Importers now benefiting from new accounting system for the collection of duties and taxes for commercial goods

News release

Ottawa (Ontario) – October 21, 2024

Today, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) became the official system to assess and collect duties and taxes for commercial goods imported into Canada. The launch of this system represents the culmination of many years of dedicated effort and innovation at the CBSA, engagement with partners, and simulations to enhance the user experience.

As the Government of Canada’s second-largest revenue collector after the Canada Revenue Agency, this new system better equips the CBSA to protect and grow $40 billion a year in revenue for Canadians.

CARM also benefits trade chain partners by:

eliminating cumbersome and time-consuming paper-based processes
streamlining access to tools and information for importers, giving them the ability to enroll in commercial programs, submit accounting documents and receive notifications through their CARM Client Portal account
maintaining a level playing field for all businesses by providing the CBSA better compliance and enforcement tools

This important milestone follows broad consultation with stakeholders and extensive system testing to ensure a smooth transition from outdated to modern systems.

The launch of CARM will not affect wait times at the border. The system used by officers at the border to determine the eligibility of commercial goods for entry into Canada will not be changing. Additionally, the CBSA has a detailed contingency plan in place to ensure the continuation of commercial activities in the event of any technical issues.

Quick facts

CARM has been extensively tested with more than 7,900 test cases over the course of multiple cycles.
Trade chain partners have been kept up to date on key features of CARM through frequent webinars, regular updates to the CBSA website, direct outreach, and participation in the CBSA’s Trade Chain Partner Working Group.
Between 2018 and 2022, the CBSA conducted 35 consultation sessions, over 60 technical working group sessions and approximately 170 engagement events with trade chain partners, including:
- commercial importers
- customs brokers, exporters
- carriers, couriers
- freight forwarders, duty free shop operators
- customs bonded warehouse operators
- sufferance warehouse operators
- surety companies
- financial institutions
As of October 14, 2024, almost 100,000 individuals and businesses are registered to use CARM including:
- 330 brokers
- Over 99,300 trade chain partners, including 97% of top 3,000 importers by value and 95% of top 3,000 importers by volume
For those who have yet to register, it can take as little as 10 minutes and can be done online or in person at a kiosk at one of our border locations.

Associated links

Contacts

Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
media@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
613-957-6500 or 1-877-761-5945

For non-media CARM inquiries or to join the CARM distribution list, please contact: cbsa.carm_engagement-engagement_de_la_gcra.asfc@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca

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Date modified:: 2024-10-21