Briefings贸易简报

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.

Port of Vancouver dashboard data showed container vessels averaging 2.3 days at anchor for the month as of May 28, 2026 — within normal range, and a clear improvement on the extended rail-dwell episodes seen earlier in 2026. FIFA World Cup matches run in Vancouver June 11 – July 19, 2026, bringing event-day traffic downtown and incremental cargo demand on the lane.

There is no congestion penalty on China→Vancouver routings right now. Plan drayage around downtown event-day road closures from June 11, especially for moves near Centerm and Canada Place.

The CBSA made preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing on May 25, 2026 in its forged grinding media investigation (case FGM 2026). Provisional duties are payable on subject goods — forged or stamped steel grinding balls with nominal diameter 25 mm to 160 mm — originating in or exported from China and released on or after May 25, 2026. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal's injury decision is expected by September 22, 2026.

This is the first of the spring 2026 China SIMA wave to reach the provisional-duty stage: goods now clear with duty owing at the border. Mining-sector importers should verify scope and ensure security or payment is arranged before arrival to avoid release delays.

Drewry's World Container Index composite rose 6% to $2,712 per FEU in the week to May 21, 2026 — the third consecutive weekly increase — with Shanghai–Los Angeles at $3,385 per FEU. Carriers announced seven transpacific blank sailings for the following week, ONE set a $2,000 per FEU peak-season surcharge on eastbound transpacific cargo effective June 1, and CMA CGM raised FAK rates the same day. Industry coverage in late May confirmed peak season arriving early across Asia–North America lanes.

The window of soft spring pricing is closing. Book earlier than usual for June–July sailings to Vancouver and Prince Rupert, and budget for surcharges — Canada-bound services price off the same transpacific market.

US President Trump and Chinese President Xi met in Beijing on May 15, 2026. The two sides agreed to set up bilateral trade and investment boards, discuss a reciprocal tariff-reduction framework covering at least $30 billion in goods, and lock in Chinese purchases of at least $17 billion per year of US agricultural goods through 2028. Rare-earth and semiconductor export controls were left unresolved, and the leaders will meet again in the US in September.

For a China→Canada importer the read-through is stability: lower odds of a sudden US tariff move that whipsaws transpacific capacity and rates mid-year. Demand on the eastbound transpacific firmed into an early peak season in the weeks after the summit.

Global Container Terminals (GCT) and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority agreed in April 2026 to end their long-running dispute over the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion, signing an MOU to negotiate over the coming year whether GCT will build and operate the new terminal. Construction-partner proposals for the landmass were due in May 2026, with the preferred team to be selected in summer 2026 and early works to follow later in the year.

No near-term capacity relief — but this is the biggest container-capacity project on Canada's west coast finally moving after years of stalemate, which matters for anyone planning China–Vancouver volume growth into the late 2020s.

The CBSA initiated dumping and subsidy investigations on April 20, 2026 into steel racks originating in or exported from China (case RACK 2026), following a complaint by five Canadian producers. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal will rule on whether imports are harming domestic producers by June 19, 2026, and the CBSA's preliminary determinations are due by July 20, 2026 — the point at which provisional duties can start applying at the border.

Warehouse racking and shelving is a high-volume China-origin category. Importers should map current and on-order inventory against the subject-goods definition before the July preliminary determination, and consider advancing shipments where exposure is real.

On April 10, 2026 the CBSA initiated investigations under the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) into alleged dumping and subsidizing of decorative and other non-structural plywood from China (case DONP2 2026). The Statement of Reasons followed on April 24, 2026. This is part of a wave: it is one of three China-focused SIMA cases opened this spring, alongside unarmoured building cables (March) and steel racks (April).

If you import China-origin plywood, provisional duties can become payable at the preliminary determination stage — typically about 90 days after initiation. Check whether your product falls within the subject-goods definition now and price the duty risk into orders shipping this summer.

Under Customs Notice 26-04, CBSA fees that had been frozen since 2019 rose 25.3% on April 1, 2026 to reflect compounded inflation. Customs broker licence fees went from $600 to $751.65, special-service charges (officer attendance for after-hours or off-site clearances and exams) rose by the same factor, and sufferance-warehouse storage went from $0.45 to $0.56 per 50 kg for general goods ($10 to $12.53 per day for vehicles).

The operational point: cargo that sits unclaimed in a sufferance warehouse — for example while waiting on documents or an exam — now accrues meaningfully higher storage. Have your accounting package and customs paperwork ready before the vessel arrives.

The CBSA updated Customs Notice 25-05 on March 19, 2026, amending how the China Surtax Remission Order is administered. The remission order is the relief valve for the surtaxes Canada imposed on China-origin goods in October 2024 (25% on certain steel and aluminum goods, 100% on EVs). The update extends eligibility for certain Schedule 2 goods through December 31, 2026, introduces importer-specific claims tied to business numbers, and sets out special authorization codes 25-054A through 25-054M.

If you import China-origin goods caught by the 2024 surtax order, re-check your remission eligibility and confirm your broker is quoting the correct authorization code on the declaration — a missed code means paying the full surtax up front and chasing a refund later.

On March 13, CBSA reported higher-than-usual volumes of EDI and eManifest portal messages, resulting in processing delays for all clients transmitting trade data. The issue persisted for nearly 10 hours before being resolved.

Importers with time-sensitive cargo should confirm release status directly rather than assuming EDI acknowledgments have been processed. A separate planned outage is scheduled for March 22, 2026 from 3:00 AM to 7:00 AM ET affecting AIRS.

The Canada Gazette published two significant amendments on March 11, effective March 1, 2026. The 100% surtax on Chinese-origin electric vehicles has been repealed. Chinese-made EVs now face only the standard 6.1% MFN tariff, subject to a new quota (24,500 vehicles) and permit system administered by Global Affairs Canada.

The 25% surtax on Chinese-origin steel and aluminum remains in force but has been restructured. Importers should review Customs Notice 25-05 for updated remission authorization codes (25-054A through 25-054M).

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority announced on March 9 that the port handled 170.4 million metric tonnes in 2025, up 8% over the previous record. China was the largest trading partner at 52.6 million tonnes (+15%). Container throughput hit 3.8 million TEUs, up 9%, surpassing the 2021 record.

What this means for China-Canada importers: Higher volumes through the same infrastructure means tighter capacity. Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (adding 30% container capacity) won't be operational until 2028 at earliest. Plan prepull strategies accordingly during peak periods.