Canada changes scope of surtax on certain steel imports

On 10 May 2019 the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced changes to the surtax which applies to imports of certain steel products into Canada. The announcement, in Customs Notice 19-08, refers to the Order Amending the Order Imposing a Surtax on the Importation of Certain Steel Goods (Final Safeguards) (SOR/2019-127) which enters into force on 13 May 2019. This order amends the Order Imposing a Surtax on the Importation of Certain Steel Goods (SOR/2018/206) of 25 October 2018 and repeals certain provisional safeguard measures which had been in place under that original order. From 13 May 2019, a surtax applies to the import of Heavy Plate and Stainless Steel Wire, in both cases becoming to be paid as soon as specified tariff rate quotas (TRQ) for the goods are exceeded. The surtax rates are set at 20 % for Heavy Plate and 25 % for Stainless Steel Wire. They are scheduled to decrease after one year, and further decrease after two years. More details on the surtax, on HS codes (of chapter 72) affected by it, as well as on existing exemptions for certain countries and on necessary import documentation can be found in the above-mentioned Customs Notice. There is also a specialized website related to steel imports by Global Affairs Canada and an updated Notice to Importers. For more information on the history of the surtax, see the related news page of the Department of Finance and attached documents. https://www.fin.gc.ca/n18/18-090-eng.asp . See also CBSA Customs Notices 18-17 and 18-24.