FIRST service option will be eliminated as of January 31, 2008.

March 23, 2007

The purpose of this notice is to advise all parties involved in importing commercial shipments into Canada and to announce changes to the import release process.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is currently developing an initiative entitled Advance Commercial Information (ACI), also referred to as E-manifest. Phase I and II of ACI has already been implemented in both the air and marine modes. ACI is based on the provision of electronic pre-arrival cargo information to the CBSA for risk assessment purposes, and will eventually include electronic pre-arrival importer admissibility data. Further information regarding ACI may be found at www.cbsa.gc.ca.

With the full implementation of ACI in all modes, clients will be required to use either ACI or the Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) for commercial importations. Importers approved to participate in the CSA program are entitled to a streamlined clearance process for eligible goods when an approved carrier and driver registered with the Commercial Driver Registration Program are involved. Further information regarding CSA may be found at www.cbsa.gc.ca.

In order to move the commercial program forward, and prepare clients for full implementation of ACI, and to address security concerns, the CBSA has made the decision to increase the use of EDI by eliminating the use of paper service options to the greatest extent possible. This supports the CBSA's strategy for managing the border and helps achieve a common goal among both government and industry of reducing paper.

Effective with the date of this notice, the CBSA will no longer accept applications for the Frequent Importer Release System (FIRST). In addition, the FIRST service option will be eliminated as of January 31, 2008.

Unless otherwise exempted, paper Release on Minimum Documentation (RMD) and paper Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) service options will not be accepted by the CBSA as of October 15, 2007. The exceptions are as follows:

	Goods subject to the requirements an Other Government Department (OGD) where there is no EDI link between the CBSA and the OGD;
	The invoice for the release transaction contains more than 999 invoice lines;
	There is more than one warehouse sub-location code per release transaction;
	The release transaction is covered by multiple highway cargo control numbers at the frontier;
	The CBSA has issued a paper Form Y50, Reject Document Control, to the importer/broker in the case of courier low-value shipments;
	Bonded warehouse RMD (grey wrapper);
	and Goods to be released from a Queen's warehouse.

The Electronic Commerce Clients Requirement Document provides detailed information on EDI and the Accelerated Commercial Release Operations Support System (ACROSS). To obtain a copy of the chapter relating to ACROSS, please contact:

Electronic Commerce Unit
Systems Operations Division - Commercial
Major Projects and Systems Directorate - Commercial
17th Floor
Sir Richard Scott Building
191 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1A 0L8

Telephone: 1-888-957-7224

Any questions concerning this notice should be directed to:
Release Programs and Commercial Direction Unit
Commercial Policy Division
Border and Compliance Programs Directorate
15th Floor
Sir Richard Scott Building
191 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1A 0L8

Email: release-mainlevee@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca