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.
CFIA-AIRS Chapter 01 and 10 Updates: French Poultry Release Path Just Opened
CFIA moved eight French poultry HS codes from 'Refuse entry' to 'Refer to CFIA inspection' on August 11. If you're clearing breeding stock or game birds from France, the release path just changed and your internal AIRS matrix is stale.
Read article →CLVS Moratorium Lift: What the Broker Survey Actually Says
CBSA is ready to accept new courier operators into the low-value clearance program, and the CSCB surveyed brokers on what that means for release capacity, compliance enforcement, and e-commerce parcel volumes.
Read article →CUSMA Certificate of Origin Compliance When Cross-Border Truck Capacity Tightens
Constrained cross-border truck capacity is compressing CUSMA certificate of origin compliance windows for Canadian importers. When carriers delay despite slower volumes, CBSA verification deadlines and RPP bond conditions don't adjust, and missing origin documentation can cost you the tariff preference you've already claimed.
Read article →One Mass Adjustment Case Number Per CAD Version — CBSA Means It
CBSA's latest bulletin closes a case-number re-use loophole that's been breaking CARM adjustment workflows. If your broker is recycling old case IDs or stacking multiple mass-adjustment numbers on one CAD, your next submission will bounce.
Read article →RABC Program Closes December 1: Telephone Reporting Goes Mandatory at Five Northern Crossings
CBSA is shutting down the Remote Area Border Crossing program and requiring telephone reporting at five northern Ontario and Manitoba entry points. Most commercial freight never touched these routes, but if you're filing ACI for small shipments into remote mining or forestry operations, the reporting workflow just changed.
Read article →Supplier Diversification Raises the Bar for Your Import Broker
Canadian importers adding supplier countries to improve resilience face layered customs complexity. When your import broker is managing CUSMA, CETA, and MFN duty treatments on parallel inbound lanes, clearance coordination becomes the bottleneck.
Read article →US Freight Broker Consolidation and Your Canadian Customs Clearance Service
When US freight brokers merge or get acquired, cross-border shippers often discover their customs clearance service was never part of the package. CBSA filing, CARM Portal access, and release prior to payment all require a licensed Canadian customs broker—not just a freight forwarder with a referral agreement.
Read article →What a Montreal Customs Broker Sees in US July Import Data
US container imports rose 4.5% in July 2026 to 2.51M TEU, with China-origin cargo at a 13-month high. For Canadian importers, that volume spike signals tighter CUSMA origin verification, longer CBSA clearance windows, and RPP bond pressure heading into Q4. A Montreal customs broker's view on what the data means for your CAD filing timeline and origin compliance requirements.
Read article →Canada Sanctions Streit Group: What Importers Need to Screen Now
Canada sanctioned UAE defense manufacturer Streit Group under SEMA for supplying armoured vehicles to Russia's National Guard, raising screening requirements and CBSA enforcement risk for importers of defense-related and dual-use goods.
Read article →CITT Opens SIMA Inquiry Into Unarmoured Building Cables
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal opened inquiry NQ-2026-003 into unarmoured building cables on August 8, 2026. If you import electrical wire from subject countries, provisional anti-dumping duties are 60-90 days out — your defense is locked-in HS classification evidence before the duties publish.
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