Trade Cases
April 27, 2018
Canada Takes Steps to Boost Border Enforcement
Written by Tim Triplett
Just days before the U.S. is due to announce if it will extend the steel tariff exemptions it granted to its closest trading partners, officials in Canada announced plans to strengthen border enforcement to prevent transshipments and diversion of unfairly priced steel into North America.
It’s difficult not to see a link between Canada’s announcement and the May 1 deadline for the Trump administration to decide if Canadian steel imports will remain exempt from the 25 percent Section 232 tariff. Canada’s cooperation on trade enforcement also factors into negotiations with the U.S. and Mexico on a new North American Free Trade Agreement. Negotiators from the three nations reportedly are working feverishly to reach an agreement in principle in the coming days. Among the unresolved issues is how to limit the transshipment of Chinese steel through Canada into the U.S.
