Aluminum products come into Canada under General Import Permit No. 83. An amendment to that permit, registered on 19 June 2026, adds three countries the importer has to state at the time of import. Until 1 October 2026 giving them is optional. From 1 October it is mandatory.
| Mandatory from | 1 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| What | Country of largest smelt, of second-largest smelt (if any), and of most recent cast |
| Where | Single Window Integrated Import Declaration, not a CAD field |
| Not required | Total value for duty of $5,000 or less; CSA importers for goods released under paragraph 32(2)(b) |
| The permit | General Import Permit No. 83, Aluminum Products |
| The Order | SOR/2026-136, registered 19 June 2026 |
| CBSA notice | Customs Notice 26-15, 23 June 2026 |
What has to be declared
The amended permit adds these to what the importer must specify:
"(k) in the case of goods that contain primary aluminum, the country of largest smelt and, if any, the country of second-largest smelt; and (l) the country of most recent cast."
The smelt countries apply only to goods that contain primary aluminum. The country of most recent cast applies to all goods the permit covers. The same amendment also asks the description of the goods to say whether they contain primary or secondary aluminum.
From when
"When the Order Amending the General Import Permit No. 83 — Aluminum Products comes into force on October 1, 2026, it will be mandatory to submit the CLS, C2S and CRC information to the CBSA via SWI. Until then, it is optional for importers to submit the CLS, C2S and CRC information to the CBSA via SWI IID."
CLS is the country of largest smelt, C2S the country of second-largest smelt, and CRC the country of most recent cast.
Who does not have to
Two exceptions are written into the permit. The first is by value:
"Paragraph 3(d) does not apply if the total value for duty of the imported goods is $5,000 or less."
The second is for CSA importers, as defined in the Accounting for Imported Goods and Payment of Duties Regulations, for goods released under paragraph 32(2)(b) of the Customs Act.
Where it goes
On the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration, the IID, not on the Commercial Accounting Declaration. CBSA changed the IID for it in advance and told importers in a Technical Commercial Client Unit bulletin on 29 May 2026. The requirement covers every aluminum HS code in Global Affairs Canada's regulated commodities matching table for the IID.
What is not published yet
CBSA says Memorandum D19-10-2 will be updated "to include additional details on submitting IID and accounting information to the CBSA for aluminum products" when the amendment comes into force. Until that memorandum is out, there is no published change to what goes on the CAD for these goods.
This is a reporting requirement, not a duty. The surtax on US aluminum is a separate measure, and on some goods it rose to 50% on 8 September: US steel and aluminum, a 50% tier.
Was it declared right? That is a line by line question about a document, and it has a definite answer. Norquin checks Canadian customs entries against the published tariff and says plainly which lines it cannot prove.
Sources. Every figure above was read off these pages.
- CBSA Customs Notice 26-15, Order Amending the General Import Permit No. 83, Aluminum Products. Published 23 June 2026.
- Canada Gazette Part II, SOR/2026-136, Order Amending the General Import Permit No. 83, Aluminum Products. Registered 19 June 2026, in force 1 October 2026.
Read on 27 September 2026. CBSA revises these notices without a changelog, so check the date on its page before relying on this one.