At a glance
- What changed
- Regulatory update
- Who is affected
- All Industries
- Business impact
- CBSA's CARM digital initiative is changing how duties and taxes are assessed and collected on commercial goods imported into Canada. Importers and trade chain partners must register, delegate authority, and prepare before the system becomes mandatory.
CARM update
Canada Border Services Agency advised an update on its plans for the launch of the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) initiative. The launch date for trade chain partners was rescheduled to October 2024 to accommodate potential operational impacts. CARM is changing how CBSA assesses and collects duties and taxes on commercial goods imported into Canada, modernizing and streamlining the customs and trade process.
Key points for CARM Release 2
All importers must be compliant with the new system on the implementation date. Businesses must register on the CARM Client Portal, assign delegation of authority to employees and customs brokers, use CBSA educational resources, test in the sandbox environment, partner with prepared service providers, and monitor ongoing updates from CBSA.
What importers should do now
Customs bonded warehouse licensees need to confirm how they will submit warehouse inventory. Importers should register their businesses and delegate authority to their customs broker in CARM now. Customs brokers should continue working with importers to ensure registration and delegated access are in place. Trade consultants and financial security providers can follow CBSA guidance to get started with CARM.
Crane support for Canadian importers
Pre-register on the CARM Client Portal, complete testing, and grant access to employees and brokers. Contact Crane's Canada Customs Team at canada.customs@craneww.com if you need help and support preparing for CARM compliance.
Need help understanding your exposure?
Crane Trade Consulting can help assess tariff impacts, validate exclusions and develop practical mitigation strategies.