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.
Section 232 tariff expansion: what Canadian importers should file under CARM
U.S. Section 232 tariffs now apply to more metals and downstream products. Canadian importers need to review CUSMA origin claims, HS classification, and CAD filing practices to avoid CBSA verification delays and AMPS penalties.
Read article →Trucking layoffs and what they mean for Canadian customs clearance capacity
Transport truck driver employment in Canada fell 7.3% year-over-year in March 2025, per Trucking HR Canada. For importers, that means fewer drivers at ports and sufferance warehouses, longer dwell times, and risk of detention charges if your broker can't secure release-ready CAD filings before arrival.
Read article →U.S. 25% Auto Tariff on EU Vehicles: What Canadian Importers Need to Know
The U.S. president announced a 25% tariff on EU cars and trucks starting next week. Canadian importers with North American distribution networks need to understand HS classification, CUSMA origin verification, and how the new levy reshapes supply chains routing through Canadian ports.
Read article →April price increases and Canadian import duty exposure: what the ISM numbers mean for your CAD filings
U.S. manufacturing price pressures reported in the April ISM survey translate directly to higher Canadian duty exposure and CUSMA origin risk for mid-market importers. If you're claiming CUSMA preference on goods with U.S.-origin inputs, raw-material cost inflation and supplier substitution can push you out of compliance faster than your compliance calendar expects.
Read article →CFIA Export Certificate for Ornamental Fish Feed to Costa Rica: What Canadian Exporters Need to Know
CFIA negotiated a new HA3282 certificate for ornamental fish feed exports to Costa Rica. Canadian exporters must register with SENASA, submit product specs for Costa Rican approval, and coordinate through their local CFIA office before shipment.
Read article →D10-2-3 Gets Pulled — What It Means for Sugar Imports and the D-Memo Cleanup Wave
CBSA is repealing Memorandum D10-2-3 on raw sugar classification and testing. The policy is obsolete, low-use, and no longer represents a live issue. This is part of a five-year rolling review cycle, and it signals the broader housekeeping underway across the entire D-memo library.
Read article →EDI and eManifest Portal Delays: What Brokers Are Actually Filing Right Now
CBSA's multi-week EDI and eManifest message backlog continues into May 2026, with the Systems Outage Contingency Plan still active. Paper entries remain accepted, inbound message delays persist, and downstream clearance timing is unpredictable. Here's what we're doing on the filing side and what importers need to track.
Read article →eManifest Portal Maintenance and the Contingency Math You Already Ignore
CBSA scheduled an eManifest portal window in early May. Most brokers will shrug and file ACI by EDI. But if your operation still relies on portal ACE lookups or manual portal filing, that hour matters more than you think.
Read article →IID Processing Delays: What Actually Stops Moving and What Doesn't
CBSA's Integrated Import Declaration delay notice affects CFIA-regulated food, plant, and animal products. The broker side still moves. The NISC side doesn't. Here's where the jam sits and what to file now.
Read article →Ocean rate increases through 2026: what Canadian importers need to price now
U.S. brokers are warning shippers that double-digit rate increases will hold through 2026. For Canadian importers, that means repricing landed cost, revisiting RPP bond sizing, and auditing CUSMA certificates before the next duty cycle starts.
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