Surtax on US steel and aluminum split into two tiers: 25% for some goods, 50% for most

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

Canada's surtax on steel and aluminum imported from the United States has been restructured into two rates. A smaller group of steel and aluminum goods (mainly finished or consumer-facing items such as cookware, radiators, and household articles) remains subject to a 25% surtax, while the large majority of steel and aluminum products — including raw forms, sheets, tubes, pipes, fasteners, and structural items — now face a 50% surtax. Two new schedules (1.1 and 2.1) list the goods subject to the higher 50% rate, and the existing Schedules 1 and 2 have been narrowed to cover only the 25% goods. Goods that were already in transit when the higher rate takes effect are protected: they remain subject to the lower rate that applied to them before that day. Importers of US-origin steel and aluminum should review which schedule their tariff classifications now fall under to determine whether the 25% or 50% rate applies to their shipments.

Who this affects: importers of US-origin steel products · importers of US-origin aluminum products · Canadian manufacturers using US steel or aluminum inputs · customs brokers and trade compliance teams · businesses purchasing steel or aluminum goods from US suppliers