Talk to commercial importers, and they will tell you that the process of customs clearance is more complicated than what it seems on paper. If you are dealing in commercial imports, you have to ensure that your shipments are in sync with the laws, regulations, statutory requirements of the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA is responsible for clearing imports, and if you are smart enough, the due processes related to customs can be completed in as little as 20 minutes.
Importers usually work with brokers like Clearit customs clearance. A customs broker is licensed by CBSA and is responsible for completing the due processes and paperwork involved with clearance. In this post, we are decoding all that you must know about the customs clearance process in Canada.
The four easy steps
All international shipments to Canada are first sent to the Canada Border Services Agency. The officials of CBSA will do a visual inspection of the imports and will check if the paperwork is complete as per updated rules and regulations. If the duties have been paid as per rules, the shipments will be inspected and cleared, while in other cases, the shipments can be held by CBSA for further inspections. Most temporary rejections are related to the paperwork, and if you have hired a customs broker, CBSA will inform on the matter. If more duties are to be paid, or additional paperwork is required, they will take care of everything, and in such cases, it doesn’t take long to get customs clearance done.
Permanent rejections can be related to category of goods or for shipments that are not allowed in Canada from certain countries of origin and other reasons. Such shipments are either destroyed by CBSA, or the importer will have to bear the expenses and processes involved in returning the goods to the original source or supplier.
Take help of customs broker
If you don’t understand how clearance works, or need help with certain aspects, consider hiring a customs broker for your commercial importing requirements. That’s the best possible way of keeping a track of the processes and steps involved and mitigating risks that are usually associated with importing. Don’t shy away from asking questions when you work with a customs broker, and make sure that you are aware of the changes in regulations and laws. Staying compliant with customs doesn’t have to be complicated – hire a customs broker today!
