Final Safeguard Surtax Rates Changes on Heavy Plate and Stainless Steel Wire

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued a reminder to the import industry regarding upcoming changes to the safeguard rates on heavy plate and stainless steel wire.

The safeguard surtax rates will decrease for imported subject goods absent a shipment-specific import permit as follows:

• For Heavy Plate, effective May 13, 2021, the rate will decrease from 15% to 10%

• For Stainless Steel Wire, effective May 13, 2021, the rate will decrease from 15% to 5%

This is in keeping with World Trade Organization obligations to progressively liberalize such measures at regular intervals during the period of application.

The Final Safeguards Order applies to heavy plate and stainless steel wire imported from all countries except for:

a) goods originating in Canada;
b) goods originating in Chile, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the United States or Israel or another CIFTA beneficiary; and
c) goods originating in a World Trade Organization (WTO) Member country that is a beneficiary of the General Preferential Tariff (GPT), as long as the share of imports from such a country does not exceed 3% of total imports of each good, provided that imports from countries accounting for less than 3% of import share do not collectively account for more than 9% of total imports of each good.

Customs Notice 19-08 provides information on the implementation of the Final Safeguard Measures Imposed on the Importation of Certain Steel Goods:

View the Notice to Importers Serial no. 983 issued December 31, 2019 – Steel Goods (Item 82 on the Import Control List) provides information on the Surtax Order for heavy plate and stainless steel wire tariff rate quota on the Import Control List (ICL) covering the next period of May 13, 2021 to Oct 24, 2021 The Order Imposing a Surtax on the Importation of Certain Steel Goods (Surtax Order) is scheduled to expire on October 24, 2021. View the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) Notice of Expiry Order which provides the notification of the surtax expiry.