Recent amendments made to Canada's Customs Act will strengthen import security measures

By now, everyone who imports goods into the US is aware of the Importer Security Filing, known more commonly as “10+2.”  This regulation by US Customs & Border Protection requires importers to submit additional information factors before a shipment can clear customs without incident.  The purpose of the extra documentation is to tighten port security and maintain a more accurate inventory of the freight that crosses our borders every day.   It was widely assumed that Canada’s Border Services Agency (CBSA) would impose similar import regulations, and they’ve finally announced that their rules will come in the form of an eManifest Program:

eManifest is the third phase of the Advance Commercial Information (ACI) program, which introduced the requirement for marine and air carriers to provide the CBSA with electronic information in advance of the arrival of commercial cargo at Canada’s sea and air ports of entry.

eManifest will further modernize and enhance how the CBSA processes and screens commercial goods coming into Canada.

In this way, the CBSA will have the right information at the right time from carriers, freight forwarders and importers in all modes of transportation. And, by rigorously performing risk assessments on commercial goods before their arrival, the CBSA will be better able to ensure that high-risk shipments are examined and low-risk shipments have facilitated entry into Canada.

• CBSA fact sheet on amendments
• E-Manifest fact sheet
• Press Release on Amendments