The Canada Border Services Agency has announced new reporting requirements under General Import Permit No. 83 – Aluminum Products, effective October 1, 2026.
Importers of covered aluminum products will be required to submit additional country-of-smelt and country-of-cast information to CBSA through the Single Window Initiative Integrated Import Declaration, or SWI IID. Submission of this information is optional until September 30, 2026.
New Information Required
Beginning October 1, importers must report:
- Country of largest smelt, or CLS: Required for goods containing primary aluminum.
- Country of second-largest smelt, or C2S: Required, where applicable, for goods containing primary aluminum.
- Country of most recent cast, or CRC: Required for all aluminum goods covered by GIP 83.
The requirements will apply to aluminum tariff classifications included in Global Affairs Canada’s SWI IID Regulated Commodities Data Element Matching Criteria Table.
Exceptions
The new reporting requirements will not apply when:
The total value for duty of the imported goods is $5,000 or less.
The importer is a Customs Self Assessment importer and the goods are released under paragraph 32(2)(b) of the Customs Act.
Other terms and conditions of GIP 83 will continue to apply.
Recommended Actions for Importers
Importers of aluminum products should begin preparing now by:
- Reviewing their Canadian tariff classifications to identify products covered by GIP 83.
- Contacting suppliers and manufacturers to obtain the required smelt and cast information.
- Updating product databases, supplier records and import documentation to capture the new data.
- Confirming that their customs and electronic data systems can transmit the information through SWI IID.
- Providing Buckland with the required CLS, C2S and CRC information before shipments arrive in Canada.
- Considering optional early transmission before October 1 to identify missing information or system issues.
Importers should not rely solely on the country of export or the supplier’s location. The countries where the aluminum was smelted and most recently cast may differ from the country where the finished product was manufactured or shipped.
Failure to provide the required information after the effective date could affect the processing and release of covered aluminum imports.
Buckland encourages affected importers to begin gathering this information from their suppliers immediately. Please contact your Buckland representative for assistance preparing for the October 1, 2026 implementation date.
Source: Customs Notice 26-15: Amendments to the General Import Permit No. 83 — Aluminum products