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Entry & Clearance Operations

Entry practice: ACE system changes and filing fields, liquidation and extensions, protests, post summary corrections (PSC), prior disclosures, drawback, and the operational positions CBP gives in CSMS messages.

Latest Top Picks

1–20 of 21
Oct 2Fri
  1. CBSA · Customs Notices76

    CBSA stops accepting exporter BN15 accounts for release and accounting under CARM

    CBSA states in Customs Notice 24-37 that, effective October 21, 2024, its commercial processing systems will not accept exporter "RM" program accounts to obtain release of imported goods, and the CARM system will not accept a Commercial Accounting Declaration quoting an exporter BN15. Only BN15s set up with an importer or importer/exporter "RM" account profile can obtain release and account for goods.

    Why it matters: Importers, exporters and customs brokers must use an importer or importer/exporter "RM" account, not an exporter BN15, to obtain release and file the CAD for commercial importations on or after October 21, 2024.

  2. CBSA · Customs Notices78

    CBSA requires country of melt and pour information for steel imports under GIPs 80 and 81

    CBSA states that, as of November 5, 2024, importers using GIP Number 80 – Carbon Steel and GIP Number 81 – Specialty Steel Products must provide country of melt and pour (COM) information in the form and manner determined by CBSA when completing customs declarations through the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration. The requirement is a term and condition of using the GIPs, and CBSA notes the conditional COM rules are not expected to be implemented in the SW IID on November 5, though the COM field has been available on an optional basis since February 2024.

    Why it matters: Importers of carbon and specialty steel under GIPs 80 and 81 must report country of melt and pour information in the SW IID as of November 5, 2024, unless they qualify for the CSA, $5,000 value or finished-product exemptions.

  3. CBSA · Customs Notices60

    CBSA releases January 1, 2025 Departmental Consolidation of the Customs Tariff

    CBSA states in Customs Notice 24-39 that the January 1, 2025 Departmental Consolidation of the Customs Tariff (T2025) is now available on its website in different format files. The 2025 Tariff reflects scheduled duty rate reductions under individual Free Trade Agreements and the substitution of certain tariff classification pre-ambles and tariff classification numbers in chapters 3, 28, 29, 84 and 85. Changes are marked by a change bar in the PDF version, by the number 1 in the change column of the Access files, and are not marked in the HTML version; concordance tables are also provided.

  4. CBSA · Customs Notices66

    CBSA to resume late payment penalties and interest on overdue CARM accounts from January 31, 2026

    The Canada Border Services Agency states in Customs Notice 25-02 that, between October 21, 2024 and January 30, 2026, it will not issue late payment penalties or late payment interest as a CARM transition measure. Effective January 31, 2026, all accounts with an overdue balance from the January 2026 statement of account will be subject to late payment penalties, and late payment interest will start accruing on overdue balances and appear on the statement of account issued February 25, 2026. Accounts not paid by the specified due date will be subject to collection measures by the Canada Revenue Agency.

    Why it matters: Importers with an overdue balance on the January 2026 statement of account face CBSA late payment penalties and interest accruing from January 31, 2026, with unpaid accounts subject to Canada Revenue Agency collection.

  5. CBSA · Customs Notices67

    CBSA sets surtax refund claim rules for CREDITS Program participants

    CBSA states in Customs Notice 25-26 that CREDITS Program participants may submit refund claims where surtax was paid at importation, provided the claims meet all other CREDITS requirements. Surtax claims must be sent in a separate batch, with the surtax and duty amounts combined in the Duty field, and a CREDITS Surtax Template must be emailed to the Revenue Assessment Unit by midnight of the same day the batches were transmitted, one template per batch. A batch received with surtax claims but without the template is treated as non-compliant, resulting in an Administrative Monetary Penalty and placement on upfront review.

    Why it matters: CREDITS participants claiming refunds of surtax paid at importation must file those claims in a separate batch and send the CREDITS Surtax Template to the Revenue Assessment Unit by midnight of the transmission day, or face an Administrative Monetary Penalty and upfront review.

Sep 22Tue
  1. Federal Register · BIS (EAR / Entity List)74

    BIS defines zero-tariff specialty pharmaceuticals and eligible jurisdictions under Proclamation 11020

    BIS issued a notice defining the pharmaceutical products and listing the jurisdictions eligible for a zero ad valorem Section 232 tariff rate under Proclamation 11020 of April 2, 2026, covering orphan-indication drugs and associated ingredients, nuclear medicines, plasma derived therapies, fertility drugs, cell therapy products, gene therapy products, antibody drug conjugates, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear medical countermeasures, and animal health. Products and associated ingredients receive the zero rate if they are of a jurisdiction with a current or forthcoming trade and security framework agreement or meet an urgent U.S. health need.

    Why it matters: Importers of the listed pharmaceutical products and ingredients can seek the zero Section 232 rate by submitting urgent-health-need information to pharma232@bis.doc.gov on an ongoing basis from September 23, 2026.

Sep 13Sun
  1. Global Affairs Canada · Notices to Importers / Exporters71

    Global Affairs Canada amends GIP No. 83 to require smelt and cast country reporting for aluminum imports

    Global Affairs Canada states in Notice to Importers Serial No. 1170 that, effective October 1, 2026, importers of aluminum products under General Import Permit No. 83 must report and keep records of the country of largest smelt, country of second-largest smelt (if any) and country of most recent cast.

Sep 6Sun
  1. CBSA · Customs Notices90

    CBSA applies 15%, 25% or 50% surtax on certain U.S.-origin goods from September 8, 2026

    CBSA states in Customs Notice 26-23 that, effective September 8, 2026, certain goods imported into Canada and originating in the United States are subject to a surtax of 15%, 25% or 50% of the value for duty under the United States Surtax Order (2026), with the Schedules to the Order listing the goods and applicable rates. The surtax applies only to goods that originate in the U.S. and does not apply to goods eligible to be marked as originating from Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    Why it matters: Importers of U.S.-origin goods must declare the applicable 15%, 25% or 50% surtax when accounting from September 8, 2026, and hold proof of origin and, for in-transit goods, proof of transit.

Aug 28Fri
  1. Global Affairs Canada · Notices to Importers / Exporters80

    Global Affairs Canada sets EV import quota rules for China-origin vehicles under Serial No. 1168

    Global Affairs Canada states in Notice to Importers Serial No. 1168 that imports of electric vehicles originating in China under Import Control List items 195(1) to (3), classified in tariff items 8702.20.10 through 8704.90.00 or a Chapter 99 tariff item, require a shipment-specific import permit and are administered under a first-come, first-served quota, with 24,500 vehicles available for the second period of Quota Year 1 from September 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027, plus unused volumes from the first period. Eligible EVs enter at a most-favoured-nation rate of 6.1%, and importers must be Canadian residents that are EV original equipment manufacturers or their appointed Canadian-resident agents.

Aug 20Thu
  1. CBSA · Customs Notices62

    CBSA clarifies TRQ import permit process for goods entered into customs bonded warehouses

    CBSA states in Customs Notice 26-20 that goods subject to tariff rate quotas entered into a customs bonded warehouse must have a valid shipment-specific import permit issued by Global Affairs Canada to be accounted for at the "within access" rate of duty, and that the permit's validity period must cover the date the goods exit the warehouse. The notice says this is a clarification of existing application, not a change in policy, and applies to all goods subject to TRQs.

    Why it matters: Importers using a customs bonded warehouse must hold a shipment-specific import permit valid through the date goods exit the warehouse, and must amend the Type 10 CAD before filing an ex-warehouse movement at the "within access" rate.

Jul 23Thu
  1. CBSA · Customs Notices60

    CBSA clarifies rail carrier reporting for in-transit shipments in Customs Notice 26-16

    CBSA states in Customs Notice 26-16 that rail carriers reporting domestic in-transit cargo moving between points in Canada through the United States (CAN-US-CAN) must now select "Rail In-transit Manifest" in the Movement Type Code field of the ACI/eManifest cargo transmission, the same movement type used for other in-transit movements, instead of transmitting the cargo as an import with "in-transit Canadian origin goods" in the special instructions field.

Jun 22Mon
  1. CBSA · Customs Notices78

    CBSA: GIP 83 aluminum import reporting of smelt and cast countries mandatory October 1, 2026

    The Canada Border Services Agency states in Customs Notice 26-15 that, when the Order Amending the General Import Permit No. 83 — Aluminum Products comes into force on October 1, 2026, importers must submit the country of largest smelt (CLS), country of second-largest smelt (C2S) and country of most recent cast (CRC) to the CBSA via the Single Window Initiative Integrated Import Declaration; until then submission is optional. The requirements apply to all aluminum HS codes in Global Affairs Canada's SWI IID Regulated Commodities Data Element Matching Criteria Table, and cover goods containing primary aluminum for CLS and C2S and all goods covered by GIP 83 for CRC.

Jun 12Fri
  1. Global Affairs Canada · Notices to Importers / Exporters78

    Global Affairs Canada replaces steel goods import notice, adjusts TRQ volumes from June 28, 2026

    Global Affairs Canada's Notice to Importers Serial No. 1163, effective June 13, 2026, replaces Serial No. 1160 and sets out the policies and procedures for administering the tariff-rate quotas on certain steel goods in item 82 of the Import Control List, above which a 50% surtax applies. The Third Amending Surtax Order, effective June 28, 2026, adjusts TRQ volumes for the Hot-Rolled Sheet, Cold-Rolled Sheet, Hot-Rolled Bar, Structural Steel and Stainless Steel Billets and Blooms classes from non-FTA partners and the Hot-Rolled Sheet, Steel Plate and Cold-Rolled Sheet classes from non-CUSMA FTA partners, and reassigns certain tariff classification numbers from the Hot-Rolled Sheet to the Cold-Rolled Sheet class.

Jun 3Wed
  1. CBP · Trade76

    White House issues executive order strengthening CBP customs enforcement

    President Donald Trump signed the executive order "Strengthening Customs Enforcement" on June 3, 2026, directing CBP to require importers, domestic and foreign, to provide more detailed information about their ownership, business operations and supply chain and to maintain good standing with CBP to keep importing. Customs brokers will be held to higher standards and must conduct greater due diligence on their importers, foreign importers face heightened import restrictions, and bond rules are being updated to set new minimums and leverage against risk. The order does not state effective dates or the specific information importers must submit.

    Why it matters: Importers and customs brokers covered by the order face new ownership, operations and supply chain reporting duties, higher broker due diligence standards and updated bond minimums, with importing privileges at risk for non-compliance.

Jan 6Tue
  1. CBP · Trade62

    CBP moves to electronic refunds on Feb. 6, 2026, ending paper checks for customs refunds

    CBP states that the U.S. Department of the Treasury will stop issuing paper checks for all CBP refunds on Feb. 6, 2026, unless the recipient has an approved waiver under 31 C.F.R. § 208.4, and that two upgrades to the ACE Secure Data Portal prepare users for the electronic refund process. The changes, outlined in the Interim Final Rule: Electronic Refunds, follow Executive Order 14247 on modernizing federal payments. The first upgrade adds a secure online tool for authorizing electronic refunds and the second simplifies the application process for creating importer accounts.

    Why it matters: Importers, brokers and other refund recipients must be enrolled for electronic refunds through the ACE Portal before Feb. 6, 2026, or hold an approved waiver under 31 C.F.R. § 208.4 to keep receiving paper checks.

Nov 30Sun
  1. CBSA · Customs Notices62

    CBSA publishes January 1, 2026 Departmental Consolidation of the Customs Tariff (T2026)

    CBSA states in Customs Notice 25-31 that the January 1, 2026 Departmental Consolidation of the Customs Tariff (T2026) is now available on the CBSA website in various formats. T2026 reflects scheduled duty rate reductions under individual free trade agreements and the substitution of certain tariff classification pre-ambles and tariff classification numbers in chapters 28, 29, 73 and 81. Changes are marked by a change bar in the PDF version, by the number 1 in the change column of the Access files, and are not marked in the HTML version; concordance tables are also provided.

Nov 4Mon
  1. Global Affairs Canada · Notices to Importers / Exporters78

    Canada's Global Affairs amends GIPs No. 80 and 81 to require country of melt and pour for steel imports

    Global Affairs Canada states in Notice to Importers SER 1133 that, effective November 5, 2024, importers using General Import Permit No. 80 – Carbon Steel and General Import Permit No. 81 – Specialty Steel Products must provide country of melt and pour information at the time of importation as a term and condition of the permits. The requirement covers carbon steel under HS headings 7206-7217, 7225-7229, 7301-7302, 7304-7306 and 7308, and specialty steel under HS headings 7218-7224, 7312-7313 and 7317.

    Why it matters: Importers of carbon and specialty steel under GIP No. 80 or GIP No. 81 must report country of melt and pour at the time of importation, for example through the Single Window Integrated Import Declaration, unless an exemption applies.

Dec 29Wed
  1. Global Affairs Canada · Notices to Importers / Exporters60

    Global Affairs Canada updates EICS commodity codes effective January 1, 2022

    Global Affairs Canada states that certain Export and Import Controls System (EICS) commodity codes change effective January 1, 2022, following World Customs Organization HS code updates and related Customs Tariff updates, and that permit and certificate applications with an entry or exit date after December 31, 2021 for the affected goods must use the new commodity codes.

Oct 22Thu
  1. Global Affairs Canada · Notices to Importers / Exporters62

    Canada re-adds carbon and specialty steel to Import Control List under GIP No. 80 and No. 81

    Global Affairs Canada states in Notice to Importers No. 1032 that, effective November 2, 2020, item 80 (Carbon Steel Products) and item 81 (Specialty Steel Products) of the Import Control List have been re-added following their deemed removal on November 1, 2020, and the associated HS codes amended. Carbon steel covers HS headings 7206-7217, 7225-7229, 7302 and 7304-7306; specialty steel covers HS headings 7218-7224, 7301, 7308, 7312-7313 and 7317. The changes do not limit the quantity of carbon or specialty steel that may be imported into Canada, and the new items have no deemed removal date.

    Why it matters: Importers and customs brokers using GIP No. 80 or GIP No. 81 must state the applicable permit on the customs documentation for shipments under HS headings 7206-7302, 7304-7306, 7308, 7312-13 and 7317, and retain the prescribed records for six years.

Sep 19Tue
  1. Global Affairs Canada · Notices to Importers / Exporters60

    Global Affairs Canada: barley products TRQ fills October 18, 2017, ending GIP No. 20 use

    Global Affairs Canada states in Notice to Importers Serial No. 903 that the barley products tariff rate quota will be filled on October 18, 2017, and that 11:59 p.m. local time that day is the cut-off for accounting for imports of barley products under a within access commitment tariff item. The notice covers Items 183 to 191 of the Import Control List, namely barley products under heading numbers 11.02, 11.03, 11.04, 11.07, 11.08, 19.01, 19.04 and 23.02 of the Customs Tariff schedule.

    Why it matters: From 11:59 p.m. local time on October 18, 2017, importers of the listed barley products may no longer invoke GIP No. 20, and goods reported under GIP No. 100 must carry the statement "Imported Under the Authority of General Import Permit No. 100 - Eligible Agricultural Goods".