Customs Notice 08-009

March 19, 2008

1.This notice is for the attention of importers, customs brokers and service providers and is an update to Customs Notice 07-029, Measures to Increase the Use of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for Release Purposes, issued on October 12, 2007. 

2.The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has worked with industry to address any issues arising from the requirement to transmit import data using EDI and issued Customs Notice 07-037, Declaration of Goods on Release Requests, on December 7, 2007. This provided clarification on the information contained in the Accelerated Commercial Release Operations Support System (ACROSS) Participants Requirements Document (PRD) related to the submission of the Release on Minimum Documentation with non-appraisal quality information.

 
3.Effective April 1, 2008, all customs brokers acting on behalf of importers must be capable of transmitting release requests through EDI. This includes sub-agents acting on behalf of other brokers. Commercial importers obtaining release of their own shipments must also be EDI-capable by that date. Brokers and importers not EDI-capable by April 1, 2008, will be permitted to present a paper "C" type Form B3, Canada Customs Coding Form, for commercial releases. 

4.Release requests for commercial goods must be transmitted to the CBSA under an EDI service option if the total number of invoice lines is 100 or less. 

5.The exceptions to EDI release will remain in effect until an EDI option is introduced. Exceptions lead sheets will continue to be required on paper release requests. Release Programs continues to work towards the resolution of the exceptions. 

6.The following cases are exceptions to using EDI: 

a.Goods are subject to the requirements of another government department or agency and there is no EDI link between the CBSA and the other government department or agency; 

b. The invoice for the release transaction contains more than 100 invoice lines; 

c. The release is for Shortages, Entered to Arrive, Value Included, Provisional, etc. where there is no EDI option; 

d. There is more than one warehouse sub-location code per release transaction; 

e. The release transaction is covered by multiple highway cargo control numbers at the border; 

f. The CBSA has issued a paper Form Y50, Reject Document Control, to the importer/broker for courier/low-value shipments; 

g. Goods are moved into a bonded warehouse using the release on minimum documentation option (grey wrapper); or 

h. Goods are to be released from a Queen's warehouse. 

7.For information concerning electronic release requests, refer to the ACROSS PRD or visit the Electronic Commerce Unit Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca. 

8.Inquiries related to this notice should be directed to the following: 

Release Programs and Commercial Direction Unit
Commercial Border Policy Division
Border and Compliance Programs Directorate
4th Floor, 150 Isabella Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0L8

E-mail: release-mainlevee@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca