CBSA Mandates Electronic Reporting For Exporters

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced it will eliminate paper reporting for Exports. The Declaration form (B13A) will no longer be accepted as of June 30th, 2020. Exporters or their service providers will have to report their exports electronically.

CBSA announced that there will be two electronic reporting methods for exporters to report their goods; the Canadian Export reporting System (CERS) and the G7 Export Reporting Electronic Data Interchange (G7-EDI). CERS will be in place by March 16th, 2020 and Exporters can apply at that time. The G7-EDI is currently available and can be used now.

CERS is a new system that will replace the Canadian Automated Export Declaration system (CAED). CERS is a web based self-service portal enabling exporters to submit declarations to include summary reporting and bulk loads to the CBSA. G7-EDI provides a direct link to the CBSA Accelerated Commercial Release Operations Support System (ACROSS). 

Exporters who are currently using CAED and Summary Reporters will receive a letter from CBSA sometime between February and June of 2020 providing information on how to activate their CERS account. CAED will be decommissioned by the end of June 2020.

Exporters exporting goods, which require a permit, must provide a paper copy of the permit issued at the place specified in the permit and if not specified at the port where the export occurs. This regulatory requirement will not be automated at this point.

Export declarations and related permits must be submitted in the following time frames:

• Mail- 2 hours before the goods are delivered to the post office
• Highway- Immediately before leaving the country
• Air- 2 hours before the goods are loaded on the aircraft
• Marine – 48 hours before the goods are loaded onto the vessel
• Rail – 2 hours before the goods are loaded onto the rail car.

Further information on CERS.

Export Consultation Services

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