Briefings贸易简报

Drewry's World Container Index for September 10, 2026 was flat at $4,476 per 40ft, with Shanghai–Los Angeles up 2% to $7,352 and Shanghai–New York up 1% to $9,726; Freightos put Asia–US West Coast at about $7,600/FEU and East Coast at about $9,500/FEU on September 8, with early signs of cooling. Demand that began in late May, typhoon-driven congestion at Shanghai and Ningbo, and rising bunker costs have kept rates at peak-season levels since July.

Carriers are defending rates into China's National Day holiday (October 1–7): Drewry expects 47 blank sailings across East–West trades between weeks 37 and 41, out of 729 scheduled, and MSC has blanked sailings on its Asia–US West Coast network for the holiday. For Vancouver and Prince Rupert cargo, book October arrivals early and expect further GRI filings in September before rates soften after the holiday.

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal submitted its safeguard report on certain vegetable goods to the Governor in Council on September 9, 2026, concluding that increased imports of canned vegetables were a principal cause of serious injury to Canadian producers. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the government is reviewing the report and the existing provisional measure remains in effect.

That means the 10% surtax under the Certain Canned Vegetable Goods Surtax Order (CBSA Customs Notice 26-14, in force since June 19, 2026 for up to 200 days) continues to apply to canned corn, peas, beans, chickpeas and mixed vegetables in heading 2005, and China-origin goods are not exempt. Importers should expect a final measure to replace the provisional one before the 200-day clock runs out in early January 2027 and should keep pricing the surtax into orders.

After US Section 338 tariffs of 50% on a range of Canadian goods took effect on August 22, 2026, Canada's United States Surtax Order (2026) came into force at 12:01 a.m. on September 8, 2026, applying surtaxes of 15%, 25% or 50% to about $27.6 billion of US-origin goods, including steel and aluminum, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, electronics and consumer goods. US steel and aluminum move from 25% to 50%. Goods in transit to Canada before September 8 are exempt.

CBSA Customs Notice 26-23 (September 7) sets the declaration: surtax codes 26186A (15%), 26186B (25%) and 26186C (50%) with the amount in field 85 of the CAD, and remission is claimed at entry under the existing framework. For China-Canada importers the read-through is competitive: US-origin steel products, appliances and consumer goods now carry a heavier duty load, while origin declarations on mixed-origin shipments will get closer scrutiny.

In early September, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained well below pre-conflict levels and dependent on US Navy escorts; a US naval blockade targets Iranian ports, and Iran announced on September 6, 2026 plans for a wider exclusion zone for vessels approaching the strait. Fighting resumed after the July collapse of a ceasefire in a conflict that began on February 28, 2026.

For container shipping the effect is fuel: bunker prices have climbed since July and are back near June levels, and FreightWaves notes on September 8 that higher fuel costs set an elevated floor under container rates even as demand cools. China–Canada importers should expect bunker adjustment factors and emergency fuel surcharges to stay elevated through Q4 regardless of how spot rates move after Golden Week.

On September 2, 2026 the CBSA issued preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing on steel racks from China (RACK 2026 IN). Provisional duties apply to goods released on or after that date: 7.0% for Nanjing A-Plus Metal Products Co., Ltd. (dumping 0.0%, subsidy 7.0%) and 13.1% for all other exporters (dumping 6.1%, subsidy 7.0%), expressed as a percentage of export price. Subject goods fall mainly under 7308.90.00 subheadings plus 7326.90.90.90 and 9403.20.00.70.

The CITT opened its final injury inquiry (NQ-2026-005) on September 3 with a finding due December 31, 2026. Steel racking may also be caught by Canada's steel surtax measures depending on where the steel was melted and poured, so importers of warehouse shelving and pallet racking should have their broker check both layers before quoting landed cost.

The CBSA opened an expiry review (UDS 2026 ER) on September 1, 2026 of the CITT's September 2, 2021 finding (NQ-2021-002) on upholstered domestic seating from China and Vietnam, after the Tribunal initiated its own review on August 31. Anti-dumping and countervailing duties continue to apply throughout the review; the CBSA's determination is due January 28, 2027, with the Tribunal's order to follow in early 2027.

Separately, the CBSA concluded an administrative review (UDS 2026 UP1) on August 21, 2026, issuing updated normal values for Zhejiang Trayton (China) and HTL Vietnam. Importers of sofas and recliners should get the revised normal values from their exporter now, since goods priced at or above normal value attract no anti-dumping duty. Questionnaire responses in the expiry review are due October 8, 2026.

The second period of Quota Year 1 for electric vehicles from China runs September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. The base allocation is 24,500 vehicles, and because only 15,603 of the first period's spaces were used, 8,897 unused places carry forward, leaving 33,397 vehicles available, according to Global Affairs Canada's utilization data cited in the notice.

Permits are issued first-come, first-served until the quantity is exhausted; in-quota vehicles pay only the 6.1% MFN tariff, against the former 100% surtax. Dealers and fleet buyers planning China-built EV imports should apply early in the window, since permits stop once the quota is used.

On August 31, 2026 the CBSA initiated investigations (TBT 2026 IN) into pneumatic truck and bus tires from China with rim diameters of 17.5, 19.5, 22.5 or 24.5 inches, classified under 4011.20.00.13, 4011.20.00.19 and 4012.12.00.00, on a complaint by the Canadian Retread Manufacturers Association and Michelin North America (Canada). The CBSA estimates the Canadian market at roughly $1.2 billion a year.

The CITT rules on reasonable indication of injury by October 30, 2026; the CBSA's preliminary determinations, and any provisional duties, follow by November 30, 2026. Fleet operators and tire distributors buying China-origin commercial tires have a window of roughly three months to land inventory before duty exposure can start.

The Trans-Canada Highway through the Fraser Canyon near Boston Bar reopened on August 27, 2026 after a closure of about seven weeks caused by the wildfire that had also cut both CN and CPKC mainlines out of the Port of Vancouver in late July; the evacuation alert for Boston Bar has been lifted.

No further rail outages on the corridor surfaced during the window, and the Port of Vancouver's early-September vessel line-up showed container ships waiting under a day for berth. For importers this closes the summer's main inland-routing risk, though the two railways' shared directional-running zone through the Fraser Canyon remains the single point of failure for Vancouver import boxes headed east.

On August 24, 2026 the CBSA made preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing on decorative and other non-structural plywood from China (DONP2 2026 IN), including veneer core platforms, across 15 tariff classifications in heading 4412. Provisional duties apply to goods released on or after August 24: 11 named exporters carry rates from 0.0% to 173.6%, and all other exporters pay 227.5% of export price.

Structural plywood, finished flooring plywood, Phenolic Film Faced Plyform and certain LVL door and window components are excluded. The CBSA's final determinations are due November 23, 2026 and the CITT's injury finding (NQ-2026-004) by December 22, 2026. Importers should confirm the exporter's name on the commercial invoice matches the CBSA list exactly; a trading-company invoice can push a shipment into the all-others rate.

CBSA Customs Notice 26-20 (August 21, 2026) clarifies how goods subject to tariff rate quotas, including steel under Customs Notice 25-24, move through a Customs Bonded Warehouse. To claim the within-access rate, the importer must hold a shipment-specific import permit from Global Affairs Canada whose validity covers the date the goods leave the warehouse; if the permit lapses while goods sit in storage, they exit at the over-access rate with the 50% surtax and possible penalties.

Goods entered without a permit go in under the General Import Permit with surtax applied, and a Type 10 CAD amendment is needed once the shipment-specific permit is obtained, before exiting on a Type 20/21. This is a clarification, not a policy change, but it matters for China-origin steel where quota is thin: warehousing to wait for the next quarterly quota window only works if the permit timing is managed.

On August 17, 2026 the CBSA initiated dumping and subsidy investigations (PCC 2026 IN) into paperboard cups and containers rolled from coated paperboard stock, originating in or exported from China, classified under 4823.69.00.10 and 4823.69.00.90. The complaint came from Great Pacific Enterprises (Genpak); the CBSA puts the Canadian market at about $289 million a year.

No duty applies yet. The CITT decides on reasonable indication of injury by October 16, 2026, and the CBSA's preliminary determination is due by November 16, 2026, the earliest point at which provisional duties could be collected on goods released from that date. Food-service importers should price that risk into Q4 orders and confirm whether their supplier will cooperate with the CBSA questionnaire, since non-cooperating exporters typically receive the highest rate.

Drewry's World Container Index for the week of August 13, 2026 put Shanghai–Los Angeles at $6,244/40ft (up 6% week-on-week) and the composite at $4,339/40ft, with carriers actively restricting space — about 10 sailings cancelled in each of the two prior weeks. Drewry expects 49 blank sailings (a 7% cancellation rate) across East–West trades in weeks 34–38, with the Transpacific eastbound absorbing 59% of the cuts; forwarder updates list 14 Transpacific blanks between August 24 and September 13, including 3 on Pacific Northwest loops serving Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

Capacity into BC gateways tightens through early September even as the tariff-driven peak cools — hold bookings 2–3 weeks out and expect roll risk if you book late.

Effective July 31, 2026 (CBSA Customs Notice 26-17), Canada applies a 25% surtax on the value for duty of wood cabinets, vanities and their subassemblies — frames, doors, drawers, panels — under tariff codes 9403.40.00.10, 9403.60.10.31, 9403.60.10.39 and 9403.91.00.90, for up to 200 days. China is not exempt; goods in transit before July 31 are excluded, and declarations use safeguard code 26169A in the CAD safeguard field.

The CITT inquiry is expected to conclude by January 15, 2027. Cabinet importers should document in-transit dates now and model the 25% into every purchase order placed this fall.

CBSA issued preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing of unarmoured building cables from China on July 29, 2026. Provisional duties apply to subject goods released on or after that date: Hebei Huatong 40.7%, Tianjin Feiya Fengda 88.6%, Zhejiang Cardiff 64.2%, and 225.9% for all other exporters, under primary HS codes 8544.49.00.19 and 8544.49.00.90.

The gap between named-exporter rates and the all-others rate is the whole game: confirm which rate your supply chain attracts before releasing goods, and expect final determinations in the fall.

On July 22, 2026, wildfire at Boston Bar made the Fraser Canyon impassable, halting all rail cargo in and out of the Port of Vancouver on both CN and CPKC simultaneously — both mainlines reopened July 23 with a backlog to work through. The Ainslie Creek fire behind it, at roughly 65,000 hectares, was still advancing on the corridor as of August 17, with Highway 1 closed near Boston Bar and CN running its Poseidon fire-suppression train to protect the track.

Rail-served import cargo through Vancouver carries elevated dwell risk for the rest of fire season — keep buffer in inland schedules and watch carrier advisories before cargo arrives.

On July 20, 2026, the White House invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose an additional 50% duty on Canadian motor vehicles, dairy, alcohol and a range of other goods — roughly US$16 billion of trade — effective August 19, 2026, regardless of USMCA preference. Ottawa said it would not retaliate before the tariffs take effect, and reports on August 16 had the two sides near a deal to shelve them.

For the lane: every escalation in US-Canada friction strengthens the case Canadian buyers are already acting on — diversifying sourcing toward Asia — and a Canadian counter-tariff package, if it comes, is the variable importers should watch.

On July 13, 2026, CN suspended all freight on its transcontinental mainline near Armstrong, Ontario after a wildfire trapped a train crew, rerouting traffic through its US network via Duluth toward Sarnia/Windsor. A carrier advisory on July 23 reported the outage still ongoing, with shippers told to plan for up to 2 extra days of transit; CPKC was unaffected.

This line carries intermodal traffic from Vancouver and Prince Rupert to Toronto and Montreal — import boxes moving east ran longer through late July, a reminder to build fire-season slack into inland delivery commitments.

The CITT found on July 3, 2026 that dumped truck bodies from China injured Canadian producers, so CBSA now collects definitive anti-dumping duties: 119.4% of export price for Qingdao CIMC Reefer Trailer Co., Ltd. and 257.1% for all other exporters. The parallel subsidy investigation was terminated with an insignificant margin.

For anyone importing truck bodies from a Chinese exporter without its own rate, the duty now exceeds twice the export price — confirm the exporter-specific rate before committing to orders.

SOR/2026-119, in force June 27, 2026, extends Canada's steel TRQ regime — a 50% surtax on over-quota imports — until June 27, 2027, adding four quarterly quota periods and updating volumes with 2024 data. Non-FTA origins including China stay capped at 20% of 2024 volumes, and the separate 25% surtax on steel melted and poured in China is unchanged.

China-origin steel remains quota-constrained through mid-2027: track quarterly quota openings, keep melt-and-pour certificates on file, and note the consultation on TRQ administration open until August 19, 2026.

Drewry's World Container Index composite reached $4,166/40ft in the week of June 25, 2026 — its highest since September 2024 — with Shanghai–Los Angeles at $5,750/40ft (up 12% in a week) and Shanghai–New York at $7,149/40ft. Drewry attributed the surge to importers front-loading ahead of US tariff deadlines.

Vancouver- and Prince Rupert-bound cargo shares the same vessel strings and equipment pools as the US trade, so the surge tightened space and container availability for Canadian importers too — booking early became the difference between sailing and rolling.

Under amended General Import Permit No. 83 (CBSA Customs Notice 26-15, June 23, 2026), importers of aluminum products must report the country of largest smelt, second-largest smelt, and most recent cast through the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration. Reporting is optional now and becomes mandatory October 1, 2026; shipments of CAD $5,000 or less and CSA-program importers are exempt.

With Canada's surtax on aluminum smelted and cast in China already in force, buyers of Chinese aluminum products should be collecting smelter and cast-house documentation from suppliers before the October deadline.

Effective June 19, 2026, Canada's Certain Canned Vegetable Goods Surtax Order applies a 10% surtax on the value for duty of canned corn, peas, beans, chickpeas and mixed vegetables under 14 tariff lines in heading 2005, for up to 200 days (CBSA Customs Notice 26-14). The US, Mexico, Chile, Israel and listed developing countries are exempt — China is not, and goods in transit to Canada before June 19 are excluded.

The CITT safeguard inquiry is expected to conclude by September 9, 2026; the surtax ends early if no injury is found. Importers of China-origin canned vegetables should keep proof of in-transit dates and price the 10% into current orders.

CBSA Customs Notice 26-13 (June 12, 2026) sets a 12-month 'modified compliance' period for the CARM transition, prioritizing engagement over enforcement, and extends measures letting a customs broker's BN15 temporarily back expedited releases in the courier low-value shipment stream while an importer completes enrolment.

The obligations have not changed: importers must register in the CARM Client Portal, obtain a BN15, and enrol in Release Prior to Payment (RPP) with financial security posted. If your CARM file is incomplete, close it out while the grace period runs.

On June 9, 2026, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal determined in preliminary inquiry PI-2026-001 that there is a reasonable indication that dumped and subsidized decorative and other non-structural plywood from China has caused or threatens injury to Canadian producers. CBSA's investigations continue, with preliminary determinations due by July 9, 2026 — if affirmative, provisional anti-dumping and countervailing duties apply at the border from that date.

Importers of China-origin plywood should confirm now whether their products fall within the scope and model landed costs with provisional duties. Goods released before the preliminary determination are generally not subject to provisional duties, so clearance timing this month matters.

CBSA has extended its dumping and subsidy investigations into unarmoured building cables from China (case UBC 2026, initiated March 16, 2026), with the extension recorded on June 8, 2026. The preliminary determination — the point at which provisional duties can begin — is now due July 29, 2026, with final determinations by October 27, 2026.

For importers of China-origin building wire, that is roughly six more weeks before provisional-duty exposure can start. Use the window to verify product scope and adjust pricing and order timing.

Drewry's World Container Index assessed June 4, 2026 put the composite at $3,433/FEU, up 23% week-on-week, with Shanghai–Los Angeles at $4,565/FEU (+31%) and Shanghai–New York at $5,505/FEU (+20%). The Freightos Baltic Index reported June 9 showed Asia–US West Coast at $4,836/FEU (+51%) — the sharpest one-week jump since last June's tariff surge. Drivers: frontloading ahead of proposed July US tariffs, an early peak season, and surcharges sticking, with Drewry counting only three announced transpacific blank sailings for the following week as carriers restore capacity.

Vancouver and Prince Rupert pricing tracks the US West Coast lane. Clients with Q3 volume should lock space and rates now and expect further GRI/PSS attempts through June and July.

The Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed as of June 2, 2026 — 94 days into the crisis, per CNN — with war-risk insurance for a Gulf transit reported at roughly 4% of vessel value for seven days, against about 0.001% pre-crisis. Bunker fuel costs are reported up nearly 70% since the closure, and carriers are passing the increase through as fuel surcharges.

China→Canada routings do not touch the Gulf, but elevated global bunker and vessel-repositioning costs are embedded in all-in transpacific rates. Expect fuel-linked surcharges to stay sticky even if base rates soften.

On June 2, 2026, USTR issued findings in 60 Section 301 investigations into forced-labor import enforcement, proposing additional duties of 10% on economies that maintain an import prohibition (a group that includes Canada, cited for weak enforcement) and 12.5% on the rest. Written comments are due July 6 and a public hearing is set for July 7, 2026.

For China→Canada importers the read-through is twofold: the July deadline is the proximate cause of the frontloading that is tightening transpacific space and pushing rates — your cargo competes for the same vessels — and Canada's own inclusion at the proposed 10% rate matters to anyone importing from China and re-exporting finished goods to the US.

CBSA's delays in processing EDI and eManifest portal messages (incident TCC26-0090, ongoing since April 25, 2026) continued into June: the June 1, 2026 update reported delayed commercial messages still being worked through. Inbound data is received and processed, but outbound acknowledgements, reject messages and release notifications can lag, and portal entries may sit in "Updating" status.

Practically, a shipment can be released before the notification arrives. Build buffer into terminal pickup and delivery scheduling, and avoid re-transmitting on silence — duplicates add to the backlog.