Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Border information for business
Cross-border supply chains are vital to ensure the continued flow of goods, including food and medical supplies for all Canadians. The CBSA and our federal partners are working with commercial stakeholders to ensure that commercial traffic at the border is not impeded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Border restrictions and exemptions for commercial and trade
The CBSA is committed to supporting Canadian importers and exporters and the free flow of goods and services across our international borders.
To ensure that critical infrastructure, essential services and economic supply chains continue between Canada and the United States (US), certain travellers are exempt from entry restrictions and/or the requirements to quarantine. This allows food, fuel, and life-saving medicines to reach people on both sides of the border.
- Find out Who is exempt from quarantine.
If you are exempted from the requirement to quarantine, you are still required to follow the public health measures outlined in the Public Health Agency of Canada handout for persons exempt from mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19.
More information
General information for our business clients
To help us respond to your questions quickly, if you are a business client using the services listed below, submit your inquiries, requests or questions via email or electronic forms:
You may be affected by processing delays if you are importing goods by mail. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant increase in volume, resulting in processing delays at the three (3) international mail centres.
Learn more about Importing goods by mail.
Electronic notices
We urge carriers who do not already get electronic notices to sign up as soon as possible. Drivers and carriers who get electronic notices do not need to stop at Primary Inspection Lines (PIL) for a stamped copy of the lead sheet. This reduces document handling at PILs and is an important safety measure during COVID-19.
Electronic Longroom
The Electronic Longroom is an email and digital stamping service offered at some CBSA offices. Commercial clients can use this service instead of submitting paper, allowing the continued movement of cargo without the need for face-to-face interaction. The initiative is being expanded as part of CBSA's response to COVID-19.
Read more about the Electronic Longroom service, including the available locations.
Changes to CBSA services for importers
CBSA Assessment Revenue Management initiative: Delayed implementation
A planned implementation timeline will be added once operations normalize, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more about the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project.
Release of goods regulated by other government departments
As of , the CBSA decommissioned the legacy Other Government Department (OGD) release service options OGD PARS (SO463) and OGD RMD (SO471) as of .
Release requests submitted using the OGD legacy service options will be rejected with an error message of “Invalid Function Type Code”. Transactions that were submitted using these service options prior to , will still be processed.
Please refer to Customs Notice 20-21 for the release service options that remain available to you.
More information
Relevant customs notices
For information related to temporary measures such as extension of timeframes, late accounting penalties, importation of emergency goods and system changes:
- Customs Notice 20-19, Certain Goods Remission Order (COVID-19)
- Customs Notice 20-12, COVID-19: Tariff Classification and Other Information to Import Medical Supplies
- Customs Notice 20-11, Extension of Timeframes for Payment of Customs Duties and GST (COVID-19)
- Customs Notice 20-10, Waiver of Late Accounting Penalties (COVID-19)
- Customs Notice 20-09, Changes in Requesting an Extension to the 90-day Period to Submit Corrections
- Customs Notice 20-08, Imported Goods for Emergency Use in Response to COVID-19
Statements of account
The payment deferral period ended on . If you are an importer or customs broker acting on an importer’s behalf, you should have paid the full amount of duties and taxes owing on your statements of account by this date.
We may refer an unpaid account to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for collection activities. If you cannot make a full payment, the CRA may consider a payment arrangement. Late payment penalty and interest may be charged on overdue accounts. You can submit a request for a review for late accounting penalties and late transaction payment interest to the CBSA.
You, the importer, or your customs broker, will need to provide written evidence of any payments made to the CBSA against your March, April, May and June 2020 statements of account. We will use this evidence to consider each request to waive interest or penalties on a case-by-case basis.
The CBSA can use a bond posted as financial security for an importation of goods transaction to cover unpaid statements of account. However, this is only done after exhausting other reasonable efforts to collect from importers or owners.
More information
- Bulletin 63: End of the deferral period for the payment of duties and taxes
- Government provides update on sales tax and duty payment deferral
- How to file a review for: Late accounting penalties and late transaction payment interest
- Commercial payments and accounts
- Customs debt collection
- COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
- Accounting for Imported Goods and Payment of Duties Regulations
- Questions about the current status of an account? Visit our Contact us page for help
Changes to CBSA services for exporters
Export declarations
On September 30, 2020, the CBSA launched the Canadian Export Reporting System (CERS), a web-based portal for exporters to electronically submit their export declarations and monthly summary reports. Paper-based reporting is no longer available. Please submit monthly Summary Reporting Program (SRP) reports via the CERS Portal.
More information
Special Import Measures Act activities: Schedule changes
Due to COVID-19, the CBSA revised schedules for a number of Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) activities. Refer to our Anti-dumping and countervailing page for more details.
Related links
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Canada’s response
- Federal safety guidance to protect drivers and limit the spread of COVID-19 in commercial vehicle operations
- Information on importing and exporting
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