Clearit.ca's Blog on Customs Brokerage and News Updates

As a Canadian importer, it's critical that you stay informed about the various regulatory changes and economic reports to make sure that you're modifying your business practices and protecting your bottom line. Earlier this year in May 2021, Statistics Canada released a report on the trade deficit stating the following: "Canada posted a merchandise trade deficit of $1.1 billion in March as imports climbed to their highest level since May 20...

If you've kept an ear to the ground for all things Canadian trade, you may have seen reports that significant revisions to the regulations on duty valuation are on the horizon. The Canadian federal government's budget for 2021 includes quite a range of measures that will have an impact on foreign commerce and customs control in Canada. Among these were revisions to the customs valuation legislation aimed at: "helping enhance duty and tax ...

Importers must stay up to date on regulatory changes that impact Canada trade -- or the potential for changes. SIMA investigations are one tool that Canada Border Services Agency uses to assess the compliance of importers and identify possible amendments to regulatory framework. Canada Border Services Agency stated mid-June 2021 that they are launching an investigation regarding the subsidizing or dumping of container chassis acquired from Chi...

Next month, there will be some notable updates made to the GST/HST requirements for non-resident vendors. It was announced that the Government of Canada will be implementing new tax measures that will focus primarily on the “digital economy”, as stipulated in the Government of Canada’s Fall Economic Statement.  As a refresher, a non-resident importer is defined as:  “[...] A business located outside of Canada that ships goods to cus...

Changes have been made to how biological agents will be processed upon import into Canada. Whether you’re an importer that is unsure about the classification of your goods, or someone that imports biological agents regularly, it’s essential that you stay informed on these kinds of updates in order to avoid mistakes and noncompliance. Who is the administrative and enforcing body at the Government of Canada?  The Public Health Agency of Cana...

Importing food into Canada is not necessarily an easy task. There are entirely different regulations and considerations for importers to consider. This is for a variety of reasons, but fundamentally, foods is a central part of the global economy. As such, this category of goods must be protected.  As of now, importers of food goods - such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, processed produce, honey, maple, and fresh produce must be in possession of a...

Importers that move goods that are subject to SIMA measures may be already familiar with SIMA duties. SIMA stands for the Special Import Measures Act. There is quite a lengthy list of goods that are subject to countervailing or anti-dumping measures, as stipulated within SIMA. If you’re unsure as to whether or not your imported goods apply, you can verify on the CBSA website under: Measures in Force. The cases and tariff classification numbers ...

The global trade community, and more specifically Canada’s trade community, is alight with discussions about CARM - CBSA’s new framework for Assessment & Revenue Management (also known as CARM = CBSA’s Assessment Revenue Management Project). We have previously discussed what CARM entails, exactly, but for those that haven’t seen that piece, CARM is:  “It is a multi-year initiative kicked off by CBSA intended to fully transform and...

In a report by international trade legal firm, Tereposky & DeRose LLP, they do a deep dive on various investigations carried out by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The investigations were kicked off at the end of last year (Dec 2020) under the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA). Upholstered domestic seating makes up a healthy portion of the Canadian trade economy, so keeping things compliant is incredibly important to the health of t...

Those that work in global trade, specifically in Canada, may be aware of the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management Project (CARM). It is a multi-year initiative kicked off by CBSA intended to fully transform and improve the importation process - benefiting both importers and CBSA officers.  CBSA is one of the highest revenue collecting government agencies in Canada, second to the CRA. This makes CBSA central to the health of the Canadian eco...