Canada Launches Public Consultation On Potential Trade Measures For Steel

In response to the United States’ newly-imposed Section 232 metals tariffs, the Canadian government has launched a public consultation on possible trade measures to protect against the potential diversion of steel products into the Canadian market. Specifically, the government is looking for information from the Canadian steel industry, consumers, and other interested parties regarding:

• The scope of steel products that could be covered by a potential import measure, including recommended product groupings, product descriptions, and the applicable tariff classifications;
• Evidence that demonstrates increased imports, or the threat of increased imports, of the identified steel products (by product or product group, if possible);
• Evidence that imports harm or threaten to harm domestic producers, such as job losses, reduced profitability, lost market share (again, that information should be offered by product or product group, if possible);
• Views on imports from specific countries or regions;
• Commercial and economic impacts of any potential measures, including sourcing considerations, regional availability, etc.;
• Views on the design, duration, and administration of any potential measures (e.g., proposed tariff rates and/or tariff-rate quota volumes);
• Views on the use of specific trade policy tools; and
• Any additional substantiating information relevant to consideration of potential measures.

Comments, which are due April 21, 2025, should be submitted to the Department of Finance Canada at fin.simaconsult-lmsiconsult.fin@fin.gc.ca.

The government noted the “potential new trade measures would complement measures recently announced by the Government of Canada to support Canadian steel and aluminum workers and industries.” Those measures include the 25 percent reciprocal tariffs that Canada placed on a list of steel products worth $12.6 billion and aluminum products worth $3 billion, as well as on additional imported U.S. goods, on March 13, 2025.