As 2026 brings new compliance challenges and opportunities, Baker McKenzie’s Canadian international trade team is here to help you stay ahead. We are launching our annual series of insights that unpack 2025’s biggest developments and spotlight the trade issues set to define 2026, bringing the clarity needed to navigate the evolving trade landscape. This article focuses on Canada’s regulation of forced labour and child labour. It remains unclear whether the Government of Canada’s 2024 ambitions…
As 2026 brings new compliance challenges and opportunities, Baker McKenzie’s Canadian international trade team is here to help you stay ahead. We are launching our annual series of insights that unpack 2025’s biggest developments and spotlight the trade issues set to define 2026, bringing the clarity needed to navigate the evolving trade landscape. This article focuses on Canada’s trade remedies regime. The CBSA has continued to bolster its trade remedy enforcement by introducing procedural changes…
Background Amendments to the CBSA’s Valuation for Duty Regulations (Regulations) first proposed, and subject to public consultation, in May 2023 continue to hang in the balance (Amendments). In December 2025, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) released a summary (CBSA Summary) of proposed revisions to the Amendments (Revisions), open for consultation with stakeholders until January 23, 2026 (2025 Consultation). In 2023, we wrote about the Amendments in detail here and in December, we wrote about the 2025 Consultation…
On January 16, Canada and China announced (Canada Link) (China Link) a new “strategic partnership”, which promises to alleviate tariffs levied by Canada on Chinese EVs and tariffs levied by China on Canadian agricultural products (Partnership). The Canadian sectors poised to benefit from the Partnership, and efforts to increase trade and investment in Canada are: energy; forestry; autos; agriculture; and tourism. The Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap is available here and the backgrounder is available…
On November 26, Prime Minister Carney announced new protectionist measures for the Canadian steel industry that will come into force on December 26, 2026. These measures will directly impact the cost of importing foreign steel and certain derivative steel products into Canada, indirectly increasing the cost of doing business for importers whom cannot source tariffed steel products domestically. The measures were included alongside other federal commitments to boost the Canadian steel and lumber industries in…
Amendments to the CBSA’s Valuation for Duty Regulations (Regulations) first proposed in May 2023 (Amendments) continue to hang in the balance. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently released a summary of proposed revisions, open for consultation with the importing community and other stakeholders until January 23, 2026 (Consultation). Background The Amendments seek to significantly alter the legislative framework underpinning key findings made by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) in 2021 and 2022 regarding use of…
While Canada continues to expand its trading relationships through FTAs, the future of its most significant FTA, the USMCA/CUSMA, and its trading relationships with the United States and China remains uncertain. Canadian importers and exporters face continued regulatory changes (e.g. customs valuation amendments, novel sanctions reporting requirements, supply chain reporting) and administrative changes (e.g. CARM, ACE Portal) in a rising protectionist trade environment. The Carney administration has continued to roll out policy and economic initiatives…
On August 29, the Government of Canada issued the Order Amending and Repealing Certain Orders Made Under the Customs Tariff (United States Surtax) (Order), which repeals the application of Canada’s 25% retaliatory surtax (Surtax) to numerous U.S. origin goods, effective September 1. Key takeaways for importers: Background The Order amends Canada’s three existing surtax orders, which have authorized a 25% retaliatory tariff on numerous U.S. origin goods since March and April 2025: United States Surtax Order…
While Canada and the US continue to negotiate a new economic and security agreement, Canada announced that it will eliminate its 25% retaliatory tariffs on certain USMCA qualifying goods as of September 1, 2025 in an effort to deescalate trade tensions and keep bilateral talks moving forward. The announcement follows a meeting between Prime Minister Carney and President Trump on trade and security. Prime Minister Carney also expressed hope that the USMCA review, scheduled for…
On July 30 and 31, President Trump issued several significant trade measures. The new developments come just days, or in some cases, hours, before the August 1 deadline for the “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs to resume. New Reciprocal Tariffs Announced On July 31, President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled “Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates.” The Order sets new tariff rates for dozens of countries just hours before the “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs were…