Blog Posts

Trade attorneys have confirmed the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA, USMCA, T-MEC) will enter into force on July 1, 2020.

Much has been written about blockchain as an emerging technology in many industries, and shipping specifically.

The new SWI landscape

The Single Window Initiative means several changes for importers:

Special Notice: CBSA announced on April 21, 2020 the implementation of Release 1 has be pushed back to January 2021 (previously fall 2020) due to COVID-19.

CARM, the CBSA’s Customs Assessment and Revenue Management project introduces a suite of new online tools that will transform and streamline the process of importing commercial goods into Canada.

Special Notice: Trade attorneys have confirmed the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement will enter into force on July 1, 2020. 

Canada rushed through a deal to pass implementation legislation for the CUSMA (Canada-U.S.-Mexico) trade agreement on March 13, 2020 before suspending parliament to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

SPECIAL NOTICE: The CBSA has put off all verification related activities until at least April 20, 2020. The length of this suspension period may be re-evaluated at a later date. We will update you as soon as more information comes available. 

Canada Border Services Agency prioritizes certain industries and products for audits to ensure ongoing compliance. The Agency keeps their verification priority list current on their website. Cole’s Audit Response Team also keeps track of trends we see in CBSA verifications, which we share with you regularly so you can feel secure about your customs compliance.

Wood and wood-containing products can carry and introduce harmful pests, so their import is tightly monitored in both the U.S. and Canada. Wood packaging materials are also subject to import regulation.

On January 1, 2020, IMO2020 came into effect under IMO’s MARPOL treaty limiting sulphur emissions from ocean fuel to 0.5%.

While the U.S. has ratified the new North American free trade agreement between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, the document has yet to be ratified in Canada.

At the end of January 2020, President Trump ratified the USMCA free trade agreement, a 2,082-page document replacing the 1994 North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA).