Canadian Aluminum Import Monitoring Changes

Toronto, September 25, 2026

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has issued a Notice to Importers regarding “General Import Permit (GIP) 83 – Aluminum Products” which becomes October 1, 2026.  The purpose of this Notice is to inform importers of the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program and sets out the requirements and procedures pertaining to the importation of certain aluminum products into Canada.  This notice also summarizes amendments that require importers to report and maintain records with respect to the country (or countries) of smelt and cast for applicable aluminum products. 

Terms and Conditions

At the time of importation, importers must specify the following in the form, and manner determined by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA):

1. in the case of goods that contain primary aluminum, the country of largest smelt and, if any, the country of second-largest smelt; and
2. the country of most recent cast for all goods covered by the GIP.

This requirement does not apply if:

1. the total value for duty of the imported goods covered by the GIP is $5,000.00 or less; or
2. the importer is a Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) importer in respect of goods released under a CSA service option.  Further guidance on the exemption for CSA participants may be found in Memorandum D19-10-2: Administration of the Export and Import Permits Act (Importations).

Primary aluminum is defined as aluminum produced from alumina (or aluminum oxide) by the electrolytic Hall-Héroult process.

Country of smelt for primary aluminum is distinguished into two categories: the country of largest smelt and the country of second-largest smelt.  The country of largest smelt applies to the country where the largest volume of primary aluminum was produced for manufacturing the product, whereas the country of second-largest smelt, if any, applies to the country where the second-largest volume of primary aluminum was produced for manufacturing the product.

The country of most recent cast refers to the country where the aluminum product (with or without alloying elements) was last liquified by heat and cast into a solid state.  The final solid state can take the form of either a semi-finished product or a finished product.

Secondary aluminum is defined as aluminum metal that is produced from recycled aluminum scrap through a re-melting process.

This requirement generally applies to all aluminum products in item 83 of the Import Control List (ICL): alloyed and not alloyed unwrought aluminum products, and wrought aluminum products limited to bars, rods, profiles, wires, plates, sheets, strips, foils, tubes and pipes, tube and pipe fittings and other articles of castings and forgings.

The specific Harmonized System codes of the goods covered by this GIP may be found on the following page: C-6: Aluminum Products Subject to the Aluminum Import Monitoring Program

A resident of Canada who imports goods under this Permit must retain, for a period of six years after the year in which the import is made, documents and records containing the following information:

• the name and the address of the importer or consignee;
• proof of Canadian residency;
• the date of entry of the goods into Canada;
• the quantity, expressed in kilograms, of the goods;
• the country from which the goods are imported;
• the country of origin of the goods;
• the shipment document with freight and other transportation costs indicated separately;
• the tariff classification of the goods indicated in the List of Tariff Provisions set out in the schedule to the Customs Tariff;
• the import value in Canadian dollars;
• a detailed description of the goods, including whether the goods contain primary or secondary aluminum;
• in the case of goods that contain primary aluminum, the country of largest smelt and, if any, the country of second-largest smelt; and
• the country of most recent cast.

Potential Penalties under the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS)

Failure to cite the required GIP or not complying with the terms and conditions of the Permit may lead to the levying of penalties by the CBSA under AMPS, which authorizes the CBSA to assess monetary penalties for non-compliance with customs legislative, regulatory and program requirements.  Importers may also face prosecution under the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA) for contravening a provision of the Act or its regulations (section 19).  Compliance is monitored by the CBSA and GAC. 

For more information, please call Lukas Hamann, Manager – Customs Operations at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1235.