eManifest: Changing The Face of Importing in Canada

eManifest is the latest buzzword in the trade and customs industry, and it has brought rise to some questions: what exactly is eManifest, and how does it affect the importation process?

eManifest is the latest in a series of measures from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) designed to modernize and improve the cross border commercial process.

The objective of the initiative is to provide CBSA with more information with regards to who is importing shipments by air, ocean, road and rail. The days of having consolidated freight re-manifests physically stamped are heading the way of the typewriter.

In June 2013, CBSA deployed a new system that allowed freight forwarders to transmit advance house bill data on consolidated freight. Starting November 2016, freight forwarders were provided a transition period to adhere to these new requirements.

The initiative is being rolled out in stages to allow the industry time to prepare. As of January 2017, we entered the “zero-rated penalty stage” in which freight forwarders that are not compliant with eManifest requirements will be issued non-monetary penalties under the Administrative Monetary Penalties System (AMPS). Beginning July 2017, monetary penalties will start being issued to the freight forwarders that are deemed non-compliant.

eManifest affects any shipment that has a house bill of lading, whether or not it is consolidated freight. A bill of lading is a transportation contract between a freight company and a customer. It details the movement of the goods, who is importing, who is exporting, and what is being shipped. Under the new requirements, these house bill of lading shipments will have to be electronically manifested by the freight forwarder to detail who the actual importer is.

Orbit Brokers has been monitoring and adhering to these new regulations and has implemented eManifest systems ahead of schedule. Please contact us with any questions you might have.