Canada: Export Controls & Trade & Investment Sanctions

Canadian sanctions laws now impose strict compliance obligations on real estate professionals, requiring them to screen parties, verify beneficial ownership, and identify hidden control structures that could expose transactions to regulatory penalties. This article examines how sanctions restrictions apply to property dealings, what red flags signal potential violations, and what practical steps professionals must take to manage risk throughout the transaction lifecycle.

President Trump has signed three Presidential Proclamations imposing additional 50% tariffs on Canadian products across motor vehicles, dairy, and alcoholic beverages sectors, effective August 19, 2026. Unlike previous measures, these tariffs will apply even to goods qualifying for preferential treatment under CUSMA, marking a significant escalation in U.S.-Canada trade tensions. The proclamations cite Canadian policies as discriminatory, though the tariffs extend far beyond the targeted sectors to include

Canadian sanctions laws now impose strict compliance obligations on real estate professionals, requiring thorough due diligence to identify beneficial ownership and prevent transactions involving designated persons. Understanding these requirements is critical as violations can result in significant fines, criminal liability, and asset freezes.

Canada is extending several steel surtax measures and related tariff relief categories to protect steel workers and industries from trade diversion while providing business predictability for producers and importers. The Department of Finance has confirmed extensions for steel tariff-rate quotas, U.S. steel/aluminum surtax relief measures, and derivative goods surtax exemptions through June 2027.

Canada has implemented multiple surtax regimes targeting aluminum products, particularly those originating from or containing aluminum smelted and cast in China. These measures include a 25% surtax under the Chinese Surtax Order and additional provisions under the Steel and Aluminum Products Surtax Order, with potential ADCVD duties exceeding 180% under SIMA regulations.

Canada is fundamentally transforming its forced labour import enforcement regime through Bill C-35, shifting the burden of proof to importers and granting expanded powers to border authorities. Chinese investors and businesses with Canadian supply chain exposure face heightened compliance requirements, including mandatory disclosure for flagged goods and accelerated enforcement timelines with limited appeal rights.

Canada is extending its steel surtax regimes and related tariff relief measures through 2027, aiming to protect domestic steel workers and provide greater business certainty. The Department of Finance has confirmed extensions to tariff-rate quotas, remission categories for US steel and aluminum surtaxes, and exemptions for derivative surtaxes, while also exploring a potential shift to an allocation-based approach for certain steel goods.

This comprehensive timeline tracks the escalating trade tensions between the United States and Canada from January 2025 through July 2026, documenting tariff implementations, retaliatory measures...

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has issued a finding on the dumping of Oil Country Tubular Goods from Mexico, the Philippines, Türkiye, South Korea, and the United States. New anti-dumping duties ranging from 33.5% to 167% now apply to these imports, with specific rates varying by country of origin. The decision follows an investigation initiated in August 2025 and marks another chapter in Canada's ongoing efforts to protect its domestic OCTG industry.