Are You Prepared For Increased Import Compliance Scrutiny?

Importers in the retail and consumer products sectors should be carefully reviewing their trade compliance policies and procedures as Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is scrutinizing customs compliance in a number of areas — including declarations of origin, tariff classification and customs valuation.   

Failure to meet these requirements under the Customs Act (Act) can result in the imposition of administrative monetary penalties, seizures and ascertained forfeitures, the assessment of duties, taxes and penalizing interest, and the denial of duty-free access to the Canadian market. Of particular concern for retailers with just-in-time business models, non-compliance significantly disrupts cross-border product flow and can cause lengthy and costly delays in getting your product into the hands of Canadian consumers.