eManifest Portal
Apply for a Shared Secret
Highway Carriers
Highway carriers without a carrier code
Highway carriers applying for a CBSA carrier code can also apply for a Shared Secret using one application form. Form BSF329-7 Application to Transact Highway Operations with the Canada Border Services Agency uses Field 14 to ask applicants if they require a Shared Secret for the creation of an eManifest Portal Business Account. For further information on the process for obtaining a carrier code, visit the Commercial Carriers section of the CBSA Web site.
Upon successful completion of the application process, Shared Secrets will be mailed to the authorized representatives, separately from any carrier code documentation.
Highway carriers with a carrier code
If you currently have a valid, CBSA-issued carrier code, you will not be required to re-apply using the carrier code application form to obtain your Shared Secret.
Existing highway carriers applying for a Shared Secret can do so by submitting a signed letter request to the CBSA on company letterhead. The letter must be signed by an authorized representative, who is either the company contact or someone with signing authority. The information on the request must match the company contact data identified in the CBSA records. For information about the CBSA carrier records, contact the Commercial Registration Unit. The following information must be included in the request:
Date:
To:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0L8
Subject: Shared Secret Request
Company name: (Legal name of the company)
Carrier code:
Contact name: (Must be the name of the employee of the company listed as one of the contacts identified in CBSA records.)
Contact title:
Contact phone number: (Area code and phone number)
Contact email address:
Official mailing address:
Signature of authorized representative of the company: (Must be the company contact or someone with signing authority identified in CBSA records)
Send the completed and signed letter, on company letterhead, to the CBSA by:
Email:
carrier-cargo@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
(with the signed letter, on company letterhead, attached in PDF format)
Mail:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0L8
Fax:
613-946-0242
Attention: Commercial Registration Unit
Once issued, Shared Secrets will be sent by mail to the authorized representatives listed on the requests.
Freight Forwarders
Freight forwarders without a freight forwarder code
Non-bonded freight forwarders can apply for both a CBSA freight forwarder code and a Shared Secret using one application form. To indicate if you also require a Shared Secret for the creation of an eManifest Portal Business Account, use form BSF329-9 Application to Obtain a Non-Bonded Freight Forwarder Code (to Supply Electronic Supplementary Data for Advance Commercial Information (ACI) Only). For further information on the process for obtaining a freight forwarder code, visit the Commercial Carriers section of the CBSA Web site or contact the Commercial Registration Unit. Upon successful completion of the application process, Shared Secrets will be mailed to the authorized representatives, separately from any freight forwarder code documentation.
If you are applying for a bonded CBSA freight forwarder code and you wish to obtain a shared secret, please follow the instructions below after you have obtained your freight forwarder code.
Freight forwarders with a freight forwarder code
If you currently have a valid, CBSA-issued freight forwarder carrier code, you will not be required to re-apply using the application form to obtain your Shared Secret.
Existing freight forwarders applying for a Shared Secret can do so by submitting a signed letter request to the CBSA on company letterhead. The letter must be signed by an authorized representative, who is either the company contact or someone with signing authority. The information on the request must match the company contact data identified in the CBSA's records. For information about the CBSA carrier records, contact the Commercial Registration Unit. The following information must be included in the request:
Date:
To:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa ON
K1A 0L8
Subject: Shared Secret Request
Company name: (Legal name of the company)
Freight Forwarder code:
Contact name: (Must be the name of the employee the company listed as one of the contacts identified in CBSA records.)
Contact title:
Contact phone number: (Area code and phone number)
Contact email address:
Official mailing address:
Signature of authorized representative of the company: (Must be the company contact or someone with signing authority identified in CBSA records)
Send the completed and signed letter, on company letterhead, to the CBSA by:
Email:
carrier-cargo@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
(with the signed letter, on company letterhead, attached in PDF format)
Mail:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa ON
K1A 0L8
Fax:
613-946-0242
Attention: Commercial Registration Unit
Once issued, Shared Secrets will be sent by mail to the authorized representatives who made the requests.
Warehouse Operators
To apply for a Shared Secret, warehouse operators must provide the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) with the following:
- Adhering to the letter template provided below, a letter, on the company's letterhead, signed by the authorized representative named in the company's article(s) of incorporation.
- A copy or copies of the company's article(s) of incorporation.
- A copy of the company's warehouse licence.
Letter template
Company letterhead
Date:
To:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa ON
K1A 0L8
Subject: Shared Secret Request
Company name: (Legal name of the company and the operating name)
Sublocation code: (four digits)
Contact name: (Must be a contact name listed in CBSA records for the sufferance warehouse)
Contact title:
Contact phone number: (Area code and phone number)
Contact email address:
Company's official mailing address:
Name and signature of authorized representative of the company: (Must be an individual with signing authority as identified in the company's article(s) of incorporation)
The signed letter, copies of the warehouse licence and the article(s) of incorporation should be sent to the CBSA via one of the following ways:
Email
carrier-cargo@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
(All documents should be in PDF format)
Mail
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0L8
Fax
613-946-0242
Attention: Commercial Registration Unit
Once issued, a Shared Secret is sent by postal mail to the authorized representatives who made the request.
Questions regarding sufferance warehouse records should be directed to the local office that issued the sufferance warehouse licence. Amendments to information on file must be submitted to the local office on an E400 – Application for Licence to Operate a Customs Sufferance Warehouse.
Customs Brokers
Only Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) licensed customs brokers are eligible to apply for a Shared Secret. For further information on the process for obtaining a customs broker licence, visit the Licensed Customs Brokers section of the CBSA Web site.
To apply for a Shared Secret, customs brokers must provide the CBSA with the following:
- Adhering to the letter template provided below, a letter, on the company's letterhead, signed by the authorized representative named in the company's article(s) of incorporation.
- A copy or copies of the company's article(s) of incorporation.
Letter template
Company letterhead
Date:
To:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0L8
Subject: Shared Secret Request
Company name: (Legal name of the company)
Account Security Number: (five digits)
Contact name: (Name of the qualified officer must match CBSA customs broker licensing records)
Contact title:
Contact phone number: (Area code and phone number)
Contact email address:
Company's official mailing address:
Name and signature of authorized representative of the company: (Must be an individual with signing authority as identified in the company's article(s) of incorporation)
The signed letter and copies of the article(s) of incorporation should be sent to the CBSA via one of the following ways:
Email
carrier-cargo@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
(All documents should be in PDF format)
Mail
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0L8
Fax
613-946-0242
Attention: Commercial Registration Unit
Once issued, a Shared Secret is sent by postal mail to the authorized representatives who made the request.
Air Carriers
Air carriers without a carrier code
If you are applying for a CBSA air carrier code and you wish to obtain a shared secret, please follow the instructions below after you have obtained your carrier code.
Note: Air carriers will only be able to submit highway conveyance data to the CBSA in the event of a flying truck scenario (see Memorandum D3-2-2 Air Cargo - Import and In-Transit Movements).
Air carriers with a carrier code
Existing air carriers applying for a Shared Secret can do so by submitting a signed letter request to the CBSA on company letterhead. The letter must be signed by an authorized representative, who is either the company contact or someone with signing authority. The information on the request must match the company contact data identified in the CBSA's records. For information about the CBSA carrier records, contact the Commercial Registration Unit. The following information must be included in the request:
Date:
To:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0L8
Subject: Shared Secret Request
Company name: (Legal name of the company)
Carrier code:
Contact name: (Must be the name of the employee the company listed as one of the contacts identified in CBSA records.)
Contact title:
Contact phone number: (Area code and phone number)
Contact email address:
Official mailing address:
Signature of authorized representative of the company: (Must be the company contact or someone with signing authority identified in CBSA records)
Send the completed and signed letter, on company letterhead, to the CBSA by:
Email:
carrier-cargo@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
(with the signed letter, on company letterhead, attached in PDF format)
Mail:
Commercial Registration Unit
Canada Border Services Agency
191 Laurier Avenue West, 12th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0L8
Fax:
613-946-0242
Attention: Commercial Registration Unit
Once issued, Shared Secrets will be sent by mail to the authorized representatives who made the requests.
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