WHAT ARE THE BASIC FEATURES OF CARM?
The CARM Client Portal is now accessible to importers and customs brokers. Trade consultants currently submitting rulings on behalf of importers will also have access to the portal upon request to the CBSA.
With the roll-out of the CARM Client Portal (CCP), all importers will be required to register for access to the portal and participate in managing customs activities and profiles. Major functionalities include:
Account management: importers are required to self-manage their profiles by delegating authority to their employees, brokers or other service providers, and allowing them to manage specific tasks in the portal.
Make customs payments: Importers will now be required to make payments for duties and taxes to CBSA directly. Payments can be made by credit card, debit card, pre-authorized debit, Electronic fund transfer (EFT), or Electronic data interchange (EDI).
Release prior to payment (RPP) bond: All importers will be required to post security to participate in the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) privilege program. Importers cannot use their customs broker’s RPP surety to clear shipments and receive release prior to payment privileges. As of the start of Release 2, importers must post security using one of the two options provided by CBSA. For more information on RPP, consult CARM Client Portal overview.
It is the importers responsibility to review all security requirements and increase bond levels as needed to meet all import needs.
Customs Accounting Declaration (CAD): A new feature offered with the CARM Release 2. CAD will serve as the digital document to account for imported goods into Canada, replacing the current Customs Coding (B3) and Request for Adjustment (B2) forms. Any corrections or adjustments made to a CAD will be recorded as a new version of the original declaration.
- The CARM system will automatically calculate the duties and taxes based on the information provided by the client on the CAD. The CAD can be submitted, corrected or adjusted by the client using the CARM Client Portal or via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).
- For more information on CAD, visit the Client Portal overview.
Customs Rulings: Importers can request and track the progress of rulings directly with CBSA via the portal.
Classify good and estimate duties and taxes: A self-help tool is available to help importers identify the associated duties and taxes applicable based on the HS (Harmonized System Tariff) code for their imported commodity.
Billing Cycles: Release 2 will also introduce new billing cycles and alignment of payment due dates for importers. CARM will affect the following billing cycles: High Value Shipments (HVS) / Low Value Shipments (LVS), Courier Low Value Shipments (CLVS), Continuous Transmission Commodities (CTC) and Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) Program.
Reach out to our team of experts at CA006-carm.support@apcb.ca for guidance on how to prepare for this important change