Source: Government of Canada News
March 19, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that it is initiating investigations to determine whether polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin originating in or exported from China and Pakistan is being sold at unfair prices in Canada and whether PET resin originating in or exported from China is being subsidized. These practices can harm Canadian industries by undercutting Canadian prices, which undermines fair competition.
The CBSA is investigating because of a complaint filed with the CBSA by Compagnie Alpek Polyester Canada (Alpek). Alpek alleges that as a result of an increase in the volume of the dumped and subsidized imports, they have suffered material injury in the form of price undercutting, price depression, lost sales, lost market share, reduced net income and profitability, and reduced employment.
The CBSA and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) both play a role in the investigations. The CITT will begin a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the imports are harming Canadian producers and will issue a decision by May 16, 2025. Concurrently, the CBSA will investigate whether the imports are being sold in Canada at unfair prices and/or are being subsidized, and will make a preliminary decision by June 17, 2025.
Currently, there are 158 special import measures in force in Canada, covering a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. These measures have directly helped to protect approximately 31,000 Canadian jobs and $11.6 billion in Canadian production.