Commodities Sectoral Support Program

Funding program

Overview

The Commodities Sectoral Support Program (CSSP) helps reduce freight shipment costs for Canadian steel and steel products within Canada. By offsetting a portion of transportation costs, the program aims to decrease the cost of moving domestic steel interprovincially by rail and marine.

The Program offers shippers a 50% freight rebate for eligible shipments of Canadian steel and steel products moved by rail or marine carrier. The rebate covers half of the eligible shipping cost, whether the price is set by contract or standard rates. It’s based on cost after any discounts or incentives are applied.

The Program was launched on August 10, 2026, and will be open until funds are depleted.

Available funding

The Program has up to $100M in funding available. The maximum amount of funding available per eligible recipient (shipper) is up to $50M. This maximum is a cumulative amount.

Eligibility criteria

Rebates are subject to an eligibility assessment, funding availability, and are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.

Who can apply

Individuals or entities who are shippers of eligible shipments, including provincial, territorial, municipal, local governments, and private sector.

A "shipper” is a legal entity (like a producer, intermediary, or end user) that arranges the transport of goods and pays the shipping costs.

The rebate will apply to shipments of Canadian steel and steel products that meet all the following requirements:

  • appear on the list of eligible products - there is no minimum shipment volume
  • start and end in Canada, and move by rail or marine carrier
  • crosses between two provinces and/or territories
  • contain carload or breakbulk cargo (non-containerized)
  • contain Mill Certification documentation for the origins of the shipped steel
  • shipped and invoiced on, or after, August 10, 2026

The rebate does not apply to taxes (like sales tax), penalties, or extra contracted services that were not part of the original freight quote (for example: extra rail switches beyond what is normally included).

Rail shipments that originate from the Port of Vancouver, Port of Prince Rupert, and Port of Montreal cannot apply for the rebate; however, rail shipments that end at these ports can apply. These ports are excluded to ensure that imported goods aren’t rebated under the program.

Transport Canada may update the list of eligible products and the ports that aren’t allowed as points of origin.

Transport Canada may do audits or compliance checks to confirm that rebate requests are eligible and follow the program’s rules.

Before you apply

Please make sure the program meets your needs before submitting the rebate request. Once you submit an application, you cannot withdraw a request.

In order to submit a rebate request, you will need to create an account in the CSSP Online Application Portal. Once you’re registered, you can login and submit rebate requests through the portal. We do not accept requests submitted outside the Portal (e.g. by mail or email).

When registering, you will need to submit information including your business number, Canadian operating address, and direct deposit information (void cheque). Make sure to have these elements on hand.

As part of the registration process, your bank account will be sent a test payment of $2.10. You will need to confirm that you’ve received this test payment as the final step of registering - rebate requests will not process until you complete this step.

Apply for the rebate

Tips for success

  • Make sure you’ve completed all required fields (*). The system won’t let you submit an incomplete application
  • Double-check that your rebate eligible cost doesn’t include taxes or ineligible charges
  • You must include both a Mill Certification PDF and a Mill Certification Number.

To submit a rebate request:

  1. Sign in to the CSSP Online Application Portal
  2. Go to the “Rebate Request” tab and select the mode of transport that you would like to submit a rebate for
  3. Enter all required information and upload all required documents (like shipping invoices and Mill Certification). We will not process incomplete applications
  4. The portal allows you to submit multiple shipments within a single submission. Use “Add Entry” to add more shipments, and complete all required fields for each entry

After you apply

After submitting your request, Transport Canada will assess it. Applications are reviewed based on submission date, not by invoice or shipment date.

You will be notified by email whenever your application’s status changes in the portal. Please make sure that you check your junk or spam folders.

  • In Review means your rebate request has been successfully submitted and will be assessed
  • Approved means your request is eligible and you will receive the rebate within 20 business days
  • Rejected means your request isn’t eligible or funding has run out

If we have any questions or need more information, we will send you a message through the portal, and you will be notified by email that there’s a message waiting for you.

Information sessions

Transport Canada will host webinar sessions demonstrating the CSSP application process for rebates:

Session Date
English Sessions August 13, from 11 am to 12:30 pm
August 14, from 1:30 pm to 3 pm
August 18, from 11 am to 12:30 pm
French Sessions August 13, from 1:30 pm to 3 pm
August 14, from 11 am to 12:30 pm
August 18, from 1:30 pm to 3 pm

If you would like to attend, please email the CSSP team (tc.commoditiesrebate-produitsrabais.tc@tc.gc.ca) with your name, business or organization name, and preferred webinar session.

Contact us

Email: tc.commoditiesrebate-produitsrabais.tc@tc.gc.ca

Mailing address:

ATTN: Executive Director, Transportation and Infrastructure Programs (AHSM)
c/o Program Officer
Transport Canada
Place de Ville, Tower C, 19th floor
330 Sparks St
Ottawa ON
K1A 0N5

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