Ecommerce, Customs and You

Answers to your questions on imports

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Important news for clients: new process

Dear Border Bee clients,

Please note we are merging services with fellow customs broker Carson International. Carson will soon handle the clearances for all your shipments into Canada. We are excited to offer improved service in a number of areas while maintaining our SME-friendly approach.

 

What exactly is changing?

You will receive invoices for your clearances directly from Carson and their staff may contact you regarding shipment inquiries.

Is there anything I need to do?

No, we are handling the service transition for you.

Who should I contact if I need help?

Please continue to contact Border Bee directly at the following points:

T: (800) 604-4121

Please have your carriers send clearance requests directly to the contact information on our webpage footer.

 

 

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Chers Clients,

Veuillez noter que nous fusionnons nos services avec un autre courtier en douane: Carson International. Nous sommes heureux d’offrir un service amélioré tout en maintenant notre approche favorable aux PME.

 

Qu’est-ce qui change exactement ?

Vous recevrez des factures pour vos dédouanements directement de Carson et son personnel pourra vous contacter concernant les demandes d’expédition.

Y a-t-il quelque chose que je dois faire ?

Non, nous gérons la transition de service pour vous.

Qui dois-je contacter si j’ai besoin d’aide ?

Veuillez continuer à contacter Border Bee directement aux points suivantes :

T: (800) 604-4121

Pour tous les dédouanements, veuillez envoyer les documents au point approprié indiqué en bas de notre site Web

 



CARM FAQs

CARM is a new online portal for Canadian importers created by the CBSA. It will allow importers to view all their import transactions, pay their monthly statement and request tariff rulings online.
CARM will become available May 25th, 2021.
Yes. The portal will provide importers with instant access to data that previously they would have received from the CBSA via CD-Rom.
Yes. Importers have up to a year to access the portal and obtain a bond. You will also need to grant Border Bee 'BAM' acces to your account.
For low-volume importers, it may be more sensible to wait until "eBonds" become available. The current bonding process is lengthy, paper-based and conditional on CBSA acceptance. There is hope that Canadian bond providers will have an easier solution by the time bonding becomes mandatory (Spring 2022).
Yes, our service relationship will not change, although you will be required to activate your CARM portal and grant us access. If you are an existing Border Bee client, you delegation request should be pre-loaded in your CARM portal.
When initially accessing the portal, you will need to add Border Bee as a 'BAM' level user. A delegation request from Border Bee should be waiting your approval. If you do not see a pending request from us, please contact us.
You will need to answer a few security questions to complete your access to the portal. Border Bee should have these answers for you if you do not know what they are. Please contact us.
We recommend granting Border Bee with pBam (or proxy BAM) level access.

For the visibility rule, we recommend granting us the following: "Submitted by another business, such as another customs broker or trade consultant."

This will allow us to see all transactions related to your account and align our compliance checks accordingly.

You must first create a user using the following steps:

1. Go to the Government of Canada website at https://www.canada.ca

2. Login to the CARM Client Portal via your GC Key or Sign-in Partner;

3. Create your personal profile.

Once your user has access, you can then register your business by selecting "Register My Business"


Posted in Customs Permalink

CUSMA: short answers

The most important thing most small business importers in Canada need to know about CUSMA is nothing. The majority of the rules will not impact you, unless your supply chain involves agriculture, dairy, the manufacture of auto parts or one of the other select industries being impacted by stricter Rules of Origin. Please find below our short answers to your questions on CUSMA:

 

Will we still be able to use our existing NAFTA certificates?

No, this is the key change. The NAFTA certificates provided by your current supplies will be redundant as of July 1st, replaced by a certification included on an invoice. We’ve created an autoCUSMA Certification wizard to help our clients transition.*

What should I do to prepare?

When ordering from your suppliers, remind them that a new certification is required to obtain duty-free status (NAFTA certificates will all be invalid as of July 1st, 2020).

How will I know if CUSMA is being claimed on my entries?

The tariff treatment (10 for USA origin goods, 11 for Mexico) has not changed.

I’m concerned my products will no longer be valid under the new Rules of Origin. How can I verify this?

Most of the Rules of Origin have not changed under the new Agreement, but you can check the new Rules of Origin here (Chapter 5 of the Agreement). Make sure you have the HS codes for your products handy, as this is the key element in determining a product’s eligibility.

Do we still require a Exporter’s Certificate of Origin for Textiles?

Yes, the procedures to import garments duty-free remains largely unchanged and a permit from Global Affairs will still be needed.

 

*Certifications under CUSMA may take any format, as long as all the required details are included (the details are found here in Annex 5-A)



Cargo Drones and Customs

Are cargo drones the future of international trade?

Google has their own division dedicated to improving the technology, and UPS recently received a license to operate an “unlimited number of drones.” Larger cargo drones — capable of carrying much heavier loads — are not yet operational but are projected to hit the market next year.

a Google drone in action. The technology has the power to push trade in a new direction.

What this new mode of transport entails for international trade remains unclear, but the impact of thousands of new air consignments could be massive. Countries with a close proximity to each other like Canada and the US could see their trade relation change in unpredictable ways. A drone fleet’s ability to fulfill orders endlessly resembles the pipeline mode more than any other, which is currently only used by the energy sector.

We sent a request to the CBSA media relations team but have yet to hear back from them on how they plan to regulate unmanned vehicles and their commercial consignments. Assuming that the regulations are similar to those of other commercial vehicles, drone operators should prepare for the following when extending their routes internationally:



  • Drone operators will require a carrier code (or 'SCAC' code)
  • Pre-manifest information must be sent before each voyage
  • For each consignment, a Customs release
  • Random inspections or check-ins at sites designated by Customs

Given the complexity and pace of Customs transactions it may be a while before autonomous vehicles accelerate international trade. Some fast-moving individuals are already shaking up the cross-border scene with drones: CBP in the US recently busted a meth trafficker who attempted to fly his contraband over the US – Mexican border. Could Amazon be next?