The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) conducted an annual review of the financial security requirement
for each importer’s RM business account on October 20, 2025. This process, which runs through the CARM Client Portal (CCP), is designed to recalculate the minimum financial security required for importers to maintain their Release Prior to Payment (RPP) privileges for 2026. This will be an annual review on October 20th of each year.
The RPP program enables importers to have their goods customs released before paying duties and taxes.
The CBSA reviews historical import activity over a 12 month period (October 20th of the previous year to October 19th of the current year) to identify the single highest month of total duties and taxes owed which determines the importer’s required security amount.
When accessing CARM, importers will see the following message:
Please refer to the CBSA’s Q&A for more details.
Importers will be notified of their new security requirement via CARM. Only those importers requiring a security adjustment will receive a notification.
Importers will have until January 15, 2026, to post any required increase in their financial security.
Failure to comply with the new, higher security requirement by the deadline will result in the suspension of RPP privileges, which then requires payment of duty/tax prior to obtaining release of goods.
To remain compliant and continue to benefit from RPP privileges, you should take the following next steps:
- Log into the CCP to check for new financial security notifications.
- Compare the new requirement against your current posted bond or deposit.
- Coordinate with your customs broker or surety provider to adjust your bond or top up your deposit.
- Ensure the increased financial security is accepted in the CCP before the January 15, 2026 deadline.
For more information, contact Brian Rowe, Director – Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs.
