Canada - Advanced Commercial Information requirements for commercial shipments

We would like to remind you about the new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) regulations on the following requirements for imports into Canada:

Requirements for imports into Canada

Under the Advanced Commercial Information and eManifest initiatives, carriers must provide electronic cargo and conveyance data to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in advance of their arrival at the Canadian border.

To meet eManifest requirements shippers are to asked to provide all customs commercial invoice information to carriers about shipments destined to arrive in Canada. Examples of customs commercial information that shippers provide include:

• Shipper name and address;
• Consignee name and address;
• Delivery name and address (if different from the Consignee);
• Cargo description, packaging type and quantity;
• Gross weight of shipment;
• Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) information (if applicable to the cargo).

Acceptable cargo descriptions

A detailed cargo description is a clear and concise description of an item. The description should be in plain language and detailed enough to allow the CBSA to identify the size, shape and characteristics of the cargo.

If the shipment is consolidated (where house bills and/or a Supplementary Cargo Report are expected to follow), the following descriptions may be accepted on the consolidated cargo document: Freight of All Kinds (FAK); shipper load and count (SLC); consolidated; general merchandise; and other similarly vague descriptions. A detailed description must be provided on the electronic house bill or supplementary document.

The below link provides a guide to acceptable and unacceptable descriptions.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/aci-manif-ipec/commod-fret-eng.html

The provision of accurate and plain language cargo descriptions supports risk assessment and assists the CBSA in identifying low-risk shipments, therefore, facilitating the free flow of goods.

Any non-compliance with the requirements, including the provision of the detailed cargo description, may result in delays and increased examinations of shipments to Canada. Also, shipments deemed by the CBSA to be non-compliant may be issued monetary penalties under the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS). These penalties will be for the account of the merchant.

For more information on eManifest requirements and client support, visit the CBSA Web site at https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/

If you have any questions, please contact Hapag Lloyd Canada Customer Service at [email protected]