Canada probes unfair wire rod imports to safeguard economy, jobs

Saturday, March 9, 2024

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is dedicated to safeguarding the Canadian economy and employment by maintaining a level playing field in the face of global competition.

Today, the CBSA has initiated an investigation to assess if specific wire rod imports from China, Egypt, and Vietnam are being introduced into Canada at unfairly low prices.

This investigation follows a complaint by Ivaco Rolling Mills 2004 LP, based in L’Orignal, Ontario. Ivaco claims that the surge in imports from these countries at dumped prices has led to significant harm, including loss of market share, sales, and adverse effects on prices, employment, capacity utilization, and financial health.

Both the CBSA and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) are involved in this process. The CITT will conduct a preliminary inquiry to ascertain if these imports are detrimental to Canadian producers, with a decision expected by May 7, 2024. Simultaneously, the CBSA will probe into the pricing of these imports to determine if they are indeed unfair, aiming to make a preliminary ruling by June 6, 2024.

At present, Canada has 150 special import measures active, encompassing a diverse array of both industrial and consumer goods, ranging from steel products to refined sugar. These measures have been instrumental in protecting about 30,300 Canadian jobs and securing $10.96 billion in domestic production.

Key points to note:

• The investigation focuses on certain wire rods, with further details available on the CBSA’s Anti-dumping and countervailing webpage.
• The annual market size for wire rod in Canada is estimated at $194 million.
• A detailed statement regarding the investigation will be posted on the CBSA’s website within 15 days following the launch of the investigation.

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