Canada Opens Consultations on Steel Imports

Trade Update • May 19, 2022

Canada is seeking public comments on whether it should collect and publish country of melt and pour (COM) information for steel imports under the Canada’s Steel Import Monitoring Program.

“Canada’s steel sector is an important part of our economy, providing thousands of Canadians with good middle-class jobs,” Minister Ng said. “Our government is committed to ensuring that the steel industry, and the people and communities who rely on it, are able to compete and succeed in a market that is not distorted by unfairly traded steel imports.”

The public consultation period will help it provide a better understanding of the use and value of this data for stakeholders and to assess its potential application on the steel import process. Increasing surveillance over COM could increase supply chain transparency and help in obtaining a more fulsome picture of the origins of imported steel goods.

How To and Who Can Participate in Consultations

The consultations will be open until June 26, 2022, to all Canadians, including steel producers; manufacturers; processors; distributors; retailers and importers; industry associations and labour unions; small, medium, and large enterprises; academics and experts.

To participate in the consultation, interested parties are encouraged to review the background information and provide feedback through the online questionnaire.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this consultations process, please contact us directly at: TIN-Consultations@international.gc.ca

Full information on public consultations can be found here.

Quick Facts

• In 2021, the Canadian steel industry employed nearly 23,700 workers and contributed $2.8 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product.
• Canada imports more steel from the United States than any other country in the world, accounting for nearly 45% of U.S. exports in 2021.
• In 2021, $17.4 billion worth of steel was traded between Canada and the United States.
• The information collected as a result of this consultative exercise will assist Global Affairs Canada in the administration of the Steel Import Monitoring Program.
• The Government of Canada has strengthened its steel import monitoring system following consultations with the steel industry, workers, and other stakeholders from various sectors on ways to improve Canada’s trade-remedy and import-monitoring regimes.