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.
HMM's Feeder-Fleet Expansion and What It Means for Canadian Import Routing
HMM is rebuilding its intra-Asia feeder network after pivoting capacity to transpacific during the Covid peak. For Canadian importers sourcing from Southeast Asia, this shift will change port-pair options, transit times, and the documents you file on your CAD.
Read article →Zero-emission drayage and Canadian customs clearance: what importers need to know
California port corridors are piloting zero-emission truck fleets, and Canadian border terminals are watching. Here's how green drayage mandates, chassis scarcity, and extended gate hours interact with CARM filing windows, RPP release, and sufferance warehouse scheduling.
Read article →AI Agent Adoption in Canadian Customs Clearance: What Import Compliance Teams Should Actually Expect
AI tools are appearing in freight and brokerage operations, but their practical utility for Canadian customs clearance remains narrow. A working broker's view on where automation helps CAD filing, HS classification, and origin reviews—and where it doesn't.
Read article →CBSA Systems Outage Contingency Ends June 16: AMPS Penalties Resume in Full
The CBSA ended its systems outage contingency plan on June 9, with a one-week grace period on AMPS penalties expiring June 16 at 23:59 ET. If your broker was filing under relaxed transmission rules during the outage, the clock just restarted on full enforcement for ACI, eManifest, and CAD data errors.
Read article →CFIA AIRS Chapter 05 Update — UK Animal-Origin Goods End-Use Conditions Changed June 10
CFIA modified import conditions for UK-origin animal products under HS 0510 and 0511 on June 10, 2026. If you're filing CADs for bile, glands, or bone stock from the UK, your AIRS end-use permit logic just shifted.
Read article →CFIA Pet Food and Pharma Gland Certificates from the UK: What Changed and What You Need on File
CFIA released a new certificate template for raw inedible animal by-products from the UK—glands for pharma use, pet food ingredients. The certificate format changed; the AIRS conditions changed. If you're importing these lines, your permit and phytosanitary documentation stack just got simpler.
Read article →eManifest Portal Forced Re-Logon June 13–14: What Breaks When the Session Drops
CBSA's scheduled eManifest portal maintenance June 13–14 will force re-logon twice. If your broker files cargo control updates or ACI corrections manually through the portal, expect session interrupts at 06:00 ET both days. Here's what that means for weekend release windows and Monday inbound.
Read article →TCC26-0090 Closed: CBSA EDI and eManifest Outage Grace Period Ends June 16
CBSA's six-week EDI and eManifest outage contingency plan ended June 9. The AMPS grace period for transmission contraventions runs through June 16. If your broker filed paper or used workaround methods during the outage, now's the time to confirm all cargo-control records reconcile before penalty enforcement resumes.
Read article →U.S. Steel Tariffs and What They Mean for Canadian Importers Filing CADs
U.S. steel import volumes dropped 30 percent in 2026 as domestic tariffs pushed production onshore. Canadian importers of steel products face new HS classification questions, SIMA compliance checks, and CUSMA origin verification when sourcing shifts south of the border.
Read article →U.S. tariff frontloading and what it means for Canadian CAD filings
U.S. importers are pulling spring volume forward to beat new tariffs, which means Canadian brokers are seeing re-routed freight, earlier CUSMA origin questions, and tighter vessel windows into Montreal and Vancouver.
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