1) and Section 6 of the EIPA. Subsection 5.1(1) provides that monitoring may be initiated when steel is being traded in circumstances of world surplus supply and depressed prices and where a significant proportion of world trade is subject to control through the use of non-tariff barriers. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 6, the Governor in Council has the discretion to revoke, amend, vary or re-establish the ICL.

3.0 Background

3.1 Monitoring of imports of steel products began on September 1, 1986, when carbon steel products were added to the ICL to gather information concerning the importation of such goods. This action was taken as a result of an inquiry conducted by the Canadian Import Tribunal. The inquiry determined that excess capacity, subsidization and dumping were prevalent and threatened injury to the domestic industry. The Tribunal recommended import monitoring in these circumstances. Specialty steel was added to the ICL on June 1, 1987.

3.2 As the abovementioned conditions in steel markets continued, the steel import monitoring program was renewed in 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017.

4.0 Import requirements and procedures

4.1 Pursuant to the provisions of section 8 of the EIPA, a general import permit has been established for each of these items, General Import Permit 80 (Carbon Steel) and General Import Permit 81 (Specialty Steel). The import documentation for each shipment of carbon and specialty steel products must state that it is being imported under the authority of General Import Permit No. 80 or 81. This requirement applies to all steel products with Harmonized System headings: 7206-7302, 7304-7306, 7308, 7312-13 and 7317.

4.2 Customs brokers and importers are urged to cooperate fully with the Trade and Export Controls Bureau of Global Affairs Canada, as administrators of the monitoring program. In particular, they are requested to ensure that quantity (in kilograms), value (in Canadian dollars), product classification, country of origin, supplier name and address and importer name are given correctly, if necessary by amending the import documentation. Such cooperation will enhance the reliability of the data and reduce the burden of post-clearance auditing.

4.3 Historically, the program required individual import permits for each shipment, for which there were fees, and had provisions for exemption for lower value shipments and certain classes of importers. These provisions are no longer in effect.

5.0 Permit fees

5.1 No fees are payable.

6.0 Further Information

Enquiries may be addressed to:

EICS Administration - Gestion du SCEI
Trade and Export Controls Bureau | Direction générale de la réglementation commerciale et contrôles à l’exportation
Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiale Canada
111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2 

EICS Help Desk | SCEI service d'assistance: 
1-613-944-1265 | 1-877-808-8838
Fax/tél. 613-996-3205
Email : EICS.SCEI@INTERNATIONAL.GC.CA