CARM is nearly here, and we appreciate all of you working hard to get into the portal before its looming launch date. With that in mind - it’s time to look ahead to what this new system actually means. For Canadian commercial importers, CARM is set to be a monumental change to the way brokerage has proceeded for decades. Coming to grips with that change and making a plan for how your business, in particular, will adapt is a vital step toward your continued success. In this week’s blog, we break down what to expect now that we’re through the portal and what options are available to you when CARM-ageddon arrives in earnest.

US Customs Brokerage

Freight Management

Shipment Status

Trade Regulation Updates

An Update on the Coming CBSA Labor Action

April 15, 2024

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) National Import Service Center is Expecting a Planned Period of Maintenance

March 8, 2024

Steel Importer ‘Country of Melt and Pour’ Regulatory Update

March 8, 2024

Upcoming Webinars

How To Classify A Product

April 18, 2024

How To Prepare For CARM

April 30, 2024

How To Choose The Best Incoterm

May 2, 2024

On-Demand Courses (free)

How To Import Into Canada

How To Import FDA Regulated Goods

How To Classify A Product

How To Value A Product For Customs

How To Import CFIA Regulated Goods

Non-Resident Importers

Learn what it is to be an NRI and who should become one.

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Canada and US Customs Forms

Looking for a fillable customs form? Get a form with your name on it.

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Professional Trade Advice

Am I doing it right? Can I do it better? Get an answer from a trade advisor.

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Export Desk

Understand the export regulations and process requirements that affect your exports.

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Vehicle Imports

Learn the steps to importing a vehicle or keep it simple and let us do it for you.

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e-Commerce

Selling your goods online and shipping to international buyers? We can help.

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Your Broker Knows Blog

Who’s Paying My Duties and Taxes Under CARM?

According to the official CARM website, “Beginning on May 13th, CARM will be the official system of record that importers and other trade chain partners will use to pay duties and taxes.” If you are one of those Canadian commercial importers or trade chain partners - CARM will affect you.

Through the Portal: A CARM Choose Your Own Adventure

With CBSA’s CARM only weeks away and a notable number of businesses not yet registered in the CARM Client Portal, likely due to a lack of awareness, time, or ease in the process, we wanted to paint a picture of what the last few weeks leading up to implementation may look like.

What Is The Country Of Origin?

Like so many things when contending with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), determining your import’s ‘country of origin’ often seems simpler at first glance than it is in practice. You might even be tempted to think that an import’s ‘origin’ refers solely to where it is shipped from.

Pre, Post, & Perilous: An Audit and Verification Odyssey

Pre- and post-verification audits are among PCB's most useful and popular services. But what is a ‘verification?’ The best way to explore that is with an example and a tale that’s all too common in the world of international trade. We’ll dive into that momentarily, but first, let's talk about terminology. For our purposes, audit and verification are essentially interchangeable terms, with ‘audit’ most often referring to a broader and more colloquial usage and ‘verification’ most typically referring to an official audit performed by Customs on a business and its import records.

CBSA January 2024 Trade Verification Priorities List

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently released its verification priority list for January 2024. In this week’s post, we are going to give you an overview of the contents of the recently released verification list, its importance to importers, and some tips for importers to stay compliant in the face of a Customs inspection.

Who Needs To Use CARM? And Other Questions and Resolutions for 2024

A new year has arrived, and with it, a fresh bouquet of challenges for those who work in the world of international trade. In this blog, we will look ahead at two of the largest Canadian trade issues looming on the horizon of 2024 and, with them, the import resolutions and trade services you should consider taking on to turn those challenges into ripe opportunities.

PCB’s Top Blog Posts of 2023

Today, we are diving into the top 10 most popular posts of 2023, and based on this list, it is clear that this year was all about learning and growing as international business professionals, a trend we hope to help you continue into 2024. Before we get to the list, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you all so much for reading this year, and we hope you stay with us in 2024 as we continue our journey through the ever-changing landscape of international trade!

Shipping Gifts Into Canada | A Tale Of How A Tablet's Not A Turnip

In preparation for gift giving season, we would like to share with you a cross-border holiday tale about one tablet's journey to the Canadian border.A U.S. supplier of produce wanted to say thank you to its Canadian purchaser by way of a gift. A few days before Christmas, the supplier slipped in a popular tablet with the purchaser's order. Although this was a very nice gesture, it came with a very large consequence for the unknowing purchaser who was the importer of record.