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.
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.
Read article →AMPS Grace Period Ended June 16 — Penalty Enforcement Resumes
CBSA's two-month grace period for AMPS penalties during the spring service interruptions is over. Contraventions filed after June 16 are back in penalty scope. If your CARM data hygiene has been coasting, now's the time to tighten it up.
Read article →Canada Gazette Part II June 17: Health Canada Regulatory Updates and Border Clearance
SOR/2026-113 amends six federal acts governing health products, consumer goods, and cannabis imports. Here's what changes to Food and Drugs Act and Consumer Product Safety Act requirements mean for CBSA release timing and OGD coordination.
Read article →CITT-WISC alliance: why customs broker workforce matters for your import program
CITT and the Women in Supply Chain Association announced a workforce development partnership. For Canadian importers, the broker talent shortage is already showing up in delayed CAD filings, missed CUSMA claims, and reactive SIMA exposure. Here's why the pipeline matters.
Read article →Container Rate Spike Hits Duty Calculations for Canadian Importers
The Drewry World Container Index jumped 9% in early July, pushing ocean freight costs higher across Transpacific and Asia-Europe lanes. For Canadian importers, that rate increase flows directly into CBSA duty assessments, RPP bond minimums, and working capital planning.
Read article →Dutch Elm Disease Regulation Expands: What Changed for BC and Saskatchewan Imports
CFIA updated directive D-97-07, expanding Dutch elm disease regulated areas to include parts of British Columbia and all of Saskatchewan. The change affects CFIA permit requirements at import and domestic movement certificates post-clearance for elm and zelkova material from the US.
Read article →Spot freight rate hikes complicate Canadian import cost forecasting under CARM
Container carriers testing July rate increases create transaction value uncertainty for Canadian importers filing CADs. RPP bond exposure rises when freight costs swing mid-quarter, and CARM Client Portal doesn't let you revise a filed CAD after acceptance.
Read article →Steel Racks from China: CITT Injury Finding Means Provisional Duties Incoming
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal found reasonable indication of injury in its preliminary inquiry into dumped and subsidized steel racks from China. CBSA's final determination is due July 17, and provisional duties will likely follow. If you import warehouse racking or have orders in transit, here's what changes.
Read article →TCCU Summer Support: When to Call, When to Wait
CBSA's Technical Commercial Client Unit runs leaner through summer. Knowing which EDI and eManifest issues are urgent — and which can wait until September — keeps your cargo moving and your broker relationships functional.
Read article →CBSA Extends DONP2 Preliminary Phase: What Another 30 Days Means for Your Plywood Imports
CBSA just added 30 days to the DONP2 plywood dumping and subsidy investigation. If you're importing non-structural plywood from China, the provisional duty window moved, the final determination timeline shifted, and your surety calculation needs an update.
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