Field notes from the Canadian border.
Practical playbooks and case studies from our brokers. No thought-leadership fluff — just the stuff we wish every importer knew before they called us in a panic.
Ottawa's $1.5B Tariff Package: What Canadian Importers Need to Know for CBSA Clearance
The federal government's $1.5 billion support program for tariff-hit industries changes duty calculations, CUSMA origin claims, and CAD filing strategies for steel, aluminum, and copper importers. Here's what your broker is watching.
Read article →U.S. Court of International Trade ruling on Section 232 tariffs and Canadian import clearance
A U.S. Court of International Trade decision striking down a 2019 Section 232 tariff has no direct effect on CBSA release procedure, but Canadian importers with U.S.-origin goods or cross-border supply chains should understand the precedent and watch for downstream duty adjustments if product costs shift.
Read article →CBSA EDI and eManifest Portal Delays: What the 3–5 Hour Outbound Lag Means for CARM Filing
CBSA outbound messaging is running 3–5 hours behind. Inbound transmission works, but acknowledgements, reject notices, and RNS messages are delayed. Here's how that lag hits CAD filing, release windows, and CARM Portal reconciliation.
Read article →CBSA Portal Delay: What One to Three Hours Actually Costs You
CBSA's outbound EDI and eManifest messages are running one to three hours late as of May 6. Inbound still works, but if your broker files late Friday or you're waiting on a PARS release number to dispatch, that window matters more than the advisory suggests.
Read article →CITT Opens NQ‑2026‑001: Austrian OCTG Casing Dumping Inquiry and What It Means for Your CAD Filings
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal launched a final injury inquiry into dumped oil and gas well casing from Austria. If you import OCTG or file on behalf of energy sector clients, the preliminary determination from CBSA triggers specific origin declaration, valuation, and provisional duty obligations starting now.
Read article →EU Shellfish Audit Changed Canadian Export Testing Rules — Importers Reverse-Engineering Product Specs from the EU Side Should Read the Nov 2024 Regulation
The EU published findings from its shellfish audit of Canada's bivalve mollusc program and updated its export requirements library in November 2024. If you're importing Canadian seafood that was originally destined for EU export but got diverted, or you're bringing in European seafood under CETA origin, the microbiological testing divergence matters for your CFIA OGD hold risk and your supplier's lot certification.
Read article →SEC Semi-Annual Reporting Proposal: What Canadian Importers Should Watch
The U.S. SEC's proposal to let public companies report twice yearly instead of quarterly may reshape supplier financial visibility for Canadian importers. We walk through the CBSA and CARM implications when counterparty risk signals arrive later.
Read article →Three New Controlled Substances Hit Import Watch Lists June 5
Health Canada scheduled three substances — spirobrorphine, spirochlorphine, and R 29676 — as temporary controls starting June 5, 2026. For brokers and importers, that means documentation scrutiny, CFIA referrals, and exam risk on anything touching pharma precursors or synthetic inputs.
Read article →U.S. Section 301 tariff reviews and what Canadian importers need to watch on CBSA origin claims
USTR is reviewing Section 301 tariffs on China-origin goods. For Canadian importers filing CADs under CARM, the downstream risk sits in CUSMA origin claims, third-country transshipment flags, and CBSA verification audits when your supplier base shifts to dodge U.S. levies.
Read article →What CPKC's Leadership Transition Means for Canadian Cross-Border Rail Freight and Customs Clearance
CPKC's leadership history reminds importers why rail-routing decisions matter for CBSA clearance timing, CARM CAD filing windows, and bonded in-transit cargo. When your intermodal shipment crosses the border by rail instead of highway, the carrier's operational priorities shape your release window.
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