Aluminium industry welcomes action by Canadian government to monitor imports of aluminium

Adding aluminium to the Import Control List system will improve Canada's ability to monitor imports of aluminium, prevent transshipment in the region and maintain the competitiveness of Canada's aluminium industry

MONTREAL, Aug. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - The Aluminium Association of Canada welcomes today's announcement by the Government of Canada that it will add aluminium products to the Import Control List (ICL) under the Export and Import Permits Act.

"These additions to the ICL will allow the government to track and monitor imports of aluminium and help ensure that Canada does not become an entry point for transshipment or circumvention of Canadian or U.S. trade measures," said Jean Simard, President and CEO of the Aluminium Association of Canada.

As of September 1, under the Export and Import Permits Act, importers must cite the appropriate General Import Permit number to import a range of aluminium products and will be subject to reporting obligations to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The accuracy of these reports will be verified by Global Affairs Canada and the CBSA and penalties will be applied for inaccurate or fraudulent filings.

In their Joint Statement on May 17, 2019, Canada and the U.S. agreed on measures to prevent transshipment of aluminium through Canada and for monitoring aluminium trade between the two countries. Today's announcement is consistent with Canada's commitments in the Joint Statement.

"Canada is the historic source of aluminium produced with clean renewable energy in North America. The actions today support Canada's competitiveness in the production of aluminium and aluminium products. With this system of import monitoring in place, Canada sends a strong signal that it will not tolerate trade manipulation or circumvention through its ports," added Mr. Simard.

The AAC remains committed to working with the Canadian government to ensure import monitoring measures are implemented consistent with the May 17th Joint Statement.

About the Aluminium Association of Canada
The Aluminium Association of Canada (AAC) is a non-profit organization representing three Canadian world-class aluminium producers: Alcoa, Alouette, and Rio Tinto operating nine smelters in Canada, eight of which are in Quebec, and employing over 9,000 workers. For more information, please visit www.aluminium.ca or Twitter @AAC_aluminium.

SOURCE Aluminum Association of Canada