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.
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.
Read article →What U.S. tariff refund fights mean for Canadian importers claiming drawback
The DOJ is appealing court-ordered Section 301 refunds south of the border. Canadian importers with U.S.-origin goods moving through Canada or claiming drawback on re-exports should check whether their D-memoranda and CAD duty calculations still line up with cross-border preference programs.
Read article →CBSA Extends UBC 2026 SIMA Investigation Timeline to 135 Days
Canada Border Services Agency stretched the preliminary dumping and subsidy investigation on Chinese unarmoured building cables from 90 to 135 days. If you're importing electrical wire or cable assemblies near HS 8544.49 or 8544.42, here's what the extension means for provisional duty exposure and release holds.
Read article →CFIA Consolidates Import Pages: What Actually Changed for CBSA Release and OGD Coordination
CFIA merged its National Import Service Centre page and scattered commercial import guidance into a single portal. The consolidation helps, but OGD hold resolution still bottlenecks release when your broker files the CAD before CFIA clears the cargo control number.
Read article →CUSMA certification cost and admin burden catching small importers off-guard
Small Canadian importers who certified under CUSMA to dodge U.S. tariffs are now finding that broker certification fees, documentation requirements, and record-keeping obligations cost more in time and cash than they expected—sometimes more than the tariff itself would have.
Read article →IID and DIF Maintenance June 10: What the Three-Hour Queue Actually Means for Your CAD Filings
CBSA is holding IID and DIF submissions from 03:00 to 06:00 ET on June 10, 2026. Most brokers will never notice. A few will miss release windows, pay detention, or scramble to explain a Friday delay they could have filed around Thursday night.
Read article →When your customs broker cuts staff mid-CARM: what it means for your CAD pipeline
Expeditors' departure from its no-layoff policy highlights operational risk for Canadian importers still scaling CARM Client Portal workflows. When broker capacity contracts during a compliance transition, release-prior-to-payment timelines and CAD accuracy both take hits.
Read article →Why Canadian brokers aren't buying each other (and what that tells you about CARM)
U.S. freight brokers are consolidating through automation and roll-ups. Canadian customs brokerage hasn't followed the same path. The difference comes down to CARM Phase 2, RPP bond capital requirements, and the regulated nature of the work itself.
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