CTA Voices Concerns About Proposed Customs Changes

(Truck News)

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has voiced concern over certain aspects of proposed legislation in Canada that could impact the in-bond inland clearance of goods.

The CTA made its opinion known to a Senate Committee on National Security and Defence this week, which was exploring the possible impacts of Bill S-2, An Act to Amend the Customs Act.

For the most part, CTA supports the bill, which it says would “more fairly distribute the responsibility for gathering and presenting required data on goods entering Canada to all supply chain participants.”

Currently the onus is on the carrier to provide advanced information to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) about the truck, driver and goods entering Canada, even though the carrier does not own or package the cargo, and in some cases hasn’t loaded the freight.

This puts the carrier at risk of being held up at the border if there are inaccuracies in the paperwork, even if the incorrect data concerns the cargo. Under Bill S-2, it’s possible the Governor-in-Council could take some of the burden off the carrier, and make other supply chain partners more accountable.

“CTA supports this amendment,” said CTA CEO David Bradley during his testimony. “CTA believes that over time there has been far too much regulatory obligation placed on the carrier community relative to other supply chain partners and the proposed amendment could provide better balance. CTA has advocated that increased responsibility should be placed on all parties in the supply chain that own the information supplied to CBSA.” Read more here.