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

If it seems like the Trans-Pacific Partnership is practically dead and buried, Canada can breathe a little easier when it comes to the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Just recently at the end of November, the free trade deal cleared another important hurdle on its way to implementation as the European Parliament rejected a motion put forward to ask the top European Union court to rule on the legality of the agreement....

When sending goods internationally do you have a tendency of using Delivery Duty Paid (DDP)? You're not alone if you do, because it really is, or seems like, an easy choice to make when it comes to international business. There are actually many companies that choose international terms of sale based on various factors such as their company philosophy, the costs, the seller options or just how easy the deal may seem to work out. But the truth is,...

With the upcoming arrival of President-elect Trump in the White House, accompanied with his desire to renegotiate or simply remove the United States from international trade deals; leading experts in U.S.- Canada relations are urging Prime minister Trudeau to strengthen Canada's ties with Mexico. Laura Dawson, director of the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, mentioned in front of the Senate foreigh-affairs committee...

For the past year, Canadian and American Customs officials have been observing a pilot program effectively allowing for in-transit shipments through the U.S. By in-transit, the project affects freight that has both a point of origin and destination in Canada but that passes through the United States en route to its final destination. The program started in late May 2016 and was scheduled to wrap up on November 27 of the current year. Plans are...

Recent research conducted by Livingston shows that only 31 per cent of Canadian small businesses believe that they can gain something out of existing free trade agreements (FTA) regulation that apply to importing and exporting goods. With the recent signing of the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU, Canadian businesses might not jump on-board the band wagon as fast as expected. For Ottawa, CETA is being pus...

The heydays of a high Canadian dollar seem so far way; just a few years back, our Loonie was able to creep up to par with its American counterpart. But those days are gone. With yet another week with a golden loon soaring not so high at 75 cents U.S.D., it may not be optimal for buying within Canada but exporters are taking advantage of a lower Canadian dollar. Low exchange rates equals to lower prices and interesting opportunities for U.S. compa...

What seemed like a doomed deal just a few short few days ago is now going through a certain revival as a tentative deal has been reached between the Belgian government and the regional government of Wallonia. The small region which almost ruined the deal for all the other 27 members of the EU which have opted in favor of CETA, had raised concerns in regards to the dispute court mechanism proposed in the agreement. They vetoed the ratification on ...

It seemed like a done-deal a few days ago, even after a court hearing in Germany’s top court, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA between Canada and the EU was going to be signed later next week by Prime Minister Trudeau during a planned summit with EU leaders. That was before Wallonia stepped in. Paul Magnette, president of the Belgian region of Wallonia indicated that talks regarding the agreement were productive but that ...

Canada’s Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) could affect your plans to import a new product to Canada. Verifying if the product you want to bring isn’t affected could help you avoid duties which would otherwise have a significant impact on your bottom line. The Act is designed to provide protection to Canadian producers who are being harmed or injured by the dumping or subsidizing of goods imported into Canada. Since its enactment, SIMA ha...

Flashback a few months ago, Canada’s chief negotiator in the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), was reassuring parliamentarians sitting on the Commons Trade committee that he was confident the deal would go forward and would receive all necessary ratifications from EU members. For a while, Canadian officials and EU members held their breaths as Germany’s Constitutional Court was hearing all sides in th...