Please keep in mind the following dates for important upcoming border/customs compliance deadlines:
Transponder Cost Increase – December 28, 2015
Please be reminded that there only two weeks remaining until the cost of cross border transponders will go from $205 USD to $401.67 USD. Effective December 28, 2015, all cross border transponders will see the price increase nearly twice as much. CTA is strongly encouraging all members to renew or purchase transponders for trucks expected to cross the border in 2016 before December 28th.
ACI AMPS – January 11, 2016
CTA also wants to remind carriers that AMPS penalties related to ACI eManifest may be issued to non-compliant carriers effective January 11, 2016. CBSA recently reported less than 1% of carriers crossing the border are arriving with no eManifest at all and 3% of carriers arriving at the border are not meeting the minimum one hour advance time frames.
Both of these scenarios could result in a carrier being issued a penalty. The one hour required minimum before a driver can approach the border doesn’t start when the carrier sends the information to the CBSA, but when the CBSA has sent acknowledgement back to the carrier.
With respect to January 11, 2016, CBSA has assured CTA that BSO’s will take measures to clear trucks on primary as much as possible, recognizing that this will have to balance with the traffic volumes. Non-compliance will most likely be handled at secondary. CTA remains cautiously optimistic that January 11 will not result in increased delays at ports into Canada. Concerns still remain over exemptions, exceptions and empties, and CTA has reiterated to CBSA the importance of ensuring all front line officers are clear on when an eManifest is required and when it is not.
CTA will be closely monitoring port operations January 11 and the weeks that follow. Members are strongly encouraged to contact CTA immediately, if experiencing any of the following; lengthy delays, AMPS penalties, confusion at ports of entry or other anomalies in cross border processing.
Email concerns to local provincial association with a CC to customs@184.107.41.75