The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced that the mandatory April 1st date for the implementation of Single Window will be extended, in favor of a “phased decommissioning” approach. The new date is yet to be announced, but is expected to be set for October 2019.
Customs has made it clear that, regardless of changes to the timeline, brokers and importers are expected to continue using the Integrated Import Declaration (IID), wherever possible.
To further incent the trade community to use the IID, effective immediately, Customs and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will be providing priority service on the IID service option, and CFIA will soon be reducing their service hours for processing legacy OGD service options on ACROSS. CBSA has also communicated that, starting in July, they will consider rejecting transactions submitted on legacy OGD service options, where it is known that the IID is functional for both the product and the client.
Why the change
The announcement regarding a “phased decommissioning” approach comes as a result of several unresolved technical issues, and pressure from the trade community. The following are some of the expected steps that will be taken by the CBSA ahead of decommissioning:
1) In April, an addendum to the Electronic Commerce Client Requirements Document (ECCRD) will be issued detailing the system changes and fixes (a full revised ECCRD will follow in June).
2) At the end of April, the technical fixes will be implemented into CBSA’s test system. Brokers and importers will have the opportunity to test the changes throughout the spring and summer months.
3) In keeping with the policy of providing trade six months to adjust to the changes, CBSA expects to implement the fixes to production in early Fall. However, a firm date has not yet been provided.
In the meantime, CBSA expects brokers and importers to continue using the Integrated Import Declaration (IID). To stay up-to-date about the new implementation timeline, visit CBSA’s Single Window page. The Agency will update this page as new information is released.
Livingston will continue to work with the CBSA to ensure our clients are prepared, and in compliance with all requirements, well within the set timelines. We will keep you apprised of new developments as they arise.
For more information about Single Window, and the various Participating Government Agencies involved, visit /swi.