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“We’ve seen increases in imports. That’s an important reason why we’ve come forward today with seven products that we’re consulting on,” Morneau said during a visit to Hamilton steelmaker ArcelorMittal Dofasco. “That surge in imports of course leads us to be concerned that we need to consider what measures to take.”

Safeguards typically take the form of tariff rate quotas that allow a specific quantity or quota of a product to be brought in under standard duties, while imposing a prohibitive levy on all imports exceeding that level.

Canada rarely imposes safeguard measures and has only ever taken the step after reviewing the independent findings of the CITT. However, WTO rules permit countries to impose safeguards immediately for up to 200 days if there is objective evidence of “critical circumstances” suggesting a delay would cause damage to the industry.

“It is certainly highly unusual for the government to take a safeguard action without the objective evidence of the CITT,” said Debra Steger, a former senior trade negotiator who helped form the WTO. “The question is whether this is really a wise and necessary response to take a global safeguard action against all other countries when many of them are suffering with the same U.S. tariffs as we are. I’ve really never seen a case like this.”

Canada’s primary steelmakers — whose push for safeguards was first reported by the Financial Post — have argued a CITT investigation would take months, leaving an opening for significant damage to occur.