Background: Public consultations on the potential collection and publication of country of smelt and cast information for aluminum imports under Canada’s Aluminum Import Monitoring Program

On this page

• Current aluminum data
• Current terms and conditions of General Import Permit (GIP) No. 83
• Joint Statement by Canada and the United States on Section 232 duties on steel and aluminum
• United States’ approach to collection and publication of country of smelt and cast information
• Current situation in Canada
• Potential approach for collecting country of smelt and cast information
• Key considerations
• Related links

Current aluminum data

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) administers the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program. In 2023, more than 132,000 transactions of aluminum goods were imported into Canada under the Program. Aluminum goods presently covered by the Program are imported under General Import Permit (GIP) No. 83 of the Export and Import Permits Act.

Importers are required to cite GIP No. 83 on the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) customs declaration form. Relevant information from the customs declaration is transmitted to GAC and is published online in aluminum import reports. Updated daily, the reports provide a preliminary source of aggregate data on the type of goods, quantity, origin, and value of aluminum imports, enabling the government and industry to track potential trends.

The reports are available at: Aluminum import monitoring reports.

Current terms and conditions of General Import Permit (GIP) No. 83

On September 1, 2019, the Governor in Council added select aluminum products to the Import Control List as item 83 and the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued GIP No. 83 for importing certain aluminum products. GIP No. 83 came into force with reporting and record-keeping requirements to ensure the data accuracy of Canada’s Aluminum Import Monitoring Program.

These requirements help to identify and account for potential inconsistencies in import data. For 6 years after the year of importation, importers are required to retain documents and records related to shipments of certain aluminum goods and provide supporting documents for specific shipments to GAC upon request. GAC uses this data to conduct monthly targeted verifications for aluminum shipments covered by GIP No. 83.

Furthermore, importers of the covered aluminum products must indicate that they are being imported under the authority of GIP No. 83 on their import documents.

More information is available at: Notice to Importers - General Import Permit No.83 - Aluminum Products - Serial No. 969

Joint statement by Canada and the United States on Section 232 duties on steel and aluminum

On May 17, 2019, Canada and the United States released a Joint Statement on Section 232 duties on Steel and Aluminum, in which the United States agreed to eliminate its National Security Section 232 tariffs imposed on June 1, 2018, on imports of aluminum and steel from Canada, and Canada agreed to eliminate the tariffs that it had imposed in retaliation. The Joint Statement also noted that the United States and Canada would establish an agreed-upon process for monitoring aluminum and steel trade between them.

United States’ approach to collection and publication of country of smelt and cast information

The United States began its Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis program on June 28, 2021. Importers of certain aluminum products from all countries of origin must report the country of largest smelt, the country of second largest smelt, and the country of most recent cast on their import licenses. The import license requires additional information, including the classification of the good, country of origin, quantity, and customs value of the aluminum imports. The U.S. Department of Commerce collects data from the import licenses combines it with historic import data and publishes aluminum import reports, which are updated on a weekly basis.

The U.S. distinguishes the country of smelt into two categories: country of largest smelt, and country of second largest smelt. Both refer to the primary aluminum produced from alumina (or aluminum oxide) by the electrolytic Hall-Héroult process.

The country of largest smelt applies to the country where the largest volume of primary aluminum is produced for manufacturing, whereas the country of second largest smelt applies to the country where the second-largest volume of primary aluminum is produced for manufacturing. The country of most recent cast refers to the country where the aluminum product (with or without alloying elements) was most recently cast and was last liquified by heat and cast into a solid state. The final solid state can take the form of either a semi-finished product or a finished aluminum product. 

Currently, the United States is the only country that is collecting and publishing country of smelt and cast information for aluminum imports.

Current situation in Canada

Canada does not currently collect country of smelt and cast information for aluminum imports that are subject to the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program, nor is Canada under any international trade obligation to do so. Given the high volume of data on aluminum shipments, the proposed method of collecting country of smelt and cast information must be effective and efficient. Careful consideration will be given to assess possible impacts on the import process.

Potential approach for collecting country of smelt and cast information

GAC proposes to require importers of aluminum goods to provide country of largest smelt, country of second largest smelt, and country of most recent cast information when completing their customs declaration using the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration. Importers would continue to reference GIP No. 83 on the customs declaration and would complete three additional fields. Overall, this approach aligns with the current method for importing aluminum and would allow for the collection and publication of data for imports under GIP No. 83.

This approach is also in alignment with Canada’s approach to collecting country of melt and pour information for steel goods subject to the Steel Import Monitoring Program.

Key considerations

As an additional condition of using GIP No. 83, providing this information would reinforce Canada’s import monitoring capabilities to:

• Increase transparency in the domestic supply chain for aluminum imports;
• Provide a better understanding of the origins of imported aluminum goods; and
• Align with Canada’s approach to the collection and publication of country of melt and pour information for steel goods under the Steel Import Monitoring Program.

GAC will consider:

• The impact of any changes to the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program in relation to stakeholder interests, including those of importers, producers, downstream users, and consumers;
• The administrative burden and costs to stakeholders;
• The effectiveness and efficiency of the approach;
• The international dimension; and
• The timeframes to import aluminum goods.

Related links

• Aluminum: import monitoring reports
• Handbook of Export and Import Commodity Codes – C6: Aluminum Products Subject to the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program
• Notice to Importers – General Import Permit No. 83 – Aluminum Products (Serial No. 969)