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.
What BC Blueberry Exports Tell You About CFIA Import Clearance
The new Philippines market access for BC blueberries shows exactly what CFIA phytosanitary certification looks like on the export side. Flip that around and you're looking at the same OGD gatekeeping your fresh produce imports face at CBSA primary.
Read article →When CBSA Updates Guidance and Your Broker Misses It
CBSA publishes regulatory updates constantly. Most are procedural noise. A few rewrite your duty math, bond requirements, or SIMA exposure overnight. If your broker isn't watching, you find out when the correction assessment lands.
Read article →Canada-UAE CEPA Done: New Origin Rules, New Tariff Relief
Canada and the UAE concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, opening tariff relief for aluminum, plastics, and petrochemical imports. The compliance lift is real: new origin rules, new verification risk, and new documentation requirements for every preference claim.
Read article →CBSA Certificate Migration August 4: Test Your CAD Transmission Now or Face Filing Failures
CBSA is switching from Entrust to SECTIGO for SSL certificates on August 4, 2026. If your EDI software or broker's transmission stack hasn't updated its certificate trust store by then, your CAD filings will fail and releases will stop. This is a test-it-now issue, not an IT-will-handle-it issue.
Read article →CARM CA Broker Liability: Who's Responsible When a CAD Filing Goes Wrong
CARM CA shifted CAD filing to brokers, but liability still rests with importers for data accuracy. Understand indemnity clauses, AMPS penalties, RPP bond exposure, and who pays when CBSA flags an error.
Read article →Harmonised Code Canada: Why HS Classification Matters More When Freight Costs Swing
Container rates are settling after the Q3 peak, but your landed cost isn't just the ocean bill. Getting the harmonised code right in Canada determines your duty exposure, CARM filing accuracy, and whether CBSA flags your shipment for verification. We break down the HS classification process Canadian importers actually use.
Read article →Harmonized System Code Canada: Why Tariff Uncertainty Makes Classification Critical
When US tariff policy shifts, Canadian importers face ripple effects through harmonized system code classification. Understanding how CBSA assesses duty through HS codes is the difference between accurate CAD filing and costly AMPS penalties.
Read article →Border of Canada and US: how US forced labor tariffs reshape your CAD filings
The US just announced 10% to 12.5% tariffs on 60 countries over forced labor compliance. Canadian importers need to know how enforcement differs at the border of Canada and US, when to flag HS classifications in your CAD, and whether CUSMA origin claims hold under the new pressure.
Read article →Canada-Ecuador FTA: What Changes When It Goes Live
Canada and Ecuador signed an FTA that will cut tariffs on bananas, flowers, shrimp, and other Ecuadorian goods once it enters into force. Here's what Canadian importers need to prep now and when claiming preference is worth the compliance overhead.
Read article →Canada Made the US Forced Labor Tariff List. Here's What Changes for Your Re-Exports.
The US just imposed a 10% tariff on select Canadian goods, citing insufficient forced labor enforcement. If you re-export to the US or file CUSMA origin claims, your documentation bar just went up.
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