New Canadian Tariff Remission Process Announced
Dear CISC Members and Associates,
On June 15th, the CISC submitted a letter to the Canadian government lobbying for a mechanism that would relieve or rebate tariffs that put Canadian steel companies in unavoidable lose-lose situations. We provided a number of recommendations that would aid companies if they were bound by contracts prior to the May 31st tariff announcements (i.e. if certain products and/or product sizes were not available, or when tariffs inflicted harm due to unexpected circumstances).
The Ministry of Finance just announced a process addressing these recommendations. The details can be found at https://www.fin.gc.ca/access/
We encourage all companies that feel they fall under the aforementioned conditions to review the link above and submit a request for remission.
Note that the government holds a high bar of burden of proof, so any such claim will need substantial evidence. The government will deal with the requests on a company by company basis.
Things to consider prior to filing a request for tariff remission:
- Your request will be public or could be subject to a “Freedom of Information” request.
- Any sensitive company information should be marked confidential.
- Where possible, if the request for tariff remission involves one or more mill producers, have them endorse the request.
- You may wish to submit separate remission requests for different products and issues if applicable.
- Include as much supporting information as possible (proof supporting your request).
- Ensure you include the HS product code to a minimum of 8 digits. If your product is specific to 10 digits, it may help to refine what it is you are requesting.
If there are any questions concerning this newly announced process, please contact Ed Whalen, President and CEO, at ewhalen@cisc-icca.ca.
Best Regards,
Ed Whalen, P.Eng.
President & CEO
Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC)