Source: Government of Canada News (2)
May 14, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) system was launched on October 21, 2024. A transition period was introduced to give commercial importers additional time to post their financial security electronically while continuing to benefit from the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) Program. This transition period is ending at 3 am EDT on May 20, 2025.
The CBSA strongly encourages importers to enrol in RPP and make arrangements to post financial security before the end of the transition period. Once enrolled in the RPP Program and security is posted, importers are not required to visit a commercial office to pay for the duties and taxes owed at time of release of their commercial shipment. RPP enrollment also means that importers can avoid longer paper-based process and higher processing times. Importers who are not enrolled in RPP will have to pay all duties and taxes at a CBSA office before goods can be released at the border.
The CBSA has also published a Customs Notice 25-22 reminding importers that the transition period will be ending and providing additional information on how goods can be processed efficiently at the border. Importers are encouraged to consult this Customs Notice and take any action required prior to May 20.
Every year, over 99 per cent of the 29 million released goods are cleared using RPP as it offers a highly facilitative process. The CBSA is aware that the end of the transition period impacts importers who have not yet adapted to the new process. To ease this transition, the CBSA has been consistently communicating this change and preparing operational procedures to ensure border fluidity is maintained.
There are also steps that transporting carriers and freight forwards can take today for a smoother border crossing experience on May 20, such as:
The CBSA introduced several measures, which were developed with input and feedback from stakeholders, to make this transition easier. These included:
- Importers with a CARM Client Portal account or a history of importing commercial goods into Canada within the past four years were granted a 180-day period with an additional 30 day extension within which goods could still be released prior to the payment of duties and taxes without requiring the importer to give a security. New importers could also benefit from the remainder of the transition period upon enrolment in the CARM Client Portal following the Release 3 implementation in October 2024;
- A 12-month broker business number transition period to support the use of broker business numbers, in certain scenarios, to submit accounting on behalf of their importer clients who have not yet registered in the CARM Client Portal;
- The CBSA also installed 117 Kiosks with access to the CARM Client Portal at CBSA commercial sites across the country;
- Reallocated staff to support the implementation of CARM, including more staff to assist the CARM Client Support Helpdesk;
- Published web content, including customs notices and user guides, promoting on social media, updating using news releases and direct messages to importers, hosting hundreds of webinars; and,
- Published a list of financial security providers that have been accredited by the CBSA.
The CARM Client Support Helpdesk is available to provide support and the CBSA has added resources and a dedicated work flow for CARM registration enquiries. User guides and the CARM Go-Live Playbook are also available on the User Guides web page to help clients navigate the CARM Client Portal. Clients requiring support for Electronic Data Interchange or Application Program Interface may contact the CARM Technical Support Unit.