On April 4, 2020, the Canada Border Services Agency (“CBSA”) published Customs Notice 20-15 “Increase to the Low Value Shipment (LVS) Threshold for Goods Imported into Canada” in which it confirmed that the LVS threshold would increase to CDN $3,300 when the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) (also known as NAFTA 2.0 and USMCA) comes into
Do food importer businesses need an import license to import foreign food into Canada?
The Safe Food for Canadians Act (“SFCA”) came into full force on January 15, 2019 when the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (“SFCR”) were adopted. The SFCA and SFCR apply with few exceptions to all food commodities and create a framework of standards, licensing and other requirements established to ensure that
DOJ Defines Compliance
In the span of the last 18 months, the topic of corporate compliance programs has gotten considerable attention from the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and now finally, DOJ has published significant details about how it is likely to measure the sufficiency of any company’s compliance program.
First, some background. In September 2015, the Yates memo
Canada Commences “Food Safety for Canadians Regulations” Consultation Process
On January 21 2017, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency commenced a consultation regarding proposed “Food Safety for Canadians Regulations”. The proposed Regulations is lengthy and affects imports and importers of food products. This is not meant to suggest that imports are unfairly targeted – this is not the case. Inter-provincial trade in food products and
The CBSA (as Administrator of Laws) Must Follow CITT Decisions (Subject to Limited Exceptions)
This case is a must-read for all customs and trade lawyers. This case is a must- read by other administrative lawyers who appear before quasi-judicial tribunals. The general administrative law rules for law enforcers and tribunals have been clarified in simple, understandable terms. May there be greater certainty, greater predictability and finality as a result
Making NAFTA Relevant Again! Why Did The Chicken Not Cross The Border?
Canada’s Minister of Agriculture, Mr. MacAulay, has said that five Canadian companies have lost their certification to import chicken, stemming from another trade problem related to U.S. imports. The revocations of import privileges relate to mislabeling of good chicken as spent fowl. An investigation was started after a surge in imports of high-quality made-for-meat “broiler”
What Is A “Customs Controlled Area”?
On April 27, 2016, the Canada Border Services Agency (“CBSA”) released Guide BS5156 “What you need to know about Customs Controlled Areas”. In this one page document, the CBSA informs the public that a “customs controlled area” is:
“A designated area where there is a likelihood that domestic employees or domestic origin travellers leaving
ACE Allows For Stricter Customs Enforcement
Originally Published by the Journal of Commerce in August 2016
In the face of its recent reorganization and enhanced computer system, it was really only a matter of time before the trade community started to see Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) better organize its enforcement efforts, and now the first tangible step has been publicly
How Much Dairy Does General Import Permit #1 Allow?
Many Canadians cross border shop but do not realize that not all groceries can be imported into Canada. Most dairy products are subject to import restrictions. Many businesses who import dairy products (and eggs and poultry) know about the import restrictions. The average Canadian does not. Some individuals who cross border shop buy too much
Government of Canada Is Considering Increase to Imports By Mail/Courier Threshold
Glen McGregor of the Ottawa Citizen may have an inside scoop – he says the Government of Canada is considering increasing the Postal Imports Remission Order and the Courier Imports Remission Order thresholds of $20.00. In an article published on January 14. 2016 entitled “Government mulls waiving