Importing steel and aluminum into Canada: permits and surtaxes
Steel and aluminum are the most closely managed goods at the Canadian border. On top of regular duty, a shipment can owe anti-dumping duty, need an import permit and carry one or more surtaxes — depending on the product and where the metal was made. Check them all before you order.
- Surtaxesup to 50%
- PermitItem 82 steel goods
- Originwhere it was melted
Customs rules change — confirm with the official sources on this page or with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
Two ways to get this done
Do it yourself
Everything you need is on this page, step by step, from official government sources.
Read the guideLet a broker handle it
Steel and aluminum entries combine classification, anti-dumping duty, permits and surtax codes. A licensed customs broker handles all of it. Free quote, no commitment.
Get a free quoteIn short
What can apply to your shipment
Five measures can stack on steel and aluminum: anti-dumping and countervailing duties on specific products from specific countries; quotas on many steel goods from outside CUSMA, with a 50% surtax without a shipment-specific permit; 25% surtaxes on Chinese steel and aluminum; Canada’s counter-surtaxes on U.S. goods; and a separate surtax on certain steel derivative goods.
Read the details
Which ones apply depends on the tariff classification and the country of origin — and, for the China measures, on where the steel was melted and poured or the aluminum smelted and cast. Surtaxes are added on the value for duty, on top of regular duty and GST.
These measures change often: orders are amended, extended or replaced several times a year. Check the current CBSA customs notice for each one when you place the order, not when the goods arrive.
Importing steel or aluminum, step by step
Classify the product
Find the 10-digit tariff classification. These measures are listed by tariff item, so a wrong code means the wrong surtax.
Pin down the origin
Get the country of origin and the mill certificate showing where the steel was melted and poured, or the aluminum smelted and cast.
Check anti-dumping measures
Check the CBSA’s list of anti-dumping and countervailing measures in force. Many steel products — pipe, plate, rebar, wire, fasteners — are on it.
Check surtaxes and quotas
Check which surtax orders cover your tariff item and origin: the steel quota order, the China orders, the U.S. surtax orders and the steel derivative order.
Get the permit before shipping
For steel goods in Item 82 from outside CUSMA, apply to Global Affairs Canada for a shipment-specific import permit — up to 15 days before entry. Without it, the 50% surtax applies.
Declare it correctly
Declare the permit or general import permit, the surtax codes and any anti-dumping duty on the entry, and keep mill certificates and permits with your records.
The five measures at a glance
Checked November 2026 — follow the CBSA notices below for the current rules.
- Anti-dumping / countervailing (SIMA)
- Specific products from specific countries, at rates set per exporter.
- Steel quotas (Item 82)
- Many steel goods from outside CUSMA: 50% surtax unless imported within quota with a shipment-specific permit.
- China surtaxes
- 25% on Chinese steel and aluminum, and on goods made with steel melted and poured or aluminum smelted and cast in China.
- U.S. counter-surtaxes
- Certain U.S.-origin goods, at 15%, 25% or 50% depending on the product.
- Steel derivative surtax
- Certain products made from steel, under a separate order.
Order first, check later = surprise surtax
Surtaxes are owed even if a permit was still pending or the supplier said the goods were duty-free. They come on top of duty and GST and can double the cost of a shipment. Check before you sign the purchase order, not at the border.
Common questions
Does the 50% steel quota surtax apply to goods from the United States?
No: goods from CUSMA countries are outside the Item 82 quota system. But U.S.-origin steel and aluminum can owe Canada’s counter-surtaxes under separate orders, so check both.
What does “melted and poured” mean?
It’s where the steel was first made liquid and cast. Canada uses it to apply its China surtax to goods finished in another country with Chinese steel. Ask your supplier for the mill certificate.
Do I need a permit for aluminum?
Aluminum products are covered by a general import permit (No. 83) that you reference on your declaration. Surtaxes can still apply depending on origin.
Can a broker handle all of this?
Yes — steel and aluminum entries are where a broker earns its fee: classification, anti-dumping, permits and surtax codes. Get a broker quote.
- Sources:
- Notice to importers: Item 82, steel goods (Global Affairs Canada)
- Customs Notice 25-24: surtax on certain steel goods (CBSA)
- Customs Notice 25-28: Steel Goods and Aluminum Goods Surtax Order (CBSA)
- Customs Notice 25-33: Steel Derivative Goods Surtax Order (CBSA)
- Customs Notice 26-23: United States Surtax Order (2026) (CBSA)
- Anti-dumping and countervailing measures in force (CBSA)
Check where you stand
See which import requirements apply to your shipments.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Importing
The whole path to importing commercial goods into Canada, in order.
Read →Do I need a customs broker?
No law requires one. What a licensed broker does, and what importing on your own involves.
Read →Import readiness
Check your import readiness: CARM, RPP security, classification, permits.
Read →Get a quote
Describe your shipments and we will connect you with a licensed customs broker.
Read →