Government of Canada Refers Steel Goods Safeguard Inquiry to Canadian International Trade Tribunal

The Government of Canada, on the recommendation of the Minister of Finance and the Minister for International Trade, referred a safeguard inquiry on certain steel goods to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal on March 21, 2002.

A hearing was held in Ottawa from June 10, 2002 to June 28, 2002. On July 4, 2002, the tribunal rendered its decision on the issue of injury. Four steel products out of nine (hot-rolled sheet and coil, corrosion resistant sheet and coil, hot-rolled steel bars and cold-finished bars and rods) were found not to have been imported into Canada in such increased quantities and under such conditions so as to be a principal cause of serious injury or threat to the domestic producers.

The case has now moved to the remedies phase of the inquiry for the five products, which were found to be injurious by the tribunal and to the political scene. The tribunal’s recommendations were issued on August 19, 2002 and were sent to the federal cabinet.

The Canadian Coalition of Steel Producers, which includes all the major steel companies, was represented by Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, with a team led by Lawrence Herman (international trade), and including Craig Logie, Julie Thorburn and Helena Jankovic. Ogilvy Renault represented the importers and exporters, in particular acting for European steel producer Arcelor, the largest steel producer in the world, and for several other European steel producers and for three Canadian steel importers. The Ogilvy Renault team was led by Denis Gascon, and included Richard Wagner, Dominique Nouvet, Marc Duquette and Benoît Pepin.

Lawyer(s)

Denis Gascon Lawrence L. Herman Craig Logie Marc Duquette Richard A. Wagner Helena Jankovic Dominique Nouvet