Trade Cases

CITT Finds No Injury from Imports of Steel Plate from Russia and India

Written by Sandy Williams


The Canadian International Trade Tribune determined on Jan. 6 that the dumping of hot-rolled carbon steel plate and high-strength low-alloy steel plate originating in or exported from India and Russia have not caused injury and are not threatening to cause injury to the domestic industry. CITT also found no injury from the subsidizing of those products from India. CITT will release the reasoning behind the determination later this month.

The news was met with disappointment by Essar Steel Algoma which submitted the original complaint of dumping to the Canada Border Services Agency.

In December, CBSA determined dumping or subsidizing had occurred on the products in question from Russia and India.

At that time, President and CEO Kaylan Ghosh expressed confidence in the government’s support of Canadian steel producers. “It signals clearly that our government will not allow other countries to distort our markets by dumping steel here.”

Following the CITT decision, Essar Steel Algoma spokesperson Brenda Stenta commented, “We are very disappointed with the tribunal’s ruling and the serious ramifications that this will have for the Canadian steel plate industry.”

“We disagree with their decision and will await the release of their statement of reasons before we comment further,” she added.

In November, Essar Steel Algoma entered restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) citing among its reasons record low steel markets and a “barrage of imports.”

Latest in Trade Cases

Leibowitz on trade: Why is protectionism so popular?

The world has had a few shocks recently. The CEO of a major health insurance company was gunned down in Manhattan. The 50-year Assad dynasty in Syria was pushed out less than two weeks after rebels started an offensive. And President-elect Trump is promising tariffs on everything a month before he takes office. But one shock has been taking place for a lot longer than the last few weeks. The 70-year consensus on trade hasn’t just been challenged. It’s been repudiated.