Highlights — Customs Services

Innovating for the Future

With the Customs Services business line, we continue to modernize our operations, introducing bold new initiatives designed to strengthen border security and streamline the movement of legitimate goods and people.

Through the implementation of the Smart Border Declaration, signed by Canada and the United States, and the 30-Point Action Plan, we are building a safer, stronger, and smarter border. We are also accelerating many of the initiatives we first identified in our Customs Action Plan, applying new state-of-the-art technology and risk-identification methods. Initiatives for the planning period include:

• Advance Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record, which will provide data about airline passengers and crew prior to their arrival in Canada, focusing on high-risk individuals.
  
  
• Alternative Inspection Services for Travellers, through CANPASS-Highway, CANPASS-Air, NEXUS-Highway, and NEXUS-Air, which will simplify and speed entry of pre-approved, low risk travellers at the border.
  
  
• Harmonized Commercial Processing, which will speed clearance and reduce border delays, for pre-approved, low-risk truck drivers, carriers, and importers.

Over the planning period, we will also work to build a Customs Services vision, focusing on our law-enforcement role. We will offer the appropriate tools, equipment, and training as per the Job Hazard Analysis to ensure the occupational safety of our customs officers.

Managing Compliance

The outcome we seek in the Customs Services business line is that Canadians' health, safety, security, and business interests are protected and that Canada's economic growth is supported.

Achieving this outcome is particularly challenging since our customs operations is one of the most complex in Government — providing service to more than 480 air, sea, and land border points.

Key Volumetrics

This will require securing our borders against the threat of dangerous people and goods, while streamlining the movement of legitimate trade and travel that is so vital to our economic growth. Priorities for the planning period include:

• sharing information with other departments and enforcement agencies to prevent the entry of drugs and contraband, and to identify and respond to environmental threats such as disease;
  
  
• advancing our Customs Action Plan initiatives and fulfilling our Smart Border Declaration commitments;
  
  
• emphasizing the Officer Powers Program that has empowered customs officers to arrest and detain individuals;
  
  
• providing information to help our clients comply with the law, while identifying and targeting areas of non-compliance;
  
  
• focusing on border management, post-release verification, and client service, as per the Compliance Improvement Plan; and
  
  
• ensuring that we have a knowledgeable and skilled workforce.

The following table identifies the anticipated results and success criteria that have been developed, and which will guide the Customs Services business line over the planning period.

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