CBSA defines a carrier as ‘the owner or person in charge of a conveyance (vehicle) that is engaged in international commercial transportation of commercial goods, empty cargo containers to be imported into Canada that aren’t for sale; and any other goods to be transported to Canada for a fee.

CBSA has provided the following examples of situations that do not qualify a carrier for a carrier code:

1) An importer transporting their own goods into Canada under the definition of “hand carried goods”. “Hand-carried goods” are defined as commercial goods carried by paying passenger onboard traveler’s commercial conveyances (bus, taxi, plane, ship, etc.) or commercial goods being imported and accounted for at the port of entry by the owner of a business, or an employee, driving a “not for hire,” non-commercial conveyance described as:

a) an owner of a business or an employee of a business driving a vehicle registered under the business (fleet car) transporting commercial goods for the business; or

b) an owner of a business or an employee of a business driving its own personal vehicle transporting commercial goods for the business.

2) The conveyance is the goods being imported. For example, a car dealer purchases a vehicle in the United States and drives the vehicle into Canada for commercial importation purposes. The vehicle is considered “hand-carried” goods.

3) A ships agent in the marine mode who is not directly engaged in the international commercial transportation of goods. For example, a ships agent who applies for a carrier code for the sole purpose of providing Advance Commercial Information (ACI) to the CBSA on behalf of other carriers under the ships agent’s carrier code.

4) Companies who do not own or operate a conveyance and are not involved in the actual transportation of goods. For example, a logistics provider who does not have an exclusive contract with a third party and hires that third party to transport the goods into Canada.

5) Companies who do not have a conveyance or cannot provide a history of leasing/renting vehicles for carrier purposes at the time they will be requesting a carrier code from the CBSA. For example, a company who is interested in becoming a carrier to transport goods into Canada; however, it intends to lease or purchase a conveyance once it determines its business volume and after it obtains a carrier code from the CBSA.

If you fall into any of the above noted categories, you will not be granted a CBSA assigned carrier code but this doesn’t mean that you can’t cross international borders. For instance, in the case of ‘hand carried goods’ a special type of entry can be done.

The customs broker assigned to handle the customs clearance of the goods will prepare a C-Type Entry for you. This is a comprehensive final accounting paper entry that can only be prepared when complete commercial paperwork has been provided. You can provide the documents to the assigned customs broker ahead of time so the C-Type entry can be prepared in advance. Upon your arrival at the border crossing, you will go see the customs broker so that they can give you the paper package for you to present to customs for release. Upon presentation of the paper package to the border service officer (BSO), a release decision will be made on the spot and you will be instructed by that BSO on how to proceed.

For more information, please contact Pacific Customs Brokers toll-free: 855.542.6644 and we’ll be happy to assist you.

So what exactly is an ISF?

The ISF, otherwise known as the Import Security Filing, is one of the most recent requirements impacting the supply chain for cargo arriving via ocean into the U.S. January 6, 2009, U.S. Customs & Border Protection phased in this new requirement in order to enhance their ability to target cargo by requiring additional information prior to loading. Improving their targeting capabilities this has resulted in fewer exams on low risk shipments.

So who is responsible for filing the ISF? The Importer of Record, usually the party who purchased the goods, is responsible for the ISF filing.

There are two types of Import Security Filings. The filing of an ISF10 (the most common type of ISF) applies to all containerized cargo shipments arriving into the commerce of the United States. The filing of an ISF5 applies to cargo that arrives but does not enter into the commerce of the United States. There are two scenarios for the ISF5: the first is for Freight Remaining on Board (also known as FROB) which covers cargo proceeding to a foreign port on the same vessel, and the second is for freight that is offloaded and traveling in-bond through the United States to a foreign destination. Basically, an ISF10 is like inviting someone into your house for dinner and an ISF5 is like waving hello to someone as they are walking by. Sounds easy enough!

So what are the requirements for filing an ISF?

For an ISF10 you will need to supply:

• Name and address of the Seller

• Name and address of the Buyer

• Importer of Record

• Consignee Number

• Name and address of the Manufacturer

• Name and address of the Ship-To Party

• Country of Origin

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule number or HTS for the Commodity

• Container Stuffing Location

• Consolidator

For an ISF5 you will need to supply:

• Name and address of the Booking Party

• Foreign Port of Unlading

• Place of Delivery

• Name and address of the Ship to Party

• Harmonized Tariff Schedule number or HTS for the Commodity

As the importer, you are responsible for filing the ISF 24 hours prior to the goods being loaded on the vessel; we recommend that you file your ISF 48 hours prior to ensure compliance. Good business practices dictate that you have a team in place to handle these requirements. Part of that team would be a reputable customs broker. You will find that receiving your goods is easier when you have a team in place. As we solidify our status as a global economy, importing regulations will continue to change as governments continue to refine their requirements and as the importer it is your job to try to keep up! That is why having a good team in place is so important.

Importer Security Filing is one of the latest and greatest changes to the supply chain, and complying with this regulation is easy if you file your information completely and timely. The prospect of importing into the U.S. is a worthwhile endeavour and ISF filing is just one more piece of the profitable puzzle.  For more information, please contact Pacific Customs Brokers Inc. (USA) toll-free at 877.332.8534 and we’ll be happy to assist you.

A Customs Bond acts as a promissory note between the Importer of Record (IOR) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The bond secures payment of any duties, taxes, penalties or associated customs fees. Just like car insurance, customs bonds are provided by third party insurance providers commonly referred to as surety companies.

Required by law just like car insurance, the biggest difference is that instead of insuring your property, you are insuring the imported goods, and the Customs Bond basically indemnifies U.S. Customs and Border Protection, should you default on any of your obligations.

All commercial transactions and some personal importations require a bond. There are two types of bonds that satisfy this CBP requirement.

Single Transaction Bond

A Single Transaction Bond, otherwise known as a SEB, is good for a single entry into the United States. The single entry bond amount is calculated by combining the value of your shipment plus any duties and fees. In addition, you can typically expect to pay a fee for every $1000 worth of bond value.

Keep in mind that food products, electronics or anything that is subject to another government agency requires the bond to be calculated at three times the value of the shipment plus duties and fees. This can significantly increase the amount you pay per single entry bond (SEB) and possibly require special approval from the surety company which can delay your shipment.

Below is a list of other government agencies that require the value on an single entry bond to be tripled.

•  U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

•  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

•  Fish & Wildlife (F&W)

•  Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

•  Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC)

•  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (BATF)

• Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS)

•  Toxic Substances control Act (TSCA)

•  All merchandise subject to Quota and/or Visa requirements

Continuous Transaction Bond

A Continuous Transaction Bond, otherwise known as a CTB, covers all merchandise entered into the commerce of the United States for a full year from the date that the bond becomes effective. A significant advantage to purchasing a CTB is the immediate savings in costs. Offered at a flat rate, you can expect to pay a much lower fee than purchasing a single entry bond every time you import.

A continuous transaction bond for high volume importers is the most efficient option available.

Lastly, do not wait until the last minute to decide on the best option for your importing needs. Bonds need to be secured in advance of goods arriving into the United States, otherwise you risk your goods being delayed. For more information, please contact Pacific Customs Brokers Inc. (USA) toll-free at 877.332.8534 and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Over the last four years, Canada has also entered into Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s) with several other countries including Colombia, Peru, Panama, and Chile to name a few. With the relative ease in which Canadian importers enjoy the benefits of NAFTA, they can also take advantage of the same on purchases from other participating countries.

The following are some tips to consider when evaluating your costs and responsibilities.

Determine if your method of shipping will allow the goods to qualify

FTA’s are deals made between countries who desire increased reciprocal trade on goods manufactured in their respective countries.  This means that in order to receive the benefits of the FTA, the goods need to be made in the respective country and shipped directly to Canada.  In most cases this is easily accomplished. However, in some instances, usually depending on the quantity of the product purchased or the distance between the shipper and Canadian consignee, it is necessary to transfer the goods through a third country.  A transportation scenario like this can still meet the FTA rules, but there are some conditions that must be met.  For example: A large shipment of cut flowers is shipped from Colombia on an aircraft destined for Miami (a popular North American transportation hub for South American goods).  Within the shipment are flowers for Canadian and U.S. destinations.  Upon arrival in Miami, the allotment for U.S. purchasers is customs cleared and delivered accordingly.  The balance of the shipment for Canada is briefly held in a bonded warehouse and then placed into a truck for further transportation to the Canadian destination.  In this instance, if the Canadian importer wishes to claim duty free benefits under the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, he will need to have proof that the goods were moved “in bond” through the U.S. and never entered the commerce of the U.S.

Have sufficient vendor knowledge of the FTA

Make sure your foreign supplier has sufficient knowledge of the Free Trade Agreement.  Like NAFTA, the person completing and signing the FTA Certificate of Origin (another condition that must be met in order to claim FTA benefits) is declaring that all statements are true and accurate; in other words, that due process has been observed and the goods listed actually qualify.  While the foreign supplier is responsible to supply the respective FTA Certificate of Origin, the Canadian importer is responsible for duties, fines and penalties if Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) makes a re-determination at a later date and discovers that the goods do not qualify.  If you have reservations regarding the validity of the supplier’s claim, you may wish to pay the regular (Most Favoured Nations) rate of duty.

Verify the tariff classification and duty rate

As you would do with any other foreign purchase, verify the correct tariff classification and duty rate for the products that you wish to import.  Our previous blog covers the reasons of this important step – ‘Determining the Correct Tariff Classification – How Important Is it?’.  In reference to FTA’s, the obvious assumption is that goods imported under free trade should be duty free.  In most cases this is correct but there are a few things to watch.

1. Certain goods may fall into a FTA “staging category”.  In FTA language, a “staging category” means that Canada and the other country decide to reduce the base duty rate over a period of years (i.e. 10% duty falls to 8%, then 6%, etc.).
2. There might not be a break on the duty rate.  In other words, Canada may not be providing duty free status or a reduced duty rate for specific products from these countries.
3. Be mindful of products where an import permit or quota is required in order to achieve duty free status.  Generally this refers to certain food products such as dairy or wheat products.  The duty rates could be extremely high so use extra caution.

Be aware of the rules under the respective FTA that you are claiming

Not all FTA’s are created equal. FTA’s follow similar formats and rules; terms like tariff shift, de minimis, and regional value content are used uniformly.  However, like everything else, there are exceptions and variations.  Sometimes these fall in your favour, but more often there could be rules that disallow your claim for duty free status.  Do your research carefully.

When in doubt, please check with your customs broker, customs consultant, or trade lawyer for their advice.  Trade agreements were endorsed to provide advantages for importers and exporters; understand the responsibilities in order to make wise decisions.

In order to access the respective Canadian free trade agreements, go to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

The PST system being reintroduced will essentially be the same system that was in place in June 2010 when the HST was implemented. The federal HST will now be replaced by the Goods & Services Tax (GST).

Some quick facts for those who don’t remember the PST system:

PST rate: 7%
GST rate: 5%
PST will apply on the following:

• the purchase or lease of new or used goods;

• goods brought into BC for use in BC;

• the purchase of most services to goods (for example, vehicle maintenance, furniture assembly, computer repair);

• the purchase of telecommunication services including internet access, non-basic cable, non-residential telephone services, cell phone use, satellite services and facsimile services; and
• the purchase of legal services.

PST exemptions will return, including:

• all food for human consumption (e.g. basic groceries and prepared food such as restaurant meals);

• most services (e.g. personal services such as haircuts, dry cleaning, funeral services);

• admissions and memberships;

• bicycles;

• newspapers and magazines; and

• all permanent PST exemptions for business (e.g. items purchased for re-sale).

For businesses, the biggest difference will be that unlike the HST where the 12% paid on any purchase was eligible to be claimed back via the Input Tax Credit (ITC) system, businesses will NOT be able to claim back the 5% PST as an ITC, only the 7 % GST will be available for the ITC. Essentially, any goods or services that attract PST will cost businesses 5% more.

Businesses will be required to re-register for a new PST number; the old PST registration number will not be valid. The registration information is expected to be available in December 2012, the government will be sending out letters to businesses at that time informing them on how to register. An online registration and e-service system is being developed at this time to support registration as well as filing of returns, payments and other account maintenance functions. This system is expected to be up and running by January 2013.

Further announcements by the government regarding some of the transitional measures will be forthcoming in the months ahead. Additional information may be obtained at: Return to PST

An elite group of  international trade professionals (from Canada and U.S.) will provide practical guidelines to British Columbia entrepreneurs at an upcoming seminar entitled, Doing Business in the USA.

This one-day seminar is designed to give Canadian manufacturers, importers, distributors, agents and other business professionals the tools they need to easily expand their business interests across the border. Key topics include:

1. Dealing with “border issues”, such as U.S. travel and immigration planning, U.S. Customs clearance, business planning, taxation, currency exchange, and legal considerations.

2. Understanding “logistics issues”, such as establishing a USA business identity, warehousing, transportation, fulfillment, and handling of returned goods.

3. Introduction to “importing” lower-cost goods into the USA that have been “outsourced” or purchased in Asia, Europe and elsewhere.

4. “Sales/marketing strategies”, including market overview, sales/marketing fundamentals, lessons and pitfalls.

5. “Money, Money, Money!”, a lively open forum (with guest “experts”) to discuss various related topics of interest to the audience.

6. “Resource introductions”, including the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, which provides federal government programs and services at home and abroad.

The Doing Business in the USA Seminar has welcomed over 4,000 attendees at various locations in BC since 1997. The main motivation for attendance by BC entrepreneurs hasn’t changed, namely the extra profit opportunity offered by a huge and affluent market of over 300 million buyers that is very receptive to foreign goods.

According to seminar organizer, Jim Pettinger, “Now is a great time for a Canadian company to invest in expansion to the USA. The strong Loonie will still buy 20 to 50 percent more marketing services in the still-depressed economy (e.g., tradeshows, travel, hotel rooms, advertising), but the U.S. economy has officially turned the corner and will soon return full force.”

The Doing Business in the USA Seminar is targeted at three groups: (1) new exporters to the USA who need to know the basics, (2) new or inexperienced staff members of current exporters to the USA, and (3) professionals who advise the previous two. Plenty of time during the day is available for one-on-one and “round-table” meetings with the various resource people in attendance.

The Doing Business in the USA Seminar will be held on Thursday, May 3 at the Sheraton Guildford Hotel, 15269-104th Ave, Surrey, BC from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Cost for the seminar is $195 pre-registered or $225 at the door ($145 each for 2 or more, and $25 further discount for registration before April 27). Also available is a special “after lunch only” rate of $75.  Click here for the registration form.

Change however, does not always happen as smoothly as we would like and this particular change has been a bit more challenging than one would have hoped. Importers, brokers and carriers are routinely faced with delays up to 4-6 hours to obtain a CFIA release. This is assuming that the time frame does not coincide with the 4 hours that CFIA is closed between midnight and 04:00 Eastern time. This has a snowball effect, as the Customs release is then 6-8 hours, and if you are an importer purchasing goods from a vendor located within 4 hours from the 49th. parallel then you know all too well, that your trucks are arriving at the border before the Customs release has been processed.

A long standing term in the produce industry is “First to Market”. You can’t be first to market if your truck is sitting idling, and this reflects in lost market share. Idling trucks also cost money, and this is being reflected in costs for waiting time being passed on from Carriers to Importers. As consumers, we feel the pinch when we go to purchase our favorite fruits and vegetables at the market.

As your customs broker, we are in touch with CFIA on a daily basis regarding these issues, and we are assured that they are being worked on, and a process is being put in place to deal with the sheer volumes that are causing their systems to function in a less than optimal manner. We have faith that change will be forthcoming and we extend our thanks to the CFIA for their willingness to listen to industries issues and proactively react to them. Patience is a virtue, or so it is said, so at this time, we hope that as importers, brokers and carriers, we can all practice a little patience and know that this, like all issues that crop up, no pun intended, from time to time, will have a positive resolution.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact our office at anytime to discuss this or anything else related to your shipments. We are proud to say that we have served the Produce industry for over 55 years and look forward to continuing to do so well into the future.

One of the most effective measures you can take is to ensure that all loads on board your truck have a Customs Broker assigned to handle the cross border customs clearance. You have a few opportunities when you can obtain these details:

• At the time the load is dispatched
• At the time the freight is picked up at the shipper’s location
• By calling the owner/purchaser/importer of the freight

The Importer of Record (IOR) is not necessarily the consignee. It can be the vendor or another party involved in the freight as a drop shipment. The IOR is the party responsible for payment of all duties/taxes on the goods being transported.  This is why you want to ensure that you confirm all Customs Broker details with the Importer of Record, so that you can get the commercial documentation to the appropriate Customs Brokers. Sending your paperwork to the Customs Broker at the time of pick up will allow them the maximum time to process it before your arrival at the border – resulting in minimal or no delays at the border.

If you have a customer that doesn’t have a customs broker assigned to handle the clearance, please contact Pacific Customs Brokers for assistance. With our 24/7 live reception team (and no voice mail) and ALWAYS Open operation, our team of experts at Pacific Customs Brokers is here to help all of our trade chain partners with their cross border needs.

Thank you for your inquiry regarding our blog on The Value of Partners in Protection & C-TPAT Memberships.

The Partners in Protection Program is for companies of all sizes. Having said that, in order to become a PIP “Member” you must fall into one of the approved categories, a few of them being Importers / Exporters, Carriers and Warehouse Operators to name a few.

Our seminar attendees have traveled as far away as California and Maryland.  One of the benefits for ALL organizations for the PIP Seminar, is that it will be providing detailed information regarding membership benefits, and the application process. This seminar will be able to help you decide whether PIP membership is feasible for your organization.

Also, we are pleased to say Canada Border Services Agency will have a PIP Intelligence Officer at our seminar who will be able to assist in answering questions, particularly about where the PIP program is headed.

In the event you simple cannot make this seminar, we may be able to conduct an informative telephone conference, or private consultation, with one of our security team members.

On a personal note, inspection delays are expensive and time consuming. Becoming a trusted trader and using a trusted carrier may be able to help lessen some of those delays and inspection problems you are experiencing.

Additionally, at Pacific Customs Brokers, we offer a range of consulting services for small business to help improve your cross border experiences, including mini audits and document reviews. To help reduce inspection delays, one of our trade compliance experts would be more that happy to discuss the benefits of reviewing the customs clearance documents that are being provided to the carrier.

We hope this helps!

Thank you for your inquiry on our blog – Update on Wood Packaging Materials Moving Between Canada and USA.

Regulated wood packaging material. Regulated wood packaging material, whether in actual use as packing for regulated or non-regulated articles or imported as cargo, may be imported into the United States under a general permit in accordance with the following conditions:

(1) The wood packaging material must have been treated in accordance with part 305 of this chapter.

(2) Marking. The wood packaging material must be marked in a visible location on each article, preferably on at least two opposite sides of the article, with a legible and permanent mark that indicates that the article meets the requirements of this paragraph. The mark must be approved by the International Plant Protection Convention in its International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures to certify that wood packaging material has been subjected to an approved measure, and must include a unique graphic symbol, the ISO two-letter country code for the country that produced the wood packaging material, a unique number assigned by the national plant protection agency of that country to the producer of the wood packaging material, and an abbreviation disclosing the type of treatment ( e.g. , HT for heat treatment or MB for methyl bromide fumigation). The currently approved format for the mark is as follows, where XX would be replaced by the country code, 000 by the producer number, and YY by the treatment type (HT or MB):

While we have not receive any official U. S. notification of this increased enforcement, Customs officers have verbally advised us that they would prefer to see the SWPM statement with any shipment that contains pallets that may not be properly marked. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has provided us with the following information – Update on Wood Packaging (PDF).

Please note that no recent changes have been made to the regulations, however, we strongly advise that all shippers to the USA review the requirements and their internal practices to assure that you are in compliance. Should you have further questions, please contact Pacific Customs Brokers at 604.538.1566 and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Normally a non-bonded carrier must have the shipment released at the first point of arrival (ie. the border). However, if the non bonded carrier cannot obtain release of the shipment at the border and chooses to bring a shipment inland for release at another CBSA office, the carrier must post a single trip authorization bond at the Canadian border or be authorized to use the carrier code of a bonded carrier. Otherwise, the non-bonded carrier may be issued a penalty.

A single trip authorization may be acquired in one of two ways:

• By posting security directly with CBSA using cash or a certified cheque
• By engaging a customs broker, such as Pacific Customs Brokers, who provides this service

In order for Pacific Customs Brokers to assist you with this request, it’s helpful for you or your driver to notify us in advance so the documentation can be prepared before arrival at the border. The information that you or your drivers would need to provide is:

• Power of attorney with method of payment
• Invoice for the goods be transported
• Truck & trailer registration
• Copy of driver’s license
• Carrier code
• Specify the reason that the bond is required

Although there are some limitations with being a non-bonded carrier, there are options available to you.

If you are interested in our single trip bond service or becoming a bonded carrier, please contact our Carrier Help Desk for assistance.

The recent Partners in Protection (PIP) Newsletter confirmed as at January 1, 2012, there were 1,449 PIP Members in Canada. With the recent announcements with the U.S. for a “shared vision for perimeter security”, PIP has also confirmed that 78% of all PIP Members are already C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) Certified as well.

Is it necessary? For some, yes! PIP Membership is a necessity for eligibility into certain programs. As a PIP Member you are committed to supply chain security, and the benefits include:

• Eligibility to apply to the FAST Program;
• Eligibility to the Low Value Shipment Program;
• Enhanced reputation as being a low-risk company;
• Fewer border delays; and
• Expedited clearances

As the United States and Canada have agreed to a shared vision for perimeter security, we can expect that perimeter security to slowly become more harmonized.

What does that mean exactly? To start, an initiative has been announced for the C-TPAT and PIP Programs. Other programs will become more integrated such as the Trusted Trader Program and Partners in Compliance (under the Customs Self Assessment).

Of the 1,449 PIP Members in Canada, 62% of those are highway carriers. The benefits of expedited border clearances and fewer inspections combined with the enhanced reputation can provide you with a competitive advantage, as well as position your organization to be internationally recognized.

Pacific Customs Brokers is pleased to provide a PIP and C-TPAT informative seminar on March 29, 2012, which will provide you with details about the applications and the membership processes.  To register for the PIP Seminar. To register for the C-TPAT Seminar.

So there you are, after months of painstaking research and hours upon hours of development and negotiation, your first shipment has landed in the United States with all the promise of untold profits and growth. That”s when you receive the phone call that brings you back to reality. “Your shipment has been scheduled for an Non-Intrusive Imaging (NII) exam” your custom broker calmly explains.

NII exams commonly referred to as x-ray or Vacis exams are performed daily in ports all across the United States, and are designated randomly and are totally unavoidable.   The costs average around $250 per container and can take up to two weeks to complete, depending on the amount of containers scheduled for the x-ray exam.

A Non-Intrusive Imaging exam was not part of the discussion when you were negotiating the terms of sale with your overseas supplier.

Can you imagine explaining to your new client why their first shipment is going to arrive a week to two weeks later than you promised. Rubbing salt into the wound, you also now have to pay an additional $250 just for the pleasure.

Steering through the unforeseen challenges of importing into the United States can seem daunting. With a professional team in place surprises are eliminated and the unforeseen challenge is handled efficiently and effectively.

So what are some of the steps you should take to deal with possible delays and additional costs? The first step is to acknowledge that they exist. Once you come to terms with the fact that you are not exempt from problems, planning for them becomes that much easier.

Some key suggestions:

• Determine the best ports of entry for your goods. Los Angeles is one of the busiest ports in the world and the back log of containers to be examined can stretch for weeks.   Oakland and Seattle are good alternatives, usually have lower fees and are serviced by the major rail lines.
• Subsume possible delays into your projected delivery dates. This will allow for a surprised and happy client when the goods arrive a few days earlier than anticipated.   If there are delays the client is still assured of receiving the goods around the time you promised.
• Present the documents to your customs broker in advance of the vessel arriving. Customs brokers are allowed to transmit shipment information 5 days in advance of the vessel arriving in port, meaning the goods can be pre-cleared and ready to go once the container becomes available.
• Have your designated carrier on alert and make sure the container is picked up, delivered and returned to the terminal depot within their time frames to avoid costly demurrage and per diem fees.

As with most unexpected surprises, a good contingency plan will take the sting out and give you the opportunity to still realize some of the rewards you imagined when you started to develop your business plan.

The event will bring together business leaders from BC and Washington communities adjacent to the border to renew and develop business relationships and opportunities presented by the recently announced “Beyond the Border Action Plan” agreed by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama.

In addition, information will be provided about “Globe 2012”, a major international conference and trade fair on business and the environment to be held in Vancouver, BC March 14-16. Joint venture investment and business opportunities will be emphasized.

According to event organizer Jim Pettinger, “The decade following 9/11 saw a “thickening” of the border in response to security needs. The new “action plan” between our two countries promises “perimeter security” and greatly improved border access at all levels.”

Don Alper, the first of two keynote speakers, will provide attendees with an update on the recent Canada/USA border “action plan”, which addresses “perimeter security” and is intended to remove many major and minor barriers to trade and tourism. Alper is a professor and director at the Center for Canadian-American Studies and Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.

Cheryl Schell has been involved with the Globe series of biennial environmental conferences and trade fairs held in Vancouver, BC since their inception in 1990. She will highlight opportunities for individuals and organizations on both sides of the border to develop business, investment and joint-venture opportunities. Schell is the President of C/Schell Marketing Services, Langley, BC. Formerly, she was the Sr. Commercial Specialist at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, BC.

The cross-border update will be of interest to all persons involved with Canada/USA trade, tourism, investment, government, education and economic development.

Sponsors of the event include: Port of Bellingham, Pacific Corridor Enterprise Council (PACE), Ferndale Chamber of Commerce, South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Business Monthly Online, and International Market Access, Inc.

The cross-border update luncheon will be held from 11:30 am to 2:15 pm on Friday, February 24 at the Silver Reef Casino Hotel Spa, Haxton Way at Slater Road, Ferndale, WA. Cost for the event is $35 pre-registered or $45 at the door. For more information contact Carol Jackson at 1-800-799-8848 or visit our website to register.

This means drivers carrying any parts or components for goods previously accounted for on one invoice will need to clear Customs against the original declaration previously provided to CBSA at the same port of entry as approved.

Carrier documentation requirements:

Each driver should then have a bill of lading and a packing list indicating all goods on board. These documents should be noted with a specific reference number being used to identify the original entry. Common examples would be the serial#, Unit#, VIN#, PO#, Shippers# or any other number that is unique to the complete commodity.

In addition, the driver should note which load number   they are of the total number of trucks needed to complete the delivery. For example:   load 3 of 12.

Next step is to notify the customs broker of your intent to cross the border. Indicate the PORT (which can only be the CBSA port listed on the CBSA approval form), estimated time of arrival (ETA) and phone number for the driver in the event the driver needs to be reached. If a cargo control number (CCN) has not been provided, please ensure that the driver is aware of the carriers “carrier code”, as a manifest will be required upon arrival. Charges to generate a cargo control number/barcode for the driver may apply if not previously provided.

Do you have components on board for more than one prime entry OR extra parts not for a prime entry?

If so, the driver will need to generate a SEPARATE bill of lading (BOL), separate packing list & separate CCN for each list of items that will be specific to each prime entry.

Extra parts shipped with an ETA load that are not a part of an original transaction will also require a separate BOL, packing list, Canada Customs or commercial invoice indicating all information required for Customs & separate CCN.

Comments:

Please note that drivers generally will not be provided any “invoices” for their load because the master invoice for the complete transaction would have already been declared to CBSA   More than likely, the driver will have a packing list, BOL, indication of what unit they have parts for, load# & CCN#. If the drivers have parts for more than one unit, they need to provide a separate list. For more information on this blog, please feel free to contact the carrier help desk at 855.542.6644 or email carrierhelpdesk@pcb.ca.

Border Pro for Carriers powered by Pacific Customs Brokers, introduces a number of new features which leverages technology developed to support the BorderPro iPhone app. A not so obvious feature – is the addition of short message service (SMS) and email subscriptions to PARS and SCN shipment entries.

Email and SMS subscriptions are now offered on both our website based PARS and SCN tracking pages, as well as our iPhone application. At the time of submitting your PARS or SCN number,   the user can also provide a valid email or SMS/mobile number. We will then confirm/validate that your PARS or SCN number is valid and then subscribe you to that tracking number.  You will receive a subscription confirmation by SMS or email as well as an email or SMS for every status change to the point of release. Using this you can search once, subscribe and be notified as your shipment is prepared and released. This can also allow your dispatch office to enter the tracking number on behalf of trucks en-route and providing the drivers SMS or email address for receiving updates. Invalid entries will not be subscribed for reasons such as; the number does not match in our system. This may be because Pacific Customs Brokers is not the designated customs broker associated to the shipment or simply human error and the number was entered incorrectly.

Be sure to give this a try on your next SCN or PARS lookup, submit once – add your preferred method of getting tracking updates and you will be notified on all status changes for that given shipment. For more information, please visit our BorderPro for Carriers web pages or contact our carrier help desk for assistance with this new and exciting feature.

Watch for multi-PARS and SCN support later this year as we continue to develop the back end support for the BorderPro iphone app.

As the General Manager of Information Technology for Pacific Customs Brokers, it was obvious from the beginning, Pacific”s commitment to technology. In the early 1990”s, Pacific”s primary focus was to be established on the internet, with email services and websites. Shortly after, we developed a PDF document system (www.formlink.com) that allowed our clients to submit customs documentation directly through an online forms system, which is still used by many of our clients today for both U.S. and Canadian documentation. Almost 20 years later the technology landscape is quite different.   The focus now is on services and website users expect more than just marketing material. The reach of internet is everywhere and smartphones, iPhones and iPads are now commonplace. Mobiles are becoming the platform (some might argue it has already became the platform) and Pacific Customs Brokers recognizes the need for an iPhone Application for carriers.

The concept was a fairly simple one, create an iPhone app that exposes our PARS and SCN tracking lookups.   Our existing website based tracking is heavily used by many carriers servicing our clients for tracking the release status of shipments. Our development focus over the past 10 years has been on web-based solutions.   Developing an iPhone app required a change in our development process, a change in technology and a re-tooling of our backend web-services to leverage the iPhone platform.   An iPhone application is quite different from the fluid nature of developing website based applications.   With a website we can tweak on the fly, make changes, test and fix. The iPhone development is much more stringent – it is about getting it right before it is released.   For us this meant rethinking our design process, our marketing process and our development process from the ground up.

The “BorderPro” iPhone app is a first for Pacific Customs Brokers, and a first in North America for a purpose built customs brokerage tracking application.   It provides direct lookups for both PARS and SCN entries into our backend systems – giving the end user real-time clearance status updates.   It also provides the end user the ability to subscribe to a SCN or PARS tracking feed and receive SMS/Text messages with up to date tracking changes for any number of PARS or SCN numbers.   Any client can easily track and get tracking updates from any iPhone anywhere, anytime of the day or night.

The BorderPro iPhone app is the result of close to a year of planning, testing, design, and learning and is clearly a stepping stone into the future for Pacific Customs Brokers.   Our IT team has plans for the next version of our iPhone app that will add new features and functionality to this platform making it even more useful to our customers, clients and partners.

During that time, Pacific has taken many twists and turns, but always committed to technology.

Learn more about the BorderPro iPhone app »