Advisory Update: Steel TRQ Imports Reset for New Quarter (June 28, 2026)

Global Affairs Canada has published the list of steel products subject to a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) effective June 28, 2026.

Order Amending the Order Imposing a Surtax on the Importation of Certain Steel Goods

The amended measures will also reassign certain tariff classification numbers from the Hot-Rolled Sheet to the Cold-Rolled Sheet product class with corresponding volume adjustments.

C12: Steel products subject to tariff-rate quotas (imports) (effective June 28, 2026)

Tariff Rate Quota utilization can be viewed on the Global Affairs Canada website.

Steel: Tariff rate quota (TRQ) utilization data quarterly reports

Global Affairs Canada allocates steel quota on a first-come-first-served basis.

Global Affairs Canada has updated the administration of the steel Tariff-Rate Quotas (TRQs) under Item 82, June 13, 2026, of the Import Control List. Importers must secure a Shipment-Specific Import Permit (SSIP) on a first-come, first-served basis to be exempt from a 50% surtax at the time of final accounting. Notice to importers: Item 82 – Steel goods – Serial No. 1163

Requests for SSIPs are accepted up to 15 days prior to the expected date of entry into Canada. Once issued, an SSIP has a strict validity period of 30 days—specifically 5 days prior and 24 days after the expected date of entry specified in the application. Quota is considered utilized as soon as it is applied to an SSIP upon issuance.

Managing your timelines is critical because your SSIP’s validity period must cover the final date on which the goods receive official customs release by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). If an SSIP’s validity period does not cover the official release date, it is considered unused and expired, and it cannot be used to claim an exemption from the 50% surtax. Furthermore, quantities remaining unused at the end of a quarterly quota period do not carry over to the next period.

Critical Customs Bonded Warehouse (CBW) Protocol – 4.2 Shipment-specific import permits (Sections 4.2.2 & 4.2.9): In relation to TRQ and controlled goods, the CBSA considers the time of entry into the Customs Bonded Warehouse to be the official date of release for quota tracking. Per Sections 4.2.2 and 4.2.9, your SSIP’s 30-day validity window must cover this exact date of initial entry into the bonded facility. Waiting until final warehouse clearance to secure or apply your permit will result in an expired or invalid status, triggering the 50% surtax.

If a shipment has already been accounted for with the CBSA, Section 4.2.16 notes that SSIPs can be issued retroactively. However, this flexibility is strictly dependent on whether sufficient quota remains available to cover the requested quantity. Importers must monitor daily TRQ utilization reports to verify current availability before counting on a retroactive permit.

Unused, expired, or partially utilized SSIPs must be promptly cancelled or amended by the applicant through the New Export Import Control System (NEICS) or via email form, accompanied by supporting files like the commercial invoice and bill of lading.

CBSA Alignment Note: This time-of-entry requirement aligns directly with CBSA Memorandum D10-18-1 guidelines governing Warehousing for Tariff Rate Quotas. To secure the within-access commitment rates and avoid the 50% penalty, all specific authority permit numbers and proper documentation must be validated at the initial warehouse stage, ensuring full integration between Global Affairs Canada tracking and CBSA border clearance procedures. Memorandum D10-18-1: Tariff Rate Quotas

CBSA does not automatically validate TRQ permits at the time of importation, whether for goods entering Canada directly or those entering or exiting a CBW. Instead, CBSA conducts post-importation reviews and verifications of importers to ensure the validity of any TRQ permits used within both standard import processes and the CBW program.

Questions or concerns can be directed to our Canadian regulatory team.