Sufferance Warehouse  

The major role of the CBSA is to assess all goods entering Canada and ensure their legality. More often then not, this duty is carried out at one of many Canadian border points, however when this is not possible, it can be performed inland at a licensed warehouse.

 

How It Works:

Sufferance warehouses are privately owned storage facilities which are licensed by the CBSA for short-term storage of imported goods not yet customs cleared.  Not all goods however can be stored in a sufferance warehouse. Only goods which have had security bonds posted are eligible to be placed in a sufferance warehouse at a maximum of 40 days except for the following:

  • Perishables – Max 4 days
  • Prescribed Substances – Max 14 days
  • firearms, weapons, & tobacco – Max 14 days
  • Spirits – Max 21 days 

 

Once your goods have entered a sufferance warehouse, a new manifest is issued with a sub-location code.  A sub-location code identifies the location of goods in a sufferance warehouse and is required so that the CBSA can provide an EDI release to warehouse operators.

 

Restricted Access

Goods placed in a sufferance warehouse are not easily accessible to the importer of record. No one, other then the license holder of the bonded warehouse or an authorized employee of either the warehouse, or the carrier charged with moving the goods, can enter the restricted holding area unless under the supervision of a CBSA officer. 

 

 

sufferance warehouse

 

For more information on sufferance warehouses and how they work, please see click here.