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A quick primer on how to prevent even more supply chain disruption.
CARM is now live. And inertia will cause disruption to your business.
explainer
A quick and not-at-all-alarmist primer on how to prevent even more supply chain disruption.
CARM inertia is about to get your imports delayed at the border.
The launch of CARM is an ideal time to figure out what's current, what's outstanding and what you may not have to pay. It's an arduous process, but help is available.
Reconcile your account
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Surprise! You've been using your customs broker's surety bond all along to secure your imports. Under CARM, you now need your own bond.
Get a bond
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Your customs broker needs access to your CARM client portal account; otherwise they can't pay duties and taxes on your behalf. Don't forget this important step.
Give your broker access
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Time's up. If you're not registered on the CARM Client Portal, and have not delegated authority to your broker(s), accounting can't be completed on your imported goods.
Register on the CARM Client Portal
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4 Actions Every Importer Must Take
Surprise! You've been using your customs broker's surety bond all along to secure your imports. Under CARM, you'll need your own bond. Good news! You can get one here.
Give yourself enough time to work out the challenges that may arise during the registration process, and to delegate authority and familiarize yourself with the portal.
Register before Oct. 2024
4 - Reconcile your account
3 - Get a bond
2 - Give your broker access
1 - Register before Oct. 2024
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How it affects you
Why this is important
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This is NOT a drill
CARM is the official system of record. Obtaining the release of imported goods prior to accounting and payment of duties has significantly changed for importers. If you haven’t registered and delegated authority to your customs broker, your broker can't complete the accounting on your behalf. If accounting is not completed for your cleared shipments, you will likely be charged late accounting penalties as well as additional fees for every shipment released and not accounted for.
Most importers have yet to meet these requirements and the time window to do so is rapidly closing.
Delays at the border mean disappointed customers, angry carrier partners, lost revenue and tarnished business reputation.
You need to gather a healthy volume of your trade data and go through a rigorous processe in order to complete your CARM Portal registration. You'll need to get your own surety bond, which can be a very lengthy and involved process. If you're a Livingston client, you can get one with a preferred rate through Livingston's simplified process.
You'll need to get your own surety bond, which can sometimes be a very lengthy and involved process. You can get one with a preferred rate through Livingston's simplified process.
You will need to gather a healthy volume of your trade data and go through a rigorous processe in order to complete your CARM Portal registration so don't leave it to the last minute. You'll need to get your own surety bond, which can be a very lengthy and involved process. You can get one with a preferred rate through Livingston's simplified process.
Once the next Release is in effect, CARM will become the official system of record. Obtaining the release of imported goods prior to accounting and payment of duties will significantly change for importers. If you haven’t registered and delegated authority to your customs broker by October 21 (Release 3), your broker won’t be able to complete the accounting on your behalf after the blackout period. If accounting is not completed for your cleared shipments, you will likely be charged late accounting penalties as well as additional fees for every shipment released and not accounted for.
Watch the short, fun videos on this page.
Learn about CARM
What is CARM?
Understanding the CARM Client Portal
CARM Customs Bond Requirements
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Ideally, you should do both by yesterday. If you haven't, you'll need to do both before CARM launches in October 2024. If you don't, your goods are going to be stuck at the border until the full accounting and payments process can be completed.
See answer
By when do I need to register on the Portal and get a bond?
There is. The CBSA requires a minimum bond of $5,000, or 50% of your highest monthly duty/tax bill over the past 12 months (whichever is highest). You can also post a cash deposit for 100% of your highest monthly duty/tax bill over the past 12 months.
Is there a minimum bond requirement?
Most importers use their customs broker's bond to insure transactions. But once CARM is launched in May 2024, that will no longer be allowed. Each importer must have their own bond.
Why didn't the CBSA require me to have a bond until now?
The CBSA wants assurance that each importer will pay the duties and taxes owing. A customs bond ensures they will get their money even if the importer defaults on payment.
What is a customs bond and why does the CBSA require one?
Times will vary by organization. However, Registration can often be complex and time-consuming, requiring importers to obtain a GCkey, answer multiple affinity questions and provide additional details to complete the process.
How long does it take to register on the CARM Client Portal?
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5 common questions on CARM
The CBSA wants to ensure that it's going to get paid duties and taxes owing from each importer. To do this, it requires each importer to provide financial surety. This can come in the form of a customs bond or a cash deposit. Either way, the surety must be posted by the importer, not a third-party, such as a customs broker.
Surety
Your CARM Client Portal account is YOURS. Just like your bank account. If you plan on having your customs broker pay your duties and taxes on your behalf after May 2024, you will need to give your broker(s) access to the Portal through the Delegation of Authority process. The good news is the CBSA has created a detailed video and web page to help guide you through.
Delegation of Authority
If you've ever had to report a stolen credit card, you probably know that credit card companies grill you with a number of security questions before they'll even entertain a discussion. The same goes with CARM registration. The CBSA is going to ask a series of affinity questions. These are questions about your transactions with the CBSA. The problem is, for most importers, it's their customs broker who takes care of those transactions, and importers don't have much visibility into them. So you may need to get the answers to the affinity questions from your customs broker.
Affinity Questions
GC stands for Government of Canada. The GCkey is basically a way for the government to authenticate who you are BEFORE it gives you the option to sign up for the CARM Client Portal. So you have to register for and get your GCkey before you can register for the CARM Client Portal.
GCkey
CARM lingo you need to know
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Download our CARM FAQs to get answers to all your questions (and some you didn't know to ask).
Learn more
Access webinars, how-to videos and more in-depth resources on the impact of CARM and the actions importers need to take.
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