The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has made preliminary determinations of dumping and subsidizing on unarmored building cables (UBC) originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China, with provisional duties effective July 29, 2026.
According to the CBSA, provisional duties are now payable on subject goods released on or after that date, with rates varying by exporter.
Provisional duty rates by exporter: Hebei Huatong Wires and Cables Group Co., Ltd. faces a total provisional duty of 40.7% (38.4% dumping; 2.3% subsidy); Tianjin Feiya Fengda Wire & Cable Technology Co., Ltd. is assigned a total rate of 88.6% (47.5% dumping; 41.1% subsidy); and Zhejiang Cardiff Cable Co., Ltd. faces a total rate of 64.2% (62.0% dumping; 2.2% subsidy). All other exporters not specifically named are subject to a total provisional duty of 225.9%.
Scope and product definition: The CBSA notice covers goods that typically include non-metallic sheathed cables such as NMD90 and NMWU used for residential and commercial electrical distribution. These are generally imported under tariff classification numbers 8544.49.00.19 and 8544.49.00.90. The investigation also covers certain conductors imported for further processing into UBC, classified under numbers 7408.11.10.00, 7408.19.00.10, 7605.29.00.00, and 7614.90.00.00. While these tariff codes cover both subject and non-subject goods, the CBSA clarified that the official product definitionwhich specifies assemblies of two or three insulated copper or aluminum conductors with a bonding wire, rated between 80 and 300 voltsremains the authoritative criterion for duty application.
The action follows a complaint filed by PTI Cables Inc. of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, alleging that Chinese imports were being sold at injurious prices. The CBSA initiated its investigation on March 16, 2026, and extended the preliminary phase from the standard 90 days to 135 days due to the complexity of the issues and the number of parties involved. The extension allowed the agency to finalize its analysis by the July 29 statutory deadline.
The investigation also includes a “Section 20” inquiry, a provision of the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) used when the agency suspects that domestic prices in the exporting country are substantially determined by the government rather than by market forces. In such cases, normal values for dumping calculations may be determined using costs from a surrogate country, such as Mexico, rather than the exporters domestic prices. The CBSA adopted this approach following allegations by the complainant that the Chinese building cables sector benefits from significant government influence and market distortions.
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT), the quasi-judicial body that conducts injury inquiries under SIMA, said it is conducting a concurrent inquiry to determine whether these imports have caused injury to the domestic industry. On May 15, 2026, the CITT determined there was a reasonable indication that the dumping and subsidizing of UBC from China had caused injury to Canadian producers. If the CITT ultimately finds injury, the provisional duties may be converted into definitive anti-dumping and countervailing duties.
Analysts noted that this case aligns with a broader pattern of trade remedies Canada has applied to the wire and cable sector in recent years. Previous investigations have targeted products such as steel strapping and carbon and alloy steel wire, resulting in final determinations and ongoing duties on imports from multiple countries, including China. The current measures on UBC represent a significant development for the North American wire manufacturing landscape, particularly for producers of building wire competing with low-cost imports.
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