With online shopping continuing to boom (even throughout a pandemic!), more and more individuals are taking on importing commercial goods. The reality is that not everyone in the supply chain / global trade space has a good foundation of knowledge on customs clearance.  Having a handle on the specifics regarding all things customs will help your business thrive - as a misstep here can lead to delays, fines, and seizure of goods. As such, we f...

Led by tech giant IBM and shipping company Maersk, CBSA began a pilot project to evaluate a digital shipping solution called TradeLens. TradeLens is technology that was designed to improve data quality and facilitate shipment of goods using blockchain. Quick aside: What is Blockchain? Blockchain is a record of transactions, stored digitally. The name “blockchain” is derived from the name given to individual records -- blocks. These record...

Customs compliance verification, or audits, are conducted periodically by CBSA, with the importer being the responsible party. Verifying an importer’s customs compliance is one of the ways that Canada customs ensures that regulations and requirements are being respected.  As much of the documentation is self reported -- more so in the advent of CUSMA! More info below -- CBSA has committed to auditing importers on: customs duties, excise dut...

In continuing our series about CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC, we’re taking a closer look at the orders and regulations published through the Canadian Government in the Canada Gazette at the end of July.  It’s been a little over a month since CUSMA’s official enactment, for which we’ve been covering various elements that those in the logistics/supply chain space need to be apprised of. For example, here are the pieces we’ve put out on the topic:...

In preparation for CUSMA (or USMCA/T-MEC), we’ve put out many resources to help Canadians trade professionals -- or all North Americans in general -- adapt their practices. While the shift away from NAFTA caused some anxiety in the industry, it’s a trade agreement that proves to have some clear advantages over the previous one.  For those just becoming aware of this agreement, CUSMA is a free trade agreement between Canada, the United Sta...