The Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) proposed regulations to mandate eManifest requirements for highway carriers under the Advanced Commercial Information (ACI) program were pre-published this weekend in the Canada Gazette, Part I.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance and its members have been working very closely with CBSA since 2005 in designing the ACI program, specifically the highway eManifest policy as well as operational and technical details. Significant time has been invested by CTA and highway carriers in the consultation process. The Alliance is pleased that the mandate is finally being implemented.
What this means is that the mandatory requirements for carriers to supply advance conveyance and shipment information to CBSA will soon be implemented. Voluntary submission of eManifest began in October 2012. According to CBSA, stats from December 2013 indicate over 10,600 highway carriers are currently engaged in eManifest, representing over 95% of the cross-border highway volumes in 2013.
Now that the regulations have been pre-published in the Gazette Part I, public and industry stakeholders will have 30 days to submit comments on the proposed regulation. CBSA will then respond to all comments it receives and once any necessary adjustments are made, the regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette Part II. CBSA will then make a subsequent announcement that eManifest will soon be mandatory and highway carriers will have 45 days advance notice of the mandatory compliance date.
Once the system is mandated, there will be a six month period where zero-rated Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) penalties will be applied to those who do not comply. Following that, carriers risk penalty for non-compliance. CTA has been working closely with CBSA in discussions around the ACI AMPS penalties. Carriers with questions with respect to the ACI AMPS can contact Jennifer.Fox@cantruck.ca for more information.
Highway carriers not yet submitting eManifests to CBSA should prepare now. Carriers can provide eManifest information to CBSA using a variety of methods, either through EDI, Direct Connection with the CBSA, service provider with established connection with CBSA or using the CBSA web based portal. For more information on how to start filing eManifest, please go to CBSA’s website.
