MANDATORY RELEASE DATA FOR IMPORTATION OF ALUMINUM PRODUCTS
Starting October 1, 2026, Canadian importers of aluminum products covered by General Import Permit (GIP) No. 83 will have new reporting requirements.
What importers need to do:
• Report the country where most of the primary aluminum was smelted (CLS).
• Report the country where the second-largest amount was smelted (C2S), if applicable.
• Report the country where the aluminum was most recently cast (CRC).
• Submit this information through the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration (SWI IID) when the goods are imported.
What exactly do “smelt” and “cast” mean?
| Data element | Meaning |
| CLS | Country where the largest volume of primary aluminum used to manufacture the product was produced |
| C2S | Country where the second-largest volume, if any, of primary aluminum was produced |
| CRC | Country where the aluminum was most recently liquified by heat and cast into a solid state |
Exceptions
The new smelt/cast reporting requirement generally does notapply when:
• The GIP-covered goods have a total value for duty of $5,000 or less, or
• The importer is a Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) importer and uses the applicable CSA release option.
These exceptions only apply to the new reporting requirement. They do not eliminate other GIP 83 requirements.
What aluminum products are affected?
GIP 83 covers a range of aluminum products, including:
• Unwrought aluminum
• Bars, rods and profiles
• Wire
• Plates, sheets and strips
• Foil
• Tubes and pipes
• Pipe fittings
• Certain castings and forgings
Whether a particular product is covered ultimately depends on its HS classification.
Recordkeeping
Importers must keep supporting records for six years after the year of importation.
These records need to support information such as:
• Quantity and value
• HS classification and country of origin
• Whether the product contains primary or secondary aluminum
• CLS and C2S information, if applicable
• Country of most recent cast
If Global Affairs Canada requests these records, importers generally have 10 days to provide them.
What this means operationally
The biggest issue is getting accurate information from suppliers.
Before October 1, 2026, importers should make sure that:
1. Suppliers can provide CLS, C2S and CRC information.
2. That information reaches the customs broker or person preparing the SWI IID.
3. Supporting documents are retained in case Global Affairs Canada asks for evidence.
4. Import procedures identify applicable shipments as being imported under GIP 83.
Bottom line
Effective October 1, 2026, importers of aluminum covered by GIP 83 will generally need to know and report where the aluminum was smelted and most recently cast, and keep records supporting that information.
The practical priority is to update supplier-data collection and customs declaration processes before October 1 so the required information is available when each shipment arrives.
Questions or concerns can be directed to the Canadian regulatory team.