Mastering CARM: The Essential Guide for Canadian Importers on CBSA’s New Customs Process

As part of our commitment to keeping you informed about changes that impact your cargo, we want to draw your attention to the upcoming transformation in Canadian Customs processes with the introduction of CARM (Canada Border Services Agency Assessment and Revenue Management).

CARM is a groundbreaking initiative by the CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) designed to modernize and streamline the collection of duties and taxes on imported goods into Canada. This multi-phase, multi-year project brings a cloud-based portal, offering trade chain partners a centralized platform to manage their business numbers, apply for new ones, make payments, access statements of accounts with CBSA, and much more.

Importantly, all importers must register for CARM before Release 2 in May 2024. Failure to register may result in significant challenges and delays in the customs clearance process. Shipments may not clear customs until the importer is registered. Additionally, importers are required to delegate a customs broker through CARM.

For those who utilize the services of Bestway, Hellmann, or any third-party company for Canadian Customs clearance, please be aware that we while we can and will assist in the process, we cannot complete the registration on an importer’s behalf. Importers must take the initiative to register themselves and delegate a customs broker through the CARM portal.

This change signifies a shift toward a more efficient and streamlined customs clearance process in Canada, aligning with the global digitalization trend and trade modernization practices.

We encourage importers to initiate the registration process promptly to ensure a seamless transition and avoid any disruptions to your imports. If you have any questions or need assistance navigating the CARM registration, please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated team.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to supporting you through this positive evolution in Canadian Customs processes.