Customs self-assessment program won’t meet April deadline

OTTAWA (Jan. 29, 2001) — A Canada Customs and Revenue Agency initiative to streamline the flow of information, drivers, and freight across the border from the United States will not meet its April 29 implementation deadline and may not be in place until late this year.

Federal legislation to enact the agency’s customs self-assessment (CSA) and administrative monetary penalty system (AMPS) failed to pass before the election last fall and must be introduced again.

CSA promised to end the time-consuming process of filing documentation on paper for each individual shipment and questioning all truck drivers crossing the border. Under CSA, there would be voluntary pre-registration of the driver, carrier, and importer. Trucks carrying high-volume, low-risk cargo from the United States would arrive at the border and customs agents would confirm who the carrier is and who the importer is. Importers and carriers whose registrations are approved under the program would be able to get their cargo automatically cleared.

There would be more stringent pre-clearance requirements for goods not approved under the new program, and harsh monetary penalties for shippers and carriers that abuse their pre-clearance status.

The program is voluntary. Among the strongest supporters of the self-assessment program have been automakers, food companies, computer makers and other manufacturers, such as Kodak Canada, that ship large volumes across the border.