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.
Critical Minerals Clearance: What the Hudson Bay Railway Expansion Means for Canadian Importers
Arctic Gateway Group's Hudson Bay Railway expansion into critical minerals transport from northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba creates new CBSA clearance questions around HS classification, CARM filing timelines, and domestic versus import treatment for lithium, nickel, and rare earth concentrates.
Read article →CUSMA Review 2026: What Canadian Importers Should Watch
The annual CUSMA review is underway. For Canadian importers claiming preferential duty treatment on U.S. or Mexican goods, preservation of the agreement matters more than headlines suggest. Here's what brokers are watching.
Read article →Transpacific Carrier Shifts and CBSA Clearance Timing
When Chinese shipowner BAL Container Line pivoted from its Maersk charter to launch an ad hoc China–US West Coast service, it marked another volatility signal for Canadian importers routing goods via cross-border freight. Opportunistic capacity moves compress PARS filing windows, complicate CUSMA origin verification, and expose gaps in RPP bond sizing when vessel schedules slip.
Read article →Clean Data or Customs Delays: What Mexico's New Rules Mean for Canadian CARM Filers
Mexico's August 1 electronic customs value rules expose a problem Canadian importers face under CARM: inconsistent commercial data across invoices, origin certificates, and freight manifests triggers CBSA verification delays and AMPS penalties.
Read article →Cargo Theft in Mexico and Your CUSMA Origin Claims
Mexican cargo security incidents create documentation gaps that complicate CUSMA preference claims at CBSA. When shipments are stolen or tampered with in transit, origin verification becomes harder and duty savings disappear.
Read article →CBSA Drops Subsidy Leg on Shaoneng Molded Fiber Tableware, Dumping Margin Still Applies
CBSA terminated the subsidy investigation for one Chinese exporter of molded fiber tableware while keeping the dumping case live. If you import subject goods, your duty calculation just changed.
Read article →CBSA Extends CLVS Operational Measures Through CN 26-13
Customs Notice 26-13 extends the temporary release procedures for courier low-value shipments that were set to expire. If you import through FedEx, UPS, DHL, or Purolator, here's what stays the same and what you need to watch.
Read article →CFIA Moves Greek and Icelandic Meat to Refuse Entry — What That Means for Your Shipments
June 15 AIRS update shifts Chapter 02 release recommendations from NISC referral to outright refusal for specific Greek and Icelandic meat products. If you've got sheep, lamb, or quail from these origins in transit or planned, here's the operational fallout and what to file differently.
Read article →Steel import permit update — Serial No. 1163 — what changed and what it means for your next shipment
Global Affairs replaced the steel import permit notice (Serial No. 1163 now live). Most of the regime didn't change, but if you're bringing in flat-rolled or pipe from non-CUSMA origins, confirm your HS code is still on the list and your permit math still works.
Read article →Steel TRQ Quarter Rollover: File Your Permits Starting June 13
Canada's steel tariff-rate quotas transition to Q1 Year 2 on June 28. Import permit applications open June 13 at midnight ET. If you're bringing in subject steel goods with a June 28+ entry date, your broker needs that permit in hand before CBSA releases the shipment.
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