Global Affairs Canada · Import Control List
Steel carbon and specialty steel products
To clear steel, every line needs a general import permit and, in most cases, the country where the steel was melted and poured. To bring quota goods in without the 50% surtax, get a quota permit for the shipment while quota remains.
To get steel cleared
Once, before your first shipment
- For quota permits: get an EIPA number from GAC. One form, sent once.
- Ask suppliers for mill certificates. They name the country of melt and pour.
On every shipment
- General Import Permit 80 or 81 on every line. 80 for carbon steel, 81 for specialty steel.
- The country of melt and pour on every line. Not needed for products GAC lists as exempt, when the steel goods that aren't exempt are worth $5,000 or less for duty, or for goods a Customs Self-Assessment importer releases under CSA.
- Quota goods: a quota permit for the shipment. Apply up to 15 days before the expected release date; the permit runs from 5 days before to 24 days after that date and must cover the actual release date. If the goods were accounted for without one, GAC can still issue it while quota remains, and you can then ask CBSA to refund the surtax.
After release
- Cancel a quota permit you won't use. Form 876, with the commercial documents.
Is your steel covered?
Steel products in chapters 72 and 73. The permit follows the kind of steel.
Carbon steel
General Import Permit 80. The products GAC lists as carbon steel, in its handbook section C2.
Specialty steel
General Import Permit 81. The products GAC lists as specialty steel, in its handbook section C3.
Documents you may need
| Document | When you need it | Status |
|---|---|---|
| General Import Permit 80Published by GAC; no application | Carbon steel, every line | Every line |
| General Import Permit 81Published by GAC; no application | Specialty steel, every line | Every line |
| Quota permitIssued by GAC for one shipment | Goods under the quota, to avoid the 50% surtax | If it applies |
| Mill certificateFrom the steel mill | Shows the country of melt and pour | Keep on file |
What stops steel at the border
Nothing, once every line carries its general import permit. Quota goods without a quota permit still enter, but pay the 50% surtax.
Quota quarters 2026 to 2027
Quotas are set each quarter. Unused quota doesn't carry over.
- Q1From 28 June 2026
- Q2From 30 September 2026
- Q3From 30 December 2026
- Q4From 30 March 2027
Also check for these goods
| Also check | Who | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Surtax and anti-dumping duties | CBSA | By country of origin, and by where the steel was melted and poured |
| Consumer product safety | Health Canada | Some steel household articles |
| Country-of-origin marking | CBSA | Steel goods the marking rules list |
Questions
Do I apply for General Import Permit 80 or 81?
No. GAC publishes it, and you put its number on each line.
When isn't the country of melt and pour needed?
For the products GAC lists in its handbook, section C8. It is also not needed when the steel goods that aren't exempt are worth $5,000 or less for duty, or for goods a Customs Self-Assessment importer releases under CSA.
Is there a surtax on steel melted and poured in China?
Yes, 25% of the value for duty, unless the goods already pay the 50% quota surtax, originate in the US, or the steel goods subject to it on the declaration are worth $5,000 or less. If CBSA asks and you can't show a certificate, such as a mill test certificate, proving the steel wasn't melted and poured in China, it is treated as Chinese.
How long do the steel quotas last?
The current quota periods run to 27 June 2027, the end of the fourth quarter.
Sources: Global Affairs Canada, CBSA, Justice Laws
- Handbook of Export and Import Commodity Codes, section C, Global Affairs Canada, modified 2026-11-09
- Notice to importers 1133: steel general import permits No. 80 and No. 81, Global Affairs Canada, modified 2025-01-23
- Notice to importers 1163: item 82, steel goods, Global Affairs Canada, modified 2026-06-25
- Import permits, Global Affairs Canada, modified 2025-12-04
- Memorandum D19-10-2: Administration of the Export and Import Permits Act (importations), CBSA, modified 2026-10-22
- Customs Notice 25-24: Order Imposing a Surtax on the Importation of Certain Steel Goods, CBSA, modified 2026-06-27
- Customs Notice 25-28: Steel Goods and Aluminum Goods Surtax Order, CBSA, modified 2025-11-07
- Electronic Commerce Client Requirements Document, chapter 23: Integrated Import Declaration, CBSA, modified 2026-08-25
- Country of melt and pour updates for steel imports, Global Affairs Canada, modified 2026-10-21
- Anti-dumping and countervailing measures in force, CBSA, modified 2026-09-17
- Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, S.C. 2010, c. 21, Justice Laws, current to 2026-10-19
- Memorandum D11-3-1: Marking of imported goods, CBSA, modified 2023-04-14
Reviewed November 10, 2026.
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