Media Release

STEEL INDUSTRY WELCOMES RECENT TRADE ENFORCEMENT ACTION

Canada Border Services Agency takes further action to keep unfairly traded steel out of the Canadian market.

July 20, 2023 – OTTAWA, ON – The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) continues to applaud the Government of Canada and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for their ongoing use of Canada’s most important and effective trade remedy tools. The recent conclusions of normal value reinvestigations on a number of products, including corrosion resistant sheet (COR1 and COR2), line pipe, OCTG, and rebar, the retroactive duty assessments on line pipe and OCTG, and the use of particular market situation on Turkey for rebar, demonstrate that Canadian regulators won’t stand for unfair trade.

“The trade remedy system remains the steel industry’s only shield against unfair trade that continuously threatens our industry’s competitiveness. CBSA has been diligent in concluding a succession of normal value reinvestigations and more fulsomely using its enforcement tools. It is important that Canada remains vigilant and continues to act against unfair traders. Just as we raise our shields, unfair traders will find new ways around them,” says Catherine Cobden, President & CEO of CSPA.

The stakes remain high as steel producers across Canada are facing significant import volumes of unfairly traded and carbon intensive goods. This is happening while Canadian steel producers continue to invest in their decarbonization journey, growing Canadian green steel production and supporting reductions in global carbon emissions. CSPA reiterates the urgency to press forward on a number of ongoing normal value reinvestigations before the CBSA and the urgent need for retroactive assessments in them, as well as recently concluded investigations; retroactive assessments remain one of the few ways to penalize unfair traders today, while dissuading unfair traders tomorrow.

“It is important to understand that when unfairly traded steel comes to Canada, it brings embedded emissions and supports sub-standard labour practices,” adds Cobden. “Canadian steel producers are innovating and leading the way on the decarbonization journey, while also providing thousands of jobs to Canadian communities. We need policies and a market that continue to incentivize this positive behaviour if we’re going to survive these challenges.”