Learning and understanding the requirements, regulations, and policies for importing is an essential business practice that will help you save time and money and avoid losing goods due to Customs seizure. Keep reading to determine how you can exhibit competently in Canada and the US.

The global economy is as interesting as it is complicated. There are a host of factors that influence how not only nations but also people around the world do business together. Some factors include trading in the form of imports and exports and fluctuations in

You own a small boutique in Canada specializing in the manufacturing and selling of vintage-inspired shoes. Although your brand has yet to become globally recognized, you take all the necessary steps to get there one day. One of those steps is growing your business by expanding into new

This past November, just ahead of the holidays, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) warned consumers of the perils of buying counterfeit goods with their "unbox real happiness" campaign. With Valentine’s

Houseplants have become increasingly popular over the years, along with many search queries related to; importing houseplants into Canada, documentation for importing, import plant permits, and the costs and ways to get plants across borders. Importing plants requires just as much

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has released the verification priority list for January 2023. Today’s post will provide an overview of the list of verifications, their importance to Importers, trade compliance, and tips on how Importers can remain compliant.

Assessing a country's trade balance helps establish its economic health, which could provide significant insights into import and export trade markets. In North America, Canada imports and exports millions of goods and services, which its economy depends on to prosper.

Information is critical in the world of trade and commerce, so in 2022 we have aimed to provide you with the most relevant content to help answer those tough-to-answer search query questions.

The Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) is a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) sanctions regime that authorizes the CBSA to issue civil monetary penalties for the violation of CBSA’s trade and border legislation in the commercial stream. AMPS are intended to deter non-

Have you ever heard of the term drayage and wondered what it meant? Professionals in the industry refer to drayage as delivery or ground shipping services which some can misconstrue. To narrow it down, Drayage is the crucial link in the last leg of transporting goods domestically.

The global shipping crisis has become everyone's problem as a direct result of international issues, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, war, more restricted policies, and unstable market demand. With industries struggling, many importers have increasing concerns about the

What is a tariff? In today’s world, a tariff is a tax enforced by the US federal government to protect domestic industries against environmental, safety and competitive threats. Tariff codes apply to goods imported from a foreign market, which is where the Harmonized System (HS)

Canada has a number of Trade Incentive Programs to allow Canadian companies to remain competitive in the ever increasing global competitive market and to entice foreign investors to invest in Canada. Trade incentives permit companies to waive, postpone or refund some or all of the duties and

Canada’s Duty Drawback program is administered by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and is one of their Trade Incentive Programs which we explained in a previous blog post Canada’s Trade Incentive Program. In this post, let's dive in and look at the specifics of this program. Generally

CBSA has a program whereby commercial clients can correct inaccurate or incomplete information or disclose previously unreported information. When this is done voluntarily, CBSA may grant monetary relief to the client. This program is known as the Voluntary Disclosure

The delay of the Canada Border Services Agency Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) Release 2 came with a sigh of relief from many Canadian importers that had not yet gone through the process of setting up a CARM Client Portal. However, for those proactive users

Last week we looked at CBSA Valuation in Canada. This week let’s switch gears and head south to look at CBP Valuation. Customs valuation, also known in the US as customs appraisement, is an important topic on both sides of the border. While most companies spend considerable time and resources preparing for tax audits

Importers must provide to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) a “value for duty” for all goods imported into Canada. Value for duty must be determined in accordance with the Canada Customs Act regardless of the circumstances of the importation. CBSA will assess the duty and taxes payable on the value for duty of

The sun’s out so we’re out. Whether you are getting a workout in while traveling to the office or just hitting the trails for pleasure, you may have seen one of those snazzy electric bikes. They are all the rage, but have you ever wondered… if I buy an eBike online from another country, how do I

If you are new to importing, you may be wondering how duties and taxes are paid to CBSA. In this blog we will walk you through the process as well as a few must-knows. All importers and licensed customs brokers must have a customs account with the Canada Border Services Agency

The sun is out and so are our plans to see the world! If you are someone who likes to adventure north of the border and explore all the wilderness adventures Canada has to offer, you may wonder what you can and cannot bring with you. Do you need to to formally import anything? Are any

Over the years, live horse import has become highly regulated. Canada and the US have regulations governing the movement of horses across their shared border. This has led to importers being required to prepare well in advance of their trip.

As any US importer knows, a tariff is a customs duty, an import tax imposed by the US federal government upon many goods imported into the Customs Territory of the US (the 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico). Historically, governments have used tariffs as a primary means of collecting revenue. Today, other

The pandemic has highlighted the significance of the digital economy and its impact globally. It has precipitated the importance of including new digital trade chapters in trade agreements as well as standalone digital trade agreements like the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA).

Cargo preclearance is an arrangement between two countries that allows Customs and Immigration officers from the country of destination to be located in the country of origin. These officers then clear or deny the admission of goods prior to entry into the destination country.