Anti-dumping and countervailing duties come into play in two types of unfair trading practices: dumping and subsidizing.
Dumping occurs when foreign producers sell their goods in the Canadian market for less than the price in their home markets.
Subsidizing refers to the provision of financial or other support by foreign governments to their producers to reduce their costs of production.
These practices may result in imports flooding the Canadian market at low prices and harming Canadian competitors.
Complaints about dumping and subsidizing are filed with the Canada Border Services Agency. If the Agency finds that imports are being dumped or subsidized, we inquire to determine whether they are injurious to a domestic industry. If they are, anti-dumping or countervailing duties apply to the imports for an initial period of about five years unless rescinded early. This may occur if it’s in the public interest or there’s a material change in circumstances.
The period of assessment of duties can be extended through a process known as an expiry review. For more information, see the Anti-Dumping Injury Inquiries Guide.