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.
Air cargo lanes are tighter in Q2 — what that means for CAD filing and RPP coverage
IATA reported 4% year-over-year growth in April air cargo demand despite geopolitical disruption. For Canadian importers, tighter capacity translates to routing changes, higher freight charges, and cascading pressure on release-prior-to-payment bond math and CAD accuracy when values shift mid-transit.
Read article →May Manufacturing Uptick Means More Customs Workload, Same CARM Deadlines
Canada's manufacturing sector posted a second consecutive month of expansion in May, which translates directly to higher import volumes, tighter CAD filing windows, and no slack in CARM portal reconciliation deadlines for importers already running close to capacity.
Read article →US forced-labour tariff proposals and what Canadian importers should watch
The US is weighing country-wide tariffs on nations with forced-labour supply chains. Canadian importers should review their CBSA forced-labour exposure now, check HS classification against existing WROs, and verify CUSMA origin documentation before the next US policy shift tightens cross-border enforcement.
Read article →U.S. tariff refund appeals and what Canadian importers should watch
The U.S. Department of Justice is challenging the scope of a tariff refund order at the Court of International Trade. Canadian importers with cross-border supply chains need to understand how duty adjustment disputes work under CARM, because the finality rules differ and the correction windows are tighter than most compliance teams expect.
Read article →Air Canada Cargo's new cargo management system and what it means for Canadian import clearance timing
Air Canada Cargo is replacing its cargo management system with CHAMP's Cargospot neo platform after a four-year evaluation. For Canadian importers relying on air freight, the transition could affect pre-arrival data quality, PARS release timing, and CAD filing accuracy if not managed carefully.
Read article →Spot Rate Surges and What They Mean for Your Canadian CAD Filing Costs
Ocean container spot rates jumped hard across transpacific and Asia-Europe lanes this week. For Canadian importers, that translates to higher freight invoices, recalculated customs duty on freight-inclusive incoterms, and potential RPP bond adjustments when your monthly K84 statement lands.
Read article →Transpacific rate jumps and what they mean for your Canadian CAD timeline
Drewry's 23% week-over-week container rate spike shows early peak season has arrived. For Canadian importers filing CADs under CARM, the pressure shifts from ocean cost to release speed and RPP bond headroom.
Read article →What Walmart+ Canada tells us about cross-border e-commerce clearance and last-mile duty risk
Walmart+ Canada's $89 annual unlimited delivery model puts serious pressure on same-day clearance and duty transparency. For brokers and importers feeding that kind of volume, CAD accuracy and RPP bond sizing are no longer monthly housekeeping — they're real-time risk.
Read article →Capacity Shifts in Asia-Europe Trade and What Canadian Importers Should Watch
Global containership capacity grew 5.7% in twelve months, with most of it absorbed by Asia-Europe and African routes. Canadian importers sourcing from China and Southeast Asia need to understand how these deployment patterns affect transit times, carrier space availability, and CAD filing deadlines on the transpacific.
Read article →CBSA Criminal Investigations Are Not Customs Audits
A Vancouver firearms seizure reminds importers why CBSA's criminal investigation program sits in a different risk category than routine verification. The agency's arrest and search warrant authority still surprises people.
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