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July 2022

News and Views for the clients of Universal Logistics

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Compliance

Are you on the list of customs verification priorities?

The latest semi-annual list of verification priorities for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has been released.

New to the list are Indicator Panels and Light-Emitting Diodes (LED), Heading 85.31 and 84.41, which were added as a verification priority in March 2022:

Indicator Panels

The list also includes many items that have appeared on previous lists:

  • Disposable and Protective Gloves – Subheadings 3926.20 and 4015.19
  • Furniture for non-domestic purposes – Headings 94.01 and 94.03
  • Parts of machines and mechanical appliances – Heading 84.79
  • Pickled vegetables – Heading 20.01
  • Batteries – Heading 85.06
  • Spent Fowl – Headings 02.07, 16.01 and 16.02
  • Cell phone cases – Headings 39.26, 42.02 and 85.17

When a verification priority has been completed (or additional rounds added due to high levels of non-compliance), the CBSA posts the risk assessment and general verification results.  As an example, see below in regards to the misclassification of Pasta:

Pasta (Round 3)

With respect to valuation, there are two continued items:

  • Apparel (Round 4) – Chapters 61 and 62
  • Footwear (Round 2) – Chapter 64

For origin, there are no active verification priorities at this time.

CBSA also maintains a historical verification priorities list, which should be reviewed by all importers as they will likely circle back to these reviews in order to ensure compliance.

The next list of priorities is expected in January 2023.

For more information, contact Brian Rowe, Director – Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs.

eManifest – Mandatory Timeframes and Policies

CBSA

As per eManifest requirements, freight forwarders must electronically transmit pre-arrival house bill data on consolidated freight to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).  The CBSA must receive and validate data within the timeframes specified by mode, as outlined below.  It is imperative that these timeframes are adhered to and that the data submitted is accurate.  Failure to do so could result in monetary penalties issued by the CBSA for non-compliance.

Transmittal Timeframe by Mode of Transport:

  • Air– 4 hours prior to arrival into Canada
  • Highway – 1 hour prior to arrival at border
  • Marine – 24 hours prior to loading on board the vessel at origin (containerized cargo)
  • Rail – 2 hours prior to arrival at border

 Based on CBSA guidelines, the zero-rated penalty period granted to freight forwarders under the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) for electronic house bills ended January 30, 2022 and, as such, the CBSA has commenced issuing monetary penalties for non-compliance.

There are five related penalties that may be applied to freight forwarders:

  • C378 – Person failed to submit the prescribed pre-load/pre-arrival information relating to their cargo and/or conveyance (Level 1 $2,000, Level 2 $4,000, Level 3 $8,000)
  • C379 – Person failed to submit advance information in the prescribed time or prescribed manner to the Agency (Level 1 $250, Level 2 $375, Level 3 $750)
  • C380 – Person failed to comply with a notification issued by the CBSA regarding the goods on board or expected to be on board the conveyance (Level 1 $2,000, Level 2 $4,000, Level 3 $8,000)
  • C381 – Person failed to notify the Agency within prescribed time frames and without delay of any correction to any pre-arrival or pre-load information sent to the CBSA (Level 1 $500, Level 2 $750, Level 3 $1,500)
  • C382 – Person submitted information prescribed by the Reporting of Imported Goods Regulations that was not true, accurate and complete (Level 1 $500, Level 2 $750, Level 3 $1,500)

For more information and guidance, please review the CBSA Detailed Commodity Descriptions document.

For more information, contact David Lychek, Director – Ocean & Air Services.

Port congestion in Europe at critical levels

Loading container ship

Yard density across the Northern European ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Le Havre and Hamburg remains at critical levels, predominantly caused by high dwell times and vessel schedule disruptions.  Congestion at these hub ports has also reached critical levels due to an endless cycle of logistics issues such as full terminals and delayed vessels.

Importers in Europe, much like those in North America, are overloaded with inventory and are delaying the collection of their cargo from ports, which causes congestion at the terminals and reduction in available empty equipment for export shipments.  Due to this congestion, ocean terminals are only accepting loaded containers for exports within very narrow time limits – which is very challenging to manage, especially when coupled with the shortage of truck drivers and empty containers across Europe.

The German ports of Bremerhaven and Hamburg have had further disruptions due to strikes by dock workers, who are demanding pay raises to counter high inflation rates.  They staged a 24 hour walk out in June, however, last week’s 48 hour strike was the longest thus far.  The dock workers have reduced the number of extra shifts at the terminals, which is further exacerbating the congestion issues.  In the German port of Bremerhaven, carriers Maersk and their subsidiary Hamburg Sud have warned importers that containers will be moved to off-dock facilities if not collected “within reasonable time frames”.  We recommend you give as much advance notice as possible if you have shipments you need to arrange to or from the above mentioned ports.

For more information, contact Debbie McGuire, Director – Freight Solutions.

Global Spotlight Quiz
Global Spotlight
During the Film Festival the city is covered with 2 kilometres of red carpet.

Global Spotlight Quiz

Name the city that hosts a world famous Film Festival

  • This coastal city is well-known for its wealthy and chic atmosphere, casino and fancy hotels.
  • Île Sainte-Marguerite is a famous historical site – an island with a fortress prison, 15 minutes away from the city.  The mysterious Man in the Iron Mask spent 11 years of his life here.
  • In 2011, this city hosted the G20 summit.
  • Grace Kelly got married to Prince Rainier of Monaco in this city.
  • The biggest jewel heist in history took place in this city.
  • During World War 1, the city was transformed into a medical base..

See the answer

For more information about shipping freight to or from this city, contact Debbie McGuire, Director – Freight Solutions.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip

What freight quotation is best for your product?

Don’t sign off on a shipment until you have confirmed the quotation is the right match for your product.  For example, a truck shipment going from Los Angeles to Toronto could be quoted per pallet, per pound, per mile or per linear foot of space taken on the truck.

Naara Garcia, Customs Operations
Naara Garcia,
Customs Operations

At Your Service: Naara Garcia, Customs Operations

Naara Garcia joined Universal Logistics in July 2021, as a member of our Head Office Customs Operations Ocean & Air Clearances team.  Naara is responsible for Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Than Container Load (LCL) clearances and deliveries, where her organizational skills and attention to detail have proven to be a valuable resource for our clients.

Naara can be reached by phone (905) 882-4880, ext. 1223 or by email.

July 2022



Route
is produced monthly for the clients of Universal Logistics. Reader comment and story ideas are welcome. Comments of general interest to all Route readers will, with the permission of the writer, be published. Copyright ©
Universal Logistics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction for any commercial use is strictly prohibited.

Route is produced by Universal Logistics. Editor: Bettina Scharnberg. Email: bscharnberg@universallogistics.ca While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained herein, Universal Logistics accepts no responsibility or liability for errors or omissions. Written correspondence should be forwarded to:

Universal Logistics Inc.
125 Commerce Valley Drive West
Suite 750, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 7W4
Tel: 905-882-4880    Fax: 905-882-2250
Attention: Bettina Scharnberg
Universal Logistics

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