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.
India-origin transhipment delays and what they mean for your CBSA release windows
JNPA congestion is pushing India-origin container dwell times out by weeks. Canadian importers filing CADs against expected vessel schedules will miss release windows, trigger storage, and face RPP bond exposure if the shipment lands late.
Read article →Spot-rate volatility and what it actually means for your RPP bond sizing
Transpacific spot rates are climbing again. For Canadian importers filing under CARM, that translates to higher declared values per CAD, tighter cash-flow windows, and Release Prior to Payment bonds that were sized three months ago but may no longer cover next month's volume. Here's what changes when carrier pricing spikes mid-quarter.
Read article →Duty drawback under CARM: what changes when you claim a refund on the new CAD platform
CBSA's move to CARM has rewritten the mechanics of duty drawback claims in Canada. We walk through what changed with the Commercial Accounting Declaration, bond requirements, and CRA coordination—and where the process still trips importers up.
Read article →Oakland Export-Import Split and What It Tells Canadian Importers About West Coast Freight
Oakland's April 2024 cargo data showed exports outpacing imports for the first time in years, a shift that matters for Canadian importers routing freight through U.S. Pacific ports before cross-border carriage.
Read article →Section 301 probe of Vietnam: what Canadian importers need to watch
USTR has opened a Section 301 investigation into Vietnam's IP practices. Canadian importers sourcing from Vietnam should prepare for possible U.S. tariff escalation that could push production shifts north and trigger CBSA origin verification sweeps.
Read article →Autonomous trucks and Canadian customs: what changes when the cab is empty
Torc Robotics opening Montreal research space puts autonomous trucks closer to commercial cross-border deployment. For brokers, that means rethinking carrier liability, PARS transmission, and CAD filing when no driver signs the CCN.
Read article →CBSA Final Dumping and CVD Determinations on Molded Fibre Tableware from China — What Importers Need to File on CADs Now
CBSA closed the subsidy investigation for one Chinese exporter of thermoformed molded fibre tableware but issued final dumping and CVD determinations for all others. If you're filing CADs on subject goods, the NRM and countervailing duty margins are now locked, and the release bond math just changed.
Read article →CCP Maintenance May 30–31: What to File, What to Hold, and When to Go Paper
CBSA's CARM Client Portal goes offline Saturday May 30 at 9pm through Sunday May 31 at 1pm ET. For brokers filing CADs and importers checking RPP balances, here's what works, what doesn't, and when paper contingency actually makes sense.
Read article →CFIA Just Changed Import Conditions for Slovak Dairy — What Actually Happens to Your CAD
CFIA published AIRS Chapter 04 updates modifying import conditions for eight HS codes of Slovak liquid milk. If you're filing CADs against these lines, you need to understand what changed, what stays the same, and where the CBSA exam trap sits.
Read article →CPKC strike notice and what it means for CBSA release timelines
Canadian Pacific Kansas City received 72-hour strike notice from signals and communications workers. For importers running intermodal CAD filings, the risk sits in delayed rail positioning and missed PARS release windows at port terminals.
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