Canada Customs delays certain ETA requirements

OTTAWA (April 17, 2000) — Canada Customs has postponed indefinitely a policy that would have required carriers, freight forwarders, or agents who issue customs documents to the importer or customs broker to provide an estimated date and time of arrival of the goods at the customs office of release. The importer or customs broker would have been required to provide the ETA as part of the release information.

The policy, outlined in Customs Notice N-306, was scheduled for implementation July 30, 2000. On Friday, Canada Customs issued N-321, postponing the requirements pending a further policy review.

However, there is no change to the requirement that an importer or broker include an ETA when submitting a Prearrival Review System (PARS) service option. In addition, there are no changes to the time frames for the submission of post-arrival release requests as outlined in Customs Notice N-265, Time Frames for the Release of Goods.

Following the policy review, a new customs notice will be issued before the implementation date for any new or revised policy or the re-activation of the ETA and container requirements.

For more information, contact Mark Laramore, Release and Warehouse Programs, Import Process Division, 8th floor, Vanguard Bldg., Ottawa ON K1A 0L5; 613-952-0202; mark.laramore@ccra-adrc.gc.ca