Customs Self Assessment (CSA) for Carriers: A Plain-Language Guide
The Customs Self Assessment (CSA) program of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) lets low-risk, pre-approved importers and carriers, using registered drivers, clear eligible goods at the border faster. Here is how it works for carriers.
What CSA changes at the border
When the importer, the carrier and the driver are all pre-approved, eligible goods can be cleared without sending shipment data to the CBSA before arrival. The CBSA says the program “ends the transactional transmission of data elements”, and cargo documents are not required to clear CSA-approved shipments.
At the primary inspection line, the driver presents three bar codes, which an officer scans:
- the carrier code (4 characters);
- the importer's business number (15 digits);
- for highway shipments, the registered driver's ID.
Once the system validates them, the shipment is authorized for CSA clearance and can be delivered directly to the importer, owner or consignee.
Who can become a CSA carrier
- Residency: a corporation needs a head office or branch in Canada or the United States; an individual must ordinarily reside in one of the two countries.
- Compliance: no contravention of program legislation under the Canada Border Services Agency Act, and security given under the Transportation of Goods Regulations.
- Operations: no criminal record, solvency, at least one shipment of commercial goods to or from Canada more than 90 days before applying, and records that support CBSA compliance checks.
- Dispatch: the carrier must own and control its own dispatch system.
How to apply
Applications are submitted only through the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) Client Portal. The application has two parts:
- Part I, risk assessment: corporate structure, business specialty, security measures, terminal and warehouse locations.
- Part II, books, records and dispatch systems: a demonstration of a Canada-bound shipment, sample documents and the internal control numbering process.
Drivers: FAST registration
CSA importers and carriers must use a registered driver to carry CSA-eligible goods into Canada, and that driver must be approved under the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program, run jointly by the CBSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Sealing loads: the PIP rule
Carriers that are members of Partners in Protection (PIP) must always seal their loads, whether the goods are CSA-only or not. Other CSA carriers generally do not need to seal conveyances for inland moves, although sealing may still be required for high-risk goods or when the CBSA selects a shipment for examination.
Finding approved carriers
The CBSA publishes the list of carriers approved under the CSA program, with their province and phone number. Check it, or ask the carrier for its CSA status, before relying on CSA clearance for a shipment.