CBSA AUDITING STRUCTURAL STEEL
CBSA'S ONGOING SCRUTINY IN STEEL PRODUCTS CLASSIFICATION SIGNALS RISING COMPLIANCE RISK
As we have blogged here and here, the Canada Border Services Agency (the “CBSA”) sets out its priority areas for compliance audits and verifications in its Trade Compliance Verification Priorities publication. Steel and metal products have long been among the CBSA’s primary focuses for compliance review.
Recently, the CBSA has intensified its challenges to the classification of steel containers, interpreting tariff headings in ways that go beyond prevailing industry practice. This shift reflects a broader trend toward more aggressive enforcement in the steel sector.
For importers, this trend heightens compliance risk. The best approach is to seek legal advice early in the audit process and resolve classification issues before they escalate into formal assessments.