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

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...

The Financial Post has released a financial reflection on the impact of the pandemic on Canadian trade and an outlook for 2021. Economic journalists, Eugene Beaulieu and Dylan Klemen, take a close look at the health of Canada’s exports and imports and the factors at play. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly had a major effect on global trade, and Canada is no exception to this rule. We have noted a sharp decline in traded goods demand, due t...

Canadian importers must be aware that CBSA can audit their compliance with customs regulations. In the event that non-compliance is discovered, the importer may have to pay additional duties, fines, or have their goods seized upon entry.  Taking a look at the priority list can give importers an idea of the types of goods that are most likely to be selected for verification. Twice a year (in January and July), the CBSA publishes its verificati...

The Government of Canada announced that it will be implementing duty remission measures for imported goods as a result of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union -- set to end on July 1, 2021. Up until December 31, 2020, Canada allowed duty-free entry of certain goods from the United Kingdom, in order to provide Canadian importers with additional time to adjust to the United Kingdom's new reality. The duty suspension appli...