• Successful applicants will sign a compliance agreement that will outline the roles and responsibilities of the approved applicant and the CCRA. It will include references to AMPS, together with accounting and reporting requirements. Officials of the company and the CCRA will sign the agreement.
• A start-up date will be agreed upon.
• An Account Manager from CCRA will be assigned.

  Profiles of importers and carriers approved for CSA will be maintained by the CCRA. Importers will be required to maintain an up-to-date listing of consignee and vendor names and addresses. Carriers will be required to maintain an up-to-date listing of all owner/operators.
  A register of approved commercial drivers will be maintained and photo ID cards will be issued, to minimize abuse by unauthorized personnel.
  Customs inspectors will retain the right to inspect CSA shipments at any time for verification purposes.

Clearance, Accounting, and Reporting
Initially CSA will be limited to highway shipments of non-restricted goods from the United States. Air, rail, and marine shipments will be phased into the program. Goods shipped from Third World countries will likely be among the last to receive approval. A streamlined release process will be initiated when certain conditions are met, including the following:
 
• Importer is CSA approved
• Carrier is CSA approved
• Driver is Registered
• All goods in shipment qualify for CSA
• Customs clearance at first point of arrival

  The CCRA is working with other government departments in an effort to reduce the list of restricted goods initially disqualified from the program.
  Two options have been proposed for the accounting process. Both feature monthly payment cycles but provide a choice for the applicant. An interim payment may be required in some cases.
  A single revenue summary form (RSF) will be transmitted or presented to Customs no later than the last business day of each month. An adjustment to the amount of duties and taxes owing will be allowed to correct errors. Appeals, disputes and Special Import Measures (Anti-dumping etc.) issues will be excluded from the adjustment process.

What are adequate audit trails and linkages?
Customs need to be assured that all imported goods are accurately reported and that the appropriate value is declared. This includes verification that you received what you ordered, that the expected price was charged and paid, and that any overage or shortage is accounted for. In other words, systems and processes that will provide audit trails and linkages designed to accurately report the various elements in the logistics chain, from order to ultimate payment.

Conclusion
Once the conceptual design phase has been completed, the finishing details and regulations will be drafted. Clearly a lot of work remains to be completed but the essence of CSA has been reflected in this review.

What is Carrier
Re-engineering?
  Carrier Re-engineering (CR) is a Customs initiative to develop a more streamlined and expedited process that will enhance the role of Carriers, Customs Brokers and other players in the international trade environment. It will incorporate the use of a fully integrated electronic data highway. This will allow Customs to more effectively target for contraband and health safety threats at the first point of arrival in Canada. As with Customs Self-Assessment (CSA), CR is still in the conceptual design phase.

Why the need to
Re-engineer?
  Clearly the international trade environment is changing. Volumes continue to escalate, there are increased needs for public protection, the need for Canadian business to compete in a global economy, demands for simplified and rationalized processes, and technological advances in electronic commerce, transponder technology, EDI and Internet communications. These are all factors that drive change.
  The role of Customs has also changed, with less emphasis on revenue collection, higher emphasis on interdiction of crime involving the cross border movement of goods and people, and the need to ensure compliance for health safety and economic reasons. The efficient collection of accurate trade data and the administration of a number of trade agreements also command the attention of declining Customs resources.
  Customs must be enabled to interdict contraband at the first point of arrival to protect Canadian society. To effectively execute this responsibility, they must be in possession of specific information for each shipment, prior to release. Legitimate trade is simultaneously identified and can be processed expeditiously, thereby enhancing the competitive position of business. Which brings us to another essential element of the changes being addressed.

Business Competitiveness
  The Canada Customs & Revenue Agency (CCRA) is committed to simplified processes to achieve reduced costs for both business and government. Business pressures have obligated them to create a level playing field for clients who have achieved high standards of compliance.
  Those who have made the required investments to ensure compliance must be rewarded with expedited processing while those who fail to meet those standards must face the realities associated with non-compliance. The message is clear, if you want Customs to contribute to your competitive position, make sure you are, or soon become compliant.