A  guide to exporting and importing metal and steel in Canada.

With over three decades of experience, our team at Canaan Group has the expertise to handle all phases of transporting metal and steel. We have the capacity to both import and export a variety of metals and guide customers through the entire process to ensure their products are within the countries’ regulations. We complete everything in-house within our capability (e.g. customs clearance) and utilize our expertise ensure your items are shipped in a timely and secure manner. We work with you to develop an individualized plan to transport items.

Importing Metal and Steel

The majority of imports for metal and steel are ingots, coils, flat-rolled, plated or coated, forged bar, or steel rods. When importing metal or steel, it is important to know which government parties are involved and the regulations to abide by (eg, Canadian Border Services Agency, or Global Affairs Canada.) There are many anti-dumping rules, as well as taxes on top of duties. Certain types of steel imports require surtaxes and the rate of duty is determined by the tariff of the imported product, the value of the goods, and the place of origin.

In light of the complexity involved in importing metal and steel, Canaan Group works closely with customers and provides guidance through the entire process, ensuring that your product can successfully be imported into Canada.

Our transportation services for importing metal and steel include:

• Containers – for steel rods which usually come in bundles in 20-foot containers. When the containers arrive, they are picked up by trucks and delivered to final destination.
• Breakbulk – for coils, flat-rolled, and plated which are shipped in large volumes. When breakbulk vessels arrive, the products are loaded onto flatdeck trucks and transported to the final destination.

Exporting Metal and Steel

The majority of metal and steel exported out of Canada is recycled material or metal scrap. Non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless steel, as well as ferrous metals such as cast iron, mild or structural steel, manganese, tin, plate, and HMS are mostly shipped via containers. With increased climate change concerns, scrutiny over proper certification and regulation adherence have also become more stringent. Exporting metal scrap requires proper certification (eg, Certificate of Destruction) and both the exporter and importer must have proper licensing. The classification of metals is also important. Some countries such as China have extremely specific and strict requirements for proper licensing for both importers and exporters.

Another factor to be aware of in shipping metal scrap is that the exporter must sign an assumption of liability. Metal compressed into bales and loaded into containers is essentially metal on metal, and could potentially damage the containers. Proper loading equipment is necessary and at times, the container is more expensive than the product. Therefore, the exporter must assume liability of any container damage. In the event that a facility does not have the proper equipment to load metal scrap, Canaan Group will find a different facility that specializes in metal scrap loading.

Canaan Group is experienced in assisting customers with acquiring proper certification, licensing, verification, and documentation in preparation for export so that your shipments arrive in a timely manner and can be processed without delays. Once your delivery arrives at the port, the importer will provide a licensed company to handle customs and delivery.