Customs Self Assessment Program (CSA)

The Customs Self Assessment (CSA) program is a progressive trade option for clients who invest in compliance. Clients have the opportunity to significantly reduce the costs of compliance while enhancing their ability to comply with customs requirements.

Eligibility Criteria

Importers who may be eligible include those who:

• are resident in Canada;
• have a history of actively importing goods into Canada for at least two years;
• are without contraband or major commercial infractions;
• are prepared to make an investment in business systems;
• are willing to provide senior management representation that commercial business processes, customs interfaces, and the required trigger, audit trails, and linkages exist or will exist in the business's books and records; and
• are prepared to sign a Client Undertaking document with CBSA.

Carriers who may be eligible include those who are:

• bonded or post-audit;
• have a history of transporting goods to Canada for at least two years;
• without contraband or major commercial infractions;
• willing to be liable and maintain control of CSA shipments until delivered;
• willing to provide senior management representation that proper commercial business processes and audit trails exist or will exist; and
• prepared to sign a Client Undertaking document with CBSA. 

Summary

The CSA program gives approved importers the benefits of a streamlined accounting and payment process for all imported goods. The streamlined accounting and payment process ends the need for importers to maintain separate and costly customs processes, allowing them to use their own business systems to fully self assess and meet their customs obligations.

The CSA program also gives approved importers, approved carriers, and registered drivers the benefits of a streamlined clearance option for CSA eligible goods. The streamlined clearance process ends the need for transactional transmissions of cargo and release data related to eligible goods. This allows for the clearance of goods based on the identification of the approved importer, approved carrier, and registered driver.

The CSA program will reduce costs for the private sector by:

• ending the transactional transmissions of data elements;
• ending the need for artificial customs systems;
• increasing the certainty of expedited customs processing;
• making it easier for clients to meet their obligations; and
• streamlining legitimate trade.

Quebec Contact(s):
See National Contact.

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National Contact(s):
Border Information Service - BIS
Canada Border Services Agency
Telephone: 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064
Toll-free (information): 1-800-461-9999
Web site: http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/menu-eng.html