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.
Canada Border Services Agency: what commercial importers need to know
The Canada Border Services Agency administers customs for commercial imports. Here's what matters for your release, accounting, and compliance.
Read article →CBSA's New Systems Working Group: Will It Fix What's Actually Broken?
The CBSA launched its first Business Systems Enhancements Working Group under the new CTIF forum. For brokers and importers dealing with CARM portal friction, eManifest errors, and RPP bond reconciliation issues daily, the real test is whether this consultation produces actual fixes or just more meetings.
Read article →CN25-33 steel surtax now uses CUSMA marking rules for origin determination
The CBSA updated Customs Notice 25-33 to explicitly require CUSMA marking rules for origin determination on steel derivative goods subject to surtax. If your broker has been filing based on tariff classification rules instead, you're under-collecting and exposed on verification.
Read article →Customs Agent Workload Spikes When Carriers Blank Sailings: CARM Filing Realities
Container carriers now routinely blank 10-14% of scheduled sailings, creating unpredictable arrival patterns that compress customs clearance windows. A customs agent filing CADs under CARM doesn't get extra time when your shipment arrives three days early or five days late.
Read article →Down and feather imports: when China's testing requirements change mid-program
CFIA just amended the export certificate for Canadian down heading to China, dropping one test and making another routine. That's an export story, but Canadian importers moving down products the opposite direction need to track these changes—certificate drift between what your supplier certifies and what CFIA expects at the border is the difference between release and exam hold.
Read article →EU BPA Ban in Food Packaging: What Canadian Exporters Need to File
The EU's new regulation banning bisphenol A in food contact materials took effect July 20, 2026. If you're exporting packaged food or packaging materials to the EU market, your CAD commodity description and supplier certifications just became compliance checkpoints.
Read article →Section 338 Tariffs Override CUSMA: What Your Canadian Import Broker Files Now
US Section 338 duties impose 50% tariffs on Canadian imports even when goods qualify for CUSMA duty-free treatment. Canadian import brokers now file CADs with both the preferential-origin claim and the Section 338 assessment, document the override, and advise clients on classification challenges and alternative sourcing.
Read article →U.S. Aluminum Tariff Relief Through 2029: What a Custom Broker Near Me Should Tell You
The White House is offering to halve aluminum tariffs for firms that expand U.S. production capacity by January 2029. Canadian importers bringing in aluminum products under CUSMA or MFN terms need to understand how this program affects duty calculations, origin claims, and CAD filing strategy for the next four years.
Read article →Why your licensed customs broker is reading transpacific spot rates right now
Transpacific volume surges driven by tariff uncertainty don't stop at the US border. Canadian importers sourcing from China are filing CADs weeks ahead of normal schedules, and your licensed customs broker needs to know your Q4 volume plans now to size RPP bonds and CARM payment windows correctly.
Read article →Canada Import Tax Rate: How CUSMA Origin, MFN Duty, and HS Classification Shape Your Landed Cost
Your Canada import tax rate depends on three factors: CUSMA preferential origin claims, the MFN (Most-Favoured-Nation) baseline, and precise HS 6-digit classification. With US-Mexico cross-border trade hitting $87 billion in May 2025, Canadian importers sourcing from Mexico must understand when CUSMA Article 202 preferential rates apply and when they revert to MFN.
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