Rail PARS/INPARS

The following information comes from Mr. John Caissie, Manager, Customs - Canada, at CN Rail.

Starting 2 March 1998, the CN will be implementing automated PARS/INPARS arrivals for our major gateways. We are asking for the co-operation and assistance of the brokerage community by filing all releases with Canada Customs using the PARS/INPARS process. For multiple shipments released on a single entry, Canada Customs will accept multiple paper RMD's. We will forward the arrival notice of the shipments to Canada Customs one hour prior to the physical arrival at the border. It is asked that brokers file their entries prior to the goods' arrival at the border.

In accordance with the Canadian Customs guidelines, the new process will be as follows, and is to be used for all rail traffic which enters Canada through our major gateways:

Entries to be Used

PARS entries are to be used at the following gateways for traffic which will be cleared at the following ports:

Stanhope, QC 345
St-Bernard de Lacolle, QC 351
Fort Erie, ON 410
Windsor, ON 453
Sarnia, ON 440
Fort Frances, ON 478
Emerson, MB 502

INPARS entries are to be used for all shipments in which the port of entry is one of the above locations and the traffic is bonded inland.

NB: Traffic which is reported on a monthly manifest (ie automobiles, etc) will continue to be reported by summary reporting at the end of each month. The PARS/INPARS process will not apply.

PARS/INPARS Process

1. The CN will fax a manifest for all rail shipments once the waybill information is received by the CN to the appropriate broker. This could be up to 10 days prior to the rail shipment physically arriving at the border. An electronic version of the manifest will be sent to Canada Customs simultaneously.

2. Brokers are asked to file a PARS or INPARS entry with Canada Customs upon receipt of the manifest, or as soon as possible. Multiple cargo control numbers may be filed using a paper RMD package; however, Customs has asked that this only be done one hour prior to physical arrival in the country.

3. Once the broker has presented the PARS/INPARS entry to Canada Customs, they will send an electronic acknowledgement to the CN, identifying that an entry is on file and a decision has been made. The CN will monitor the transactions to ensure that entry is filed prior to the rail car physically arriving at the border.

4. The CN will fax an advance notice to each broker once the train has departed for the border so that the brokers will be aware of the location of the freight. We ask that releases be filed prior to the receipt of this notice. This notice is a safeguard to assist brokers to ensure that all releases were previously filed.

5. The CN will electronically transmit an arrival notification to Canada Customs one hour prior to the physical arrival at the port of entry. All rail entries must be on file with Canada Customs at this point.

6. Canada Customs will transmit electronically release decision information after receipt of the electronic arrival notice. For traffic in which a favourable release decision has been received, it will be allowed to flow direct to the customer; for traffic in which no release decision has been received, or a hold disposition code is received, the rail car will be stopped and held until a release is received or a physical exam completed.

The implementation of this initiative will expedite the Customs clearance process, allowing traffic to flow directly to our mutual customers, reducing the transit time substantially.
Your anticipated assistance and co-operation will be a key factor to the successful implementation of this process.

If you should encounter any problems with the timely delivery of manifests or have any questions with regards to Rail PARS, please contact the CN Transborder Group at 1-800-267-9779, path 1-2-6-1.
I look forward to our future endeavours.