CBSA Extends CLVS Operational Measures Through CN 26-13

What Changed (and What Didn’t)

CBSA published Customs Notice 26-13 on June 12, replacing CN 25-32. The extension keeps the current CLVS operational measures in place while the CARM transition continues. If you import commercial goods under CAD 3,300 through a courier, the filing and release procedures you’ve been using since October 2024 remain unchanged.

The notice applies to importers, customs brokers, and authorized CLVS participants. Most commercial importers see this channel for samples, urgent parts, documents with dutiable enclosures, and anything else that needs to move faster than ocean or truck freight.

CLVS Thresholds and What Triggers a Full CAD

The CAD 3,300 threshold is the line between simplified CLVS release and full Commercial Accounting Declaration filing. Under that amount, your courier can move the shipment through with minimal documentation if duties and GST are below CAD 40 (the de minimis for courier clearance). Above CAD 3,300, you file a full CAD and the release process looks like any other commercial entry.

If your shipment is under CAD 3,300 but duties and GST exceed CAD 40, the courier collects at delivery or invoices your account. That collection happens outside the formal CAD system, which is why the CLVS program exists in the first place. It keeps small commercial parcels moving without forcing every widget shipment through the same clearance process as a 40-foot container.

Why CBSA Keeps Extending These Measures

The original CLVS operational adjustments went into effect when CARM became the system of record on October 21, 2024. CBSA has extended them twice now because the volume of low-value courier entries would overload the CAD filing system if every parcel required a full declaration. The measures are temporary in name, but the practical reality is that CBSA needs a permanent solution before they can retire them.

Most brokers expect another extension before this one expires. CBSA has not published a sunset date for the simplified CLVS procedures, which tells you where the agency’s capacity planning currently sits.

Practical Implications for Importers

If you import through courier channels regularly, the extension means your current process does not change. Your courier handles release, collects duties and GST if applicable, and delivers. You do not need to register for a CARM Client Portal account, post an RPP bond, or file CADs for shipments under the threshold.

The trap is assuming that threshold will never drop. If CBSA scales CARM capacity and decides to lower the simplified release limit to CAD 1,000 or CAD 500, your current courier shipments could suddenly require full CAD filings and an RPP bond on file. That would mean registering a Business Number with CRA, securing financial security with CBSA, and either filing CADs yourself or hiring a broker to do it.

For now, the CAD 3,300 threshold holds. Watch for updates to CN 26-13 or any CBSA notice that mentions CLVS threshold adjustments. Those are the signals that the simplified procedures are tightening.

What Stays the Same for Couriers

Authorized CLVS participants continue to use the existing manifest and release procedures. FedEx, UPS, DHL, Purolator, and other authorized couriers file electronic manifests, clear goods under the simplified process, and collect duties and GST from the consignee. The consignee pays the courier, the courier remits to CBSA.

If your shipment is examined, the courier coordinates with CBSA and notifies you. Examination rates for low-value courier shipments are lower than containerized freight, but CBSA still flags parcels for verification when the declared description or HS code does not match the manifest. If you ship the same product repeatedly and it gets examined once, expect your future shipments of that item to clear without issue as long as the classification and description remain consistent.

When You Need a Broker for Courier Shipments

Most commercial importers do not need a broker for routine courier entries under CAD 3,300. The courier handles it. You need a broker when:

• The shipment value exceeds CAD 3,300 and requires a full CAD.
• The goods are subject to SIMA duties, softwood lumber quotas, or other import restrictions that require an origin certificate or permit.
• You want to claim duty drawback or CUSMA preferential treatment and need documentation to support the claim.
• The shipment was examined and CBSA is asking for additional proof of value, origin, or classification.

If you hit any of those situations, the courier will tell you. They cannot file the paperwork for controlled goods or handle the compliance side of a CBSA verification. That is when you call a broker.

Monitoring for Changes

CBSA publishes customs notices on their site, but they do not send alerts to importers unless you are enrolled in a specific program like PARS or CSA. If you rely on courier imports for time-sensitive shipments, add the CBSA Customs Notices page to your monthly review checklist. Any update to CN 26-13 or a new notice referencing CLVS thresholds is worth reading the same day it posts.

If your courier shipments ever touch Montreal and require dock handling before final delivery, FENGYE LOGISTICS runs sufferance warehouse operations that can hold and cross-dock courier freight when timing does not line up with your final consignee’s receiving hours.

Final Note

The extension is operational housekeeping, not a policy shift. Your courier clearance process does not change. If CBSA announces a threshold reduction or removes the simplified procedures entirely, that is when you need to act. Until then, file this notice under background noise and keep importing. If you are not sure whether your courier volume will trigger a full CAD requirement in the next quarter, get in touch.

Source: CSCB