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Trade · Customs

CBSA verification and customs compliance

Use current CBSA verification priorities to identify heightened classification, valuation and origin risk. Then work from the governing tariff, legislation and program rules for the actual transaction.

Source status: CBSA priorities were updated July 2026 and can change at any time through an evergreen risk process. Last Eecho review: 2026-08-21. This page is informational and is not customs or legal advice.

Official CBSA checkpoints

Trade compliance includes correct tariff classification, origin, value for duty, duties and taxes. The links below open the relevant section of CBSA’s current verification page.

CBSApublic

About trade compliance

CBSA’s baseline requirements for classification, origin, value for duty, duties and taxes.

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CBSApublic

Tariff classification priorities

Current risk-based classification targets and published verification results.

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CBSApublic

Valuation priorities

Current CBSA priorities concerning the declared value and accounting of imported goods.

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CBSApublic

Origin priorities

Origin verification priorities, including preferential tariff programs and surtax measures.

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CBSApublic

CARM and intervention tools

How CARM, trade advisory notices, compliance validation letters and directed compliance letters support enforcement.

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If CBSA contacts your business

TAN

Trade advisory notice

Review the declaration and supporting guidance promptly. CBSA states that no monetary assessment follows from the notice itself.

CVL

Compliance validation letter

Gather the requested records and respond within the stated deadline. CBSA’s current page specifies 30 days and notes that an assessment may follow.

DCL

Directed compliance letter

Treat this as a known non-compliance matter accompanied by a monetary assessment; review correction and recourse options with qualified advice.

A full trade-compliance verification is separate from these intervention tools and commonly examines importations over a period of approximately one year.

Professional customs-broker tools

These CSCB resources are third-party industry-association benefits. They are not CBSA publications, and the linked content may require an eligible CSCB member login.

CSCBmembers only

Surety and insurance services

CSCB member information about surety and insurance services.

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CSCBmembers only

Human resources service

CSCB member human-resources service.

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CSCBmembers only

Intellectual property tools

CSCB member intellectual-property tools.

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CSCBmembers only

Books and record-keeping for NRIs

CSCB member material for non-resident importers.

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CSCBmembers only

Road to CARM

CSCB’s CARM implementation resources.

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CSCBmembers only

CARM road maps

CSCB’s role-oriented CARM road maps.

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CSCBmembers only

Manifest Forward listing

CSCB customs broker and importer listing for Manifest Forward.

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CSCBmembers only

Other useful links

Additional links curated by CSCB.

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Supplementary exporter guidance

EDCpublic

Doing business in the United States: trade compliance

EDC overview of U.S. customs classification, origin and product compliance considerations.

This chapter still contains legacy NAFTA wording. Confirm all origin decisions against current CUSMA and customs-authority sources.

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