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.
CBSA export exams are real: what the Halifax meth seizure means for importers
CBSA seized 300kg of methamphetamine in a Halifax export examination, a reminder that outbound containers get examined too. For Canadian importers running drawback programs, temporary import reversals, or NRI operations, export compliance isn't optional.
Read article →CBSA Lifts CLVS Moratorium in September — What Hasn't Changed and What's Next
CBSA reopens Courier Low Value Shipment program applications in September 2026 under the existing framework. Eligibility stays the same, but eCommerce modernization is on deck.
Read article →DDP Shipping to Canada: What the $7.3M US Customs Fraud Settlement Means for Canadian Importers
When foreign sellers handle DDP shipping to Canada, misclassification errors can still land on the Canadian buyer. This US customs fraud settlement shows why importers using non-resident importer arrangements need contractual protection and direct oversight of CBSA filings.
Read article →Spot rate swings and CARM financial security: what Canadian importers need to reforecast
Ocean freight spot rates have resumed volatility after several weeks of the Fortnight Brace pattern flattening out. For Canadian importers filing CADs under CARM, that means RPP bond adequacy checks, customs valuation reviews, and landed-cost reforecasting are back on the monthly agenda.
Read article →US-Brazil tariff adds CBSA origin checks — what Canadian importers filing CADs need to verify now
New 25% US duty on Brazilian imports raises CBSA scrutiny on CUSMA origin claims for goods with South American inputs. Canadian importers must tighten supplier declarations and expect more frequent verification requests on Commercial Accounting Declarations.
Read article →When CARM Email Notifications Stop Landing
CBSA's automated emails from the CARM Client Portal are getting blocked by external providers, and the official workaround is to log in daily and check manually — not realistic for brokers running 50+ files a day.
Read article →CARM financial security recalculations hit when ocean freight rates spike
Flexport's advice to hold off on early ocean contracts is solid freight strategy, but importers miss the customs clearance angle: when freight rates jump 30-40% mid-year, your total declared value rises, triggering CARM financial security reviews and potential RPP bond top-ups or release holds.
Read article →CBSA Extends CLVS BN15 Workaround Through June 2027
Customs Notice 26-13 gives importers another year to complete their CARM registration for courier low-value shipments, but the financial security risk still sits with your broker. If you're running high-volume CLVS and haven't registered for Release Prior to Payment, now is the time to fix that.
Read article →CBSA Extends Steel Racks Dumping Investigation to 135 Days — What Changes for Importers
CBSA extended the steel racks anti-dumping investigation to 135 days. Importers should verify whether their Chinese racking falls within scope and plan for provisional duties by late August.
Read article →CBSA July 16 Maintenance: Skip the Panic, Know the SOCP
CBSA's Thursday morning maintenance window is a non-event, but it's a good reminder to audit your System Outage Contingency Plan readiness before the next unplanned portal failure lands on a Friday afternoon.
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