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

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...

If there’s one thing Canadians take seriously it’s Hockey. When you mix a hot court battle with Hockey, you get an interesting fight between the Canadian Border Services Agency and a sporting goods dealer over imported goalie gloves. Both parties took off their gloves and fought it off in the nation’s top court. Igloo Vikski Inc., a Quebec-based sporting goods dealer challenged a decision by the CBSA to classify goalie gloves as “glove...

Bonded and non-bonded freight forwarders who are responsible for consolidated imports to Canada will now be obligated to hand over advance house bill date for in-bond and in-transit shipments as of November 7, recently announced the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). The Agency has laid out a timeline for the implementation of its plan related to future eManifest requirements for freight forwarders. Step 1: November 7 to January 10, 2017 D...

What is the easiest way to take advantage of an opportunity where, as a non-bonded highway carrier, you’re asked to pick up a load that needs to be traveled safely in-bond through Canada? The single-trip bond is your best alternative. Issued by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), bonds, whether single way or annual, allow carriers to transport goods internally to a sufferance warehouse for eventual release or “in-transit” in Cana...