CBSA will be transitioning to the ARL system over the weekend. Although CSCB members have had access to a series of ARL webinars as well as CSCB conference presentations and have been receiving regular updates for several months now, we are issuing this final pre-implementation communiqué containing critical details for your operations.

1. Members should receive their first Daily Notice (DN) on Tuesday, January 26. It is expected that customs brokers with more than 25k transactions will receive their DNs before 1am (eastern). All other brokers and ASEC importers should receive their Daily Notices (DN) by 1:45am. Brokers and ASEC importers who are not ARL-certified will not receive the DN or Statement of Account (SOA) electronically.

2. The first SOA is scheduled for delivery to ARL-certified customs brokers and ASEC importers on February 25th no later than 9am.

3. Until the issuance of the first SOA on February 25, you will receive a daily K84 as well as a DN. We strongly recommend that you compare each DN with the related daily K84. If a transaction is missing or there are any posting errors, please send your email to [email protected]. To allow us to better advocate on your behalf, please cc your emails to [email protected]. All such information will be treated confidentially. 

   Please note that during Deep Cycle Testing, test participants experienced missing transactions as a result of a misalignment of importer BN/RM accounts between CRA and CBSA. To assist you in your comparison, you can find detailed information about the composition of DNs and the differences between them and the current daily K84, at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/carm-gcra/soa-rdc-eng.html.

4. Customs Brokers and ASEC importers can request hard copies of the DN and SOA, in person only, from any CBSA ARL Payment Processing Site or any ARL Lite Site (list available at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/carm-gcra/offices-bureaux-eng.html).

5. Importers who do not hold their own account security can request their “Account Balance” statements, in person only, from any CBSA ARL Payment Processing Site or any ARL Lite Site (see link to list in #4).

6. Authorized representatives of importers can request the DN, SOA or “Account Balance” statements for those importers, in person only, from any CBSA ARL Payment Processing Site or any ARL Lite Site (see link to list in #4).

7. Payment-related issues

   • A customs broker can continue to pay his monthly SOA at the same location where he remits payment today.
   • When a broker files an “I” on a transaction, that transaction will appear on the broker's DN as well as the importer's DN. The amount owing for any such transactions will appear on the importer’s SOA and not on the broker's SOA.
   • When a broker files a “G” on a transaction, that transaction will appear on the broker's DN. The amount owing for any such transactions will appear on the importer’s Account Balance and not on the broker’s SOA.
   • Review Reconciliation Exception Sheet and Payment Allocation Sheet Scenarios for payment scenarios and Excel Reconciliation Exception and Payment Allocation Sheets.
     
   • Review Section 2.10 of the ARL Reference Manual for detailed information on payment methods.

8. The ARL Reference Manual provides detailed information about processes that support the new ARL DN and SOA. You also can visit CBSA’s CARM webpage http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/carm-gcra/menu-eng.html which hosts additional useful information.

9. Problem–solving. ARL CBSA Points of Contact provides detailed information about who to contact for ARL issues. Please remember to copy [email protected] on all your requests to CBSA for additional information or problem-solving regarding ARL.

10. If you wish to contact the CSCB directly regarding an ARL matter, email us at [email protected] or phone the CSCB National Office, 613 562-3543.