By May 2024, all Canadian-resident and non-resident businesses that import goods into Canada and their Trade Chain Partners need to register on the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) CARM Client Portal.

Moreover, if you use the service of a customs broker you must provide delegation of authority to continue to allow them to transact business on your behalf on the CARM Client Portal.

Businesses that do not register will have challenges with the importing process, and getting their goods customs cleared when they enter Canada.

For any ARGO Business Corp- ARGO Customs customers not registered, this means having their shipment:

– held at the Canadian border or the location that it is bonded to
– charged for demurrage/storage and warehousing fees
– delaying all transborder rail and intermodal movement

The CBSA will receive financial security information electronically via an application programming interface. You should:

get familiar with publicly available application program interfaces that allow the trade community to transact with the CBSA by emailing: cbsa.carm_engagement-engagement_de_la_gcra.asfc@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
set up your application programing interface solution with the CBSA prior to Release 2 in order to send bond information to the CBSA
register with the CBSA and acquire a program identifier (RM) number through the portal to be designated issuer of electronic financial security

These new, stricter measures will result in the prohibition of the import and export of raw elephant ivory and raw rhinoceros horn with very limited exceptions (i.e., where destined for a museum or zoo, use in scientific research, or use in support of law enforcement), and prohibit the import of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn hunting trophies. Also, permits will now be required for household items and personal effects of worked elephant ivory and worked rhinoceros horn.

Canada adheres to its obligations on the trade of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), through a permitting system for imports, exports, and re-exports. In some instances, Canada already has stronger requirements than CITES, requiring additional permits. The new measures announced today demonstrate Canada’s commitment to protecting, conserving, and enhancing global biodiversity.

Further to the November 2, 2023 message we have been advised that CFIA inspectors will soon begin sending out information letters to importers with licensing errors via email.

In the letter, the inspector will ask the importer to review the CFIA’s guidance on importing food with a valid Safe Food for Canadians licence to make sure they declare a valid licence to avoid delays at the border.

As a reminder, if the client does not have a valid SFC licence on or after February 12, 2024, their transaction will be rejected and their shipment will be denied entry into Canada.

Buying, smuggling and possessing counterfeit currency harms Canada’s economy by encouraging the black market. Border services officers are very vigilant and all offenders are subject to sanctions and legal proceedings.
Under the Customs Tariff, the importation into Canada of base or counterfeit coins is prohibited. These coins can be seized by the CBSA with no terms of release.

If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is committed to protecting the Canadian economy and fighting against the black market. Border services officers are very attentive to counterfeit currency smuggling.

The CBSA announced today that charges were laid at the Sorel-Tracy courthouse against an individual following a major counterfeit money smuggling investigation.

Jean-François Généreux is summoned to appear in court on December 4, 2023, to face charges under the Criminal Code and the Customs Act, including buying, importing and possessing currency, and providing false information in a customs declaration.

This investigation was launched in January 2023 following the interception of 12,049 CAN$2 coins from China by CBSA’s courier inspection operations at Mirabel. According to the investigation, Jean-François Généreux is the person who apparently purchased and imported into Canada the counterfeit money that was seized.

On February 7, 2023, the CBSA, with the help of the Sûreté du Québec, executed search warrants at the accused’s home in the Sorel-Tracy area and seized an additional 14,581 CAN$2 coins and 91 US$50 bills.

Analyses conducted in collaboration with the forensic laboratory of the RCMP’s National Anti-Counterfeit Bureau and the Royal Canadian Mint revealed that all the seized CAN$2 coins and US$50 bills were counterfeit.

Canada and South Korea have reached an arrangement to support market access of organic products. The organic equivalency arrangement entered into effect on November 1, 2023, and will apply to processed organic products whose final processing and handling occurs within South Korea or Canada.

Canadian organic products exported to South Korea under the arrangement must be accompanied by a valid organic certificate issued by a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) accredited Certification body and a National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (NAQS) electronic import certificate.

The CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) digital initiative is changing how CBSA assesses and collects duties and taxes on commercial goods imported into Canada.
The launch of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project has officially been pushed back from October 2023 to May 2024. The regulatory amendments relating to electronic communication and payment, the provision of financial security electronically, and billing cycles that are necessary to support the launch and use of CARM are still on schedule and are planned to come into force in May 2024.

CARM Release 2 is intended to expand the features of the CCP by allowing users to:

– submit, correct and adjust an electronic commercial accounting declaration (CAD) that will replace the current customs coding form (B3) and request for adjustment form (B2);
– post and monitor security to participate in the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) program as importers will no longer be able to rely on their customs’ brokers bond to participate in the RPP program;
– register for a Business Number and enrol in various CBSA commercial programs; and
electronically manage appeals and compliance actions.
CARM Release 2 will also introduce harmonized billing cycles. The Statement of Accounts (SOA) will be generated on the 25th of each month and generally the payment due date will be 10 weekdays after the 17th of the following month.

Ottawa, November 1, 2023
Memorandum D11-11-3 – Advance Rulings for Tariff Classification:
This memorandum has been revised to:

Provide more information regarding the postponement of the effective date of a modification or revocation of an advance ruling and how an applicant can make such a request to the CBSA.
Applications for an Advance Ruling for Tariff Classification:
– Via the CARM Client Portal
– By e-mail or by mail

Publication of advance rulings relating to the tariff classification of goods benefits the trade community by establishing a comprehensive online repository of advance rulings, thus providing a valuable resource to assist importers in properly reporting and accounting for goods, and contributing to a uniform and transparent administration of the trade programs. Although there is no obligation to do so, the CBSA encourages the applicant or their authorized agent to consent to the publication of the advance ruling, which will allow the CBSA to publish it on its website.

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing sanctions against Russian collaborators in Moldova under the Special Economic Measures (Moldova) Regulations.

These sanctions are being imposed against 9 Moldovan individuals who are associated with influential oligarchs, such as Vladimir Plahotniuc and Ilan Mironovich Shor, who have previously been sanctioned by Canada. Some individuals being sanctioned today are also connected to Mr. Shor’s political party, the Shor Party, sanctioned by Canada in June 2023 in response to its continued efforts to destabilize the democratically elected Moldovan government in favour of Russia.

Canada is also sanctioning 6 television stations that have had their operating licences revoked by Moldova’s Commission for Exceptional Situations. These channels actively promote and disseminate Russian disinformation to justify Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

Canada is imposing these sanctions against Russian collaborators in Moldova in the context of the fourth meeting of the Moldova Support Platform, taking place October 17, 2023, in Chisinau, Moldova. The platform coordinates international support for Moldova in the context of the crisis triggered by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

From September 28 to December 20, 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will be adding temporary conditions to Safe Food for Canadians licences for the importation of romaine lettuce from the United States, including salad mixes containing this lettuce. During this period, importers will be required to provide negative E. coli O157 test results for each shipment of romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas Valley, California.

20 June 2023
Please find below the link to the revised Memorandum D11-3-3, CUSMA Countries of Origin Marking Rules:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d11/d11-3-3-eng.html

This memorandum outlines and explains the legislation, regulations, and general guidelines that apply to the country of origin marking for goods imported from a Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) country (i.e., the United States or Mexico).

Information pertaining to the country of origin marking for goods imported from a non-CUSMA country is found in Memorandum D11-3-1, Marking of Imported Goods.