Navdeep Bains, Canada’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Economic Development, has announced that a decision will be made “within weeks” on the initiation of a global safeguard action on imported steel products.  This statement was made during a keynote address at the Hamilton Steel Summit on September 7th (see Ian Bickis, “Canadian decision within weeks on steel safeguards, says Bains”, Financial Post (September 7, 2018), available online at https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/minister-of-economic-development-says-decision-within-weeks-on-steel-safeguards). The Department of Finance is currently assessing the written submissions provided by stakeholders during the public consultations in August to determine how best to proceed.

If a decision is made to move forward, and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal initiates a safeguard inquiry, steel users, importers and exporters will have only 15 days to file their notices of participation and representation. Replies to the Tribunal’s questionnaires will likely be due 30 days after the initiation of the inquiry. In addition, provisional safeguard duties may be applied immediately and remain in place for up to 200 days during the Tribunal’s inquiry.

If your company could be adversely affected by Canadian safeguard duties on imported steel products, it is essential to immediately begin planning your participation so that your company’s interests can be taken into consideration in the Tribunal’s public inquiry process.

Tereposky & DeRose is assembling like-minded Canadian steel users, steel importers, and foreign steel exporters who oppose the application of safeguard measures in order to represent their interests in an efficient and cost-conscious manner (see “Notice to steel users, importers and exporters: Is your company ready if Canada initiates a global safeguard action against steel products?”). If your company has an interest in opposing the Canadian safeguard action, please do not hesitate to contact us.