On February 21, the Canadian Department of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development announced that starting from November 5, 2024, importers must provide information on the "initial melting and casting countries" to the Canadian Border Service when completing customs clearance under the Canadian Steel Import Monitoring Program, in order to improve the transparency of data collection and disclosure related to steel imports.
As part of the phased implementation approach, steel importers can now selectively report data on the first producing country of crude steel to support an effective and smooth transition to mandatory reporting.
This significant change was made after public consultations with stakeholders in the steel industry in 2022, and is consistent with previous measures taken by the United States. At present, the United States is the only country that requires the declaration of "country of initial melting of steel" information for imported steel.
"Canada is collecting information on melting and casting countries for imported steel products through predictable and transparent processes, which will enhance the reliability and flexibility of the North American steel supply chain," said Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade, and Economic Development of Canada
There are also reports that the Canadian Department of Global Affairs will analyze the data and release a report on steel import trends. The department stated that in the coming months, stakeholders will have more opportunities to provide feedback on upcoming regulatory changes.
The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) expressed support for this initiative and issued a statement stating that the Canadian steel industry is currently facing significant risks of global steel overcapacity and unfair trade practices, and therefore requires this disclosure as a new condition for steel imports into the country. It is reported that 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 employment opportunities