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.
Carrier Surcharges and Your Canadian Import Costs: What Mid-Market Importers Need to Know
Temporary freight surcharges from major carriers are reshaping landed costs for Canadian importers. Learn how per-pound fees impact duty calculations, CARM compliance, and your total cost of goods—and what steps you can take to maintain predictable customs clearance budgets.
Read article →CBSA Opens SIMA Investigation on Chinese Steel Racks — What Import Managers Need to Do Right Now
CBSA launched dumping and subsidy investigations on steel racks from China effective April 20, 2026. If you're bringing in storage systems, shelving, or pallet racks from Chinese suppliers, provisional duties could land in 60 days. Here's what to check, how to classify defensively, and whether your current CAD filing strategy holds up under SIMA scrutiny.
Read article →CFIA's New Animal Products Import Policy: What Changed and Why Your Broker Needs to Care About Product Codes Now
CFIA just retired the old animal products import policy and published a final replacement. The shift tightens up product coding requirements, zoosanitary cert validation, and case-by-case handling — all of which hit your release workflow before CBSA even looks at the CAD.
Read article →GAC Steel Monitoring COM Code Exclusions Just Changed for 2026 — Check Your CAD Logic Now
Global Affairs Canada updated the steel monitoring Country of Melt and Pour HS exclusion list for 2026 Customs Tariff changes. If your CAD templates auto-populate COM data based on last year's logic, you're probably filing wrong as of April 23.
Read article →Malacca Strait Toll Talk: What Asian Shipping Delays Mean for Canadian Import Clearance
Indonesia's proposed tolls on the Malacca Strait could trigger cascading delays and cost increases for Canadian importers relying on Asia-Pacific supply chains. Understanding how route changes affect CARM filings, duty calculations, and release timelines is critical for maintaining compliance and controlling landed costs.
Read article →Market Volatility and Carrier Instability: What Canadian Importers Need to Know About Customs Risk
When major freight carriers and forwarders face stock market turbulence, Canadian importers must prepare for service disruptions, surcharge changes, and customs clearance delays. Here's how to protect your supply chain during periods of carrier financial volatility.
Read article →Roberts Bank Terminal 2: What West Coast Container Capacity Means for Canadian Importers
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and GCT have signed an MOU to explore partnership on Roberts Bank Terminal 2. For Canadian importers, expanded capacity at the Port of Vancouver translates to fewer bottlenecks, faster customs clearance, and more predictable CAD filing timelines—but only if your compliance and bonding infrastructure scales with it.
Read article →CFIA Rewrote Import Conditions for Most of Chapter 02 — Here's What Changed and Why You Should Care
CFIA just published new import conditions across most meat and offal classifications in Chapter 02. If you import lamb, mutton, goat, poultry, or game birds, your AIRS profiles need updates and your broker needs the new FIRMS codes before the next shipment.
Read article →Fertilizer Trade Memos Got Refreshed — Here's What Actually Matters for Importers
CFIA quietly updated three fertilizer trade memos this week. Most of it is labelling housekeeping, but one change affects how you classify and file fertilizer-pesticide blends. If you're bringing in ag inputs, read this before your next CAD.
Read article →Gulf Landbridge Diversions and Canadian Import Timelines: What Importers Need to Know
Container routing shifts through Gulf landbridges are adding transit days and complicating Canadian import schedules. Learn how vessel diversions around the Strait of Hormuz affect CBSA clearance timelines, CAD filing obligations, and duty payment under CARM.
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