September 12th 2024 – The CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) program will launch Release 3 for importers and brokers on October 21. To ensure you are ready, please review the following details…
CUTOVER PERIOD – CARM REGISTRATION:
From October 4 (4:00 pm ET) to October 21 (3:00 am ET), there will be a cutover period. It is crucial to complete your registration before October 4, as access to the CARM portal will be suspended during this time. Trade Chain Partners (TCPs) will not be able to onboard to the portal until it reopens on October 21. New warehouse registrations will also be paused during this period, preventing the submission of cargo and release documents to those warehouses.
CUTOVER PERIOD – SYSTEMS:
Beginning October 4 at 4:00 pm ET, some CBSA legacy systems, including the Customs Commercial System (CCS) and the Customs Automated Data Exchange (CADEX), will be retired and no longer available.
Release Notification messages via CADEX will cease on October 4 at 4:00 pm ET. However, the Release Notification System (RNS) will continue to operate during and after the cutover. Importers and brokers relying on CADEX for Release Notifications should explore alternative methods for obtaining this information. For details, refer to the RNS application form on the CBSA website.
Electronic accounting documents (B3/CAD) will be withheld until CARM functionality and the Commercial Accounting Declaration (CAD) are available on October 21. Starting October 21, TCPs will need to submit their backlog of CADs in the new format. To manage this process effectively, the CBSA has established a submission schedule, available in Customs Notice 24-29: Preparing for the CARM October Implementation – Cutover Period (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).
180-DAY GRACE PERIOD:
Commercial importers with a history of accounting for goods using their importer business number in the past four years will benefit from the RPP for up to 180 days following CARM’s implementation, provided they have registered in the CARM portal. New importers without such a history will also be eligible for the remainder of the 180-day period, with the financial security requirement set to zero dollars. New importers need only complete the RPP sub-program enrollment to qualify.
During this transition period, importers should ensure they register in the CCP and post applicable financial security to prevent disruptions in the release of goods prior to the end of the 180-day period.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The October Statement of Account (SOA) will be available on October 25, covering all B3s and payments from September 25 to October 4, as well as CARM transactions processed between October 21 and October 24. Transactions not completed by October 24 will be included in the November SOA.
During the cutover period and for 90 days post-implementation, the CBSA will not impose late accounting penalties, late payment penalties, or late payment interest. This timeline may be adjusted to further ease the transition. Note that unpaid SOAs may still be subject to collection measures by the Canada Revenue Agency.
Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) enrollment activities will be paused during the cutover and resume on October 21. New CSA applications must be submitted via the CCP starting October 21. In-progress CSA applications will be transitioned to CARM. Partners in Protection (PIP) enrollment will remain available through the Trusted Trader Portal (TTP).
For more details on the preparations required for the upcoming CARM cutover period, please visit Customs Notice 24-29: Preparing for the CARM October Implementation – Cutover Period (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).
For more cutover preparation details specifically for trade chain partners (TCPs), please visit Customs Notice 24-30: Preparing for the CARM October Implementation — Trusted Trader CARM Cutover Procedures (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).
Should you have any further questions regarding CARM, please contact importcompliance@tbgfs.com.
