Canada makes electronic export reporting mandatory and sets up a new reporting system

On 8 July 2019 the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced (in Customs Notice 19-14) that it is going to make electronic export declarations mandatory from 30 June 2020 and end the option of paper reporting with Export Declaration form B13A.

Also on 30 June 2020, the current Canadian Automated Export Declaration system (CAED) is scheduled to expire. Exporters who are using the CAED will be contacted by the CBSA between February and June 2020 on the access modalities for a new system called Canadian Export Reporting System (CERS), which will allow for bulk upload and summary reporting. Another method of electronically reporting exports – the current G7 Export Reporting Electronic Data Interchange (G7-EDI) – is already available now.

For goods which need an export license by any other government department (OGD), the current regulatory requirement that “the paper copy of the electronic export declaration submission and the permit issued by the other government department (OGD) must be presented at the place specified in the permit authorizing the exportation or, if no place is specified, at the CBSA export reporting office closest to the place of exit of the goods from Canada” will continue to apply.