On April 20, 2026, the Government of Canada directed the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (Tribunal) to conduct a safeguard inquiry into imports of certain finished wood products, including wood cabinets, hardwood flooring, and wood storage furniture. The statutory Order in Council setting out the details of the inquiry is available here. This safeguard inquiry was announced on the heels of a March 2026 safeguard inquiry into canned and frozen vegetables (we write about it here),…
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 Canadian customs. The year ahead promises more challenges for Canadian importers and exporters, as the landscape of surtaxes…
The Government of Canada directed the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) to conduct a safeguard inquiry into imports of certain canned and frozen vegetables (Vegetable Safeguard Inquiry) and is considering directing the CITT to initiate a safeguard inquiry on wood cabinets and vanities, hardwood flooring and engineered wood storage furniture. The CITT’s Notice of Commencement, issued March 16, 2026 is available here. The Vegetable Safeguard Inquiry was publicly announced by Finance Canada on March 13,…
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…