1. The purpose of this Notice is to advise that on June 12, 2018, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) amended the Accounting for Imported Goods and Payment of Duties Regulations to replace the use of the term “Good Character”.

2. As requested by the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (SJCSR), the CBSA has replaced the “Good Character” Customs Self Assessment (CSA) program eligibility requirement with more precise wording that explains how the CBSA assesses membership in the CSA program. These amendments are administrative in nature.

3. The Regulations have been amended to include that an importer applicant to the CSA Program must:

• Have no contraventions of program legislation as defined in section 2 of the Canada Border Services Agency Act;
• Have no criminal record; and,
• Not be a debtor under the Customs Act.

The Regulations have been amended to also include that a carrier applicant to the CSA Program must have:

• No contraventions of program legislation as defined in section 2 of the Canada Border Services Agency Act; and,
• No criminal record.

4. The amendments provide a more detailed description of the existing eligibility criteria with no expected impact on members. This increases transparency and allows stakeholders to more clearly understand what factors the CBSA uses to determine program eligibility.

5. The CBSA will provide information to industry stakeholders and will work with members to address any compliance issues.

6. Please send all enquiries to the following email: [email protected]

This notice is also available on the CBSA website.