On March 26, 2020, the Canada Border Services Agency (“CBSA”) notified certain importers under verification that the CBSA was temporarily suspending trade compliance activities due to COVID-19 – see The CBSA Temporarily Suspends Trade Compliance Activities due to COVID-19.

On May 19, 2020, importers received an update from the CBSA informing external stakeholders that

Canada has indicated that the Canada-U.S. border will remain closed to non-essential travel until June 21, 2020.  “Non-essential” travel includes travel that is considered as tourism or recreational in nature.

The restrictions may be extended again.  On March 21, the restrictions on essential travel across the border were implemented for a 30-day period in an

On May 6, 2020, the Canada Border Services Agency (“CBSA”) published Customs Notice 20-19 to provide information for Certain Goods Remission Order (COVID-19), SOR-2020-101 (“Remission Order”) under the Customs Tariff.  In order to help the fight against COVID-19, the Remission Order allows for the relief of customs duty for eligible

Many Canadian import businesses have implemented remote working arrangements for employees as a result of COVID-19 government directives.  Social distancing in business organizations can give rise to costly mistakes because business is not as usual.  Importers have to adjust to the new normal and identify new (and existing) business risks.  Most employees and managers are

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, an important humanitarian issue has arisen for individuals (friends and family), companies, and non-governmental organizations.  Many Canadians and residents in Canada have asked whether they can export humanitarian goods (including personal protective equipment (“PPE”)) to countries against whom Canada has imposed sanctions (called “Sanctioned Countries”). Canada clearly exempts humanitarian activities.

Please see the following as published by my law firm, MSK, on April 17, 2020:

Our COVID-19 response team is committed to providing you with the latest updates on COVID-19’s effect on various policies and laws.

Below please find our latest alerts. Feel free to read and share, and contact us if there is

Originally published by the Journal of Commerce in April 2020

We are clearly in unchartered territory at the moment, and most people have the same question – when will things get back to normal? Right now, the truth is no one knows, so all we can concentrate on is the work we have and how

We do not usually post blog posts asking the Government of Canada to change the law.  However, we are doing just that today.  Personal Protective Equipment (known as “PPE”) is taxable in Canada. Face masks, surgical masks,  plastic face shields, protective eyewear used in hospitals, protective gowns and garments used in hospitals, surgical and disposable

The Government of Canada has determined that the trusted traveler programs are not essential and have closed NEXUS Processing Centres for an undetermined period of time.  This means that if a Canada Border Services Agency (“CBSA”) officer mistakenly confiscates a NEXUS Card from a traveler and sends it to a NEXUS Processing Centre, the traveler