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.
CUSMA origin verification moves to the front of the line
US tariff threats put CUSMA origin claims under the microscope. Canadian importers should audit certificates, confirm HS codes, and clean up documentation now, before CBSA verification letters start landing.
Read article →IPPC Phytosanitary Standards Consultation: When Canadian Importers Should Actually Participate
The International Plant Protection Convention is running consultations on draft ISPMs through late July. Most Canadian importers can skip it. If you bring in wood packaging from non-compliant origins, regular plant shipments, or anything CFIA routinely flags, this is the rare chance to shape the standard before it becomes the enforcement problem.
Read article →New CBSA Office Code for Gordie Howe Bridge: Update Export Systems This Week
CBSA launches a new export office code for Gordie Howe on July 27; update your G7 EDI and CERS systems this week to avoid Monday morning rejections.
Read article →Steel derivative goods surtax: third revision in seven months
CBSA has updated CN 25-33 twice since the original December notice. If your CAD template still points to the first version, you're filing it wrong.
Read article →Why freight broker international expertise matters when tariff disputes reshape Canada-US trade
Trump's 50% tariffs on Canadian products reshape cross-border freight overnight. Canadian importers need freight broker international expertise to navigate CBSA CARM CAD filings, CUSMA origin verification, and retaliatory duty scenarios before August 19.
Read article →50% U.S. tariff on Canadian goods — what it means for your CUSMA preference claims
The U.S. just announced a 50% tariff on a wide range of Canadian goods, in direct violation of CUSMA. Canada will respond. For Canadian importers bringing in U.S. goods under CUSMA preference, the compliance landscape just got harder: expect origin verification sweeps, tariff classification challenges, and CAD filing risk on anything auto-sector adjacent.
Read article →Canada Border Services Agency: what commercial importers need to know
The Canada Border Services Agency administers customs for commercial imports. Here's what matters for your release, accounting, and compliance.
Read article →CBSA's New Systems Working Group: Will It Fix What's Actually Broken?
The CBSA launched its first Business Systems Enhancements Working Group under the new CTIF forum. For brokers and importers dealing with CARM portal friction, eManifest errors, and RPP bond reconciliation issues daily, the real test is whether this consultation produces actual fixes or just more meetings.
Read article →CN25-33 steel surtax now uses CUSMA marking rules for origin determination
The CBSA updated Customs Notice 25-33 to explicitly require CUSMA marking rules for origin determination on steel derivative goods subject to surtax. If your broker has been filing based on tariff classification rules instead, you're under-collecting and exposed on verification.
Read article →Customs Agent Workload Spikes When Carriers Blank Sailings: CARM Filing Realities
Container carriers now routinely blank 10-14% of scheduled sailings, creating unpredictable arrival patterns that compress customs clearance windows. A customs agent filing CADs under CARM doesn't get extra time when your shipment arrives three days early or five days late.
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