Canada Border Services Agency

Single Window Initiative

Questionnaire

Introduction

Under the Beyond the Border Action Plan, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and United States Customs and Border Protection (U.S. CBP) each agreed to provide commercial traders with a single window through which they can electronically submit all information required to comply with customs and other government regulations.

In fiscal 2012/2013 the CBSA, along with nine participating government departments and agencies (PGAs - also known as Other Government Departments - OGDs), began working towards implementation of the Single Window Initiative (SWI) to improve border processing services.

The nine Canadian PGAs working with the CBSA include:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA);

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC);

Environment Canada (EC);

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO);

Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD);

Health Canada (HC);

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan);

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC); and,

Transport Canada (TC).

The 10 federal departments and agencies encompassing 39 programs that form the SWI, initiated this project with the determination of delivering benefits and efficiencies for trade facilitation and growth, and responding to the import community’s call to reduce the administrative burden for regulated imported goods.

Through the SWI, the CBSA and PGAs created a streamlined approach for the electronic collection and dissemination of commercial import data between the Government of Canada and the Trade community. Trade stakeholders will provide import information electronically to the CBSA via an Integrated Import Declaration (IID). In turn, the CBSA will transmit the information to the appropriate PGA responsible for regulating the goods. Based on the information received through the IID, some PGAs will also provide an active admissibility determination along with the CBSA.

Through the implementation of the SWI IID benefits to Trade include, but are not limited to:

Reduced administrative burden and associated costs, as a result of removing the manual paper processes from the border;

Simplified border processes for the trade industry that support consistent and transparent application of regulatory requirements;

Elimination of redundant, duplicate and paper based processes;

Centralized and efficient access to border processing requirements;

The capacity to submit release request information through a single data transfer;

Consistent application of import regulations across the country;

Reduced time-consuming communications between importers/brokers and PGAs;

Measures may be taken earlier in the import process to correct misidentified goods;

Shipments of compliant products are less likely to be stopped;

Reporting commodities using one method simplifies compliance with multiple PGA requirements;

Alignment with international standards; and,

Expedited release processes enable the commitment to internal schedules.

As key external stakeholders in the development of the SWI the CBSA would appreciate your feedback regarding the following questions. Your comments are instrumental in developing and delivering the SWI end state.

Should you wish to respond outside the corresponding box following each question, you may submit your answers via a separate document or email. The contact details for your response are at the end of this questionnaire. We would appreciate your response by: Friday, October 24, 2014

Please provide your contact information, including the Trade Chain Partner you represent in the box below:

General Questions

Provide any information related to issues/costs/problems/delays involving PGAs processes at the border and which PGA commodity this is in reference to?

For example: loss of time to market; increased insurance costs; higher inventory costs; manual internal processes; additional administration; product spoilage; shorter shelf-life; increased transportation costs; and/or other.

Identify the changes to IT costs (eventual savings and/or additional costs) due to the implementation of the IID?

Will this add or remove any redundant systems?

Will there be an upfront cost followed by IT savings?

Will the introduction of the IID generate any ongoing HR savings or costs? If yes, please explain.

For example: reduction in process redundancies now automated by the IID; reduced training related to PGA requirements; reduced human tasks such as phone calls; emails; faxes; and/or filing of faxed licenses, permits, certificates and others.

Are there any paper management costs that will be reduced or eliminated due to SWI? If yes, please explain.

For example: reduced printing costs; reduced fax-related costs (i.e. fewer fax machines); reduced paper storage costs; and/or other.

Process Improvement Questions

One of the most significant benefits to trade as a result of SWI lies in reduced time involved in the import process. The introduction of the IID will reduce pre-border tasks, and delays at border related to shipments with PGA requirements, as well as post-border reporting.

The following questions seek details relevant to the activities required as an importer or broker that will be affected by the introduction of SWI.

Pre-Border Benefits and Efficiencies (Submissions)

Provide information on the degree to which the following activities will change, if at all, with the implementation of SWI?

Communications between importer and broker;

Communications between importer/broker and PGA ;

Manual data entry tasks;

Resubmission of import declarations;

Others.

At Border Benefits and Efficiencies (wait times, delays, examinations and associated costs)

Provide information on the degree to which the following activities will change, if at all, with the implementation of SWI?

Communications between the Border Services Officer (CBSA) and the importer / broker;

Time awaiting release;

Others.

Post Border Benefits and Efficiencies (reporting)

Provide information on the degree to which the following activities will change, if at all, with the implementation of SWI?

Completing reports for PGAs/CBSA;

Post-border inspections;

Others.

Overall Feedback

Specify any additional benefits or efficiencies that you would like to see the SWI address that were not covered in the questions above?

Specify the current or anticipated ongoing costs related to SWI that were not covered in the questions above?

Are there any additional paper-related PGA processes you would like to see included in future initiatives?

Data Collection

What percentage of import shipments involves at least one PGA requirement?

Provide data on the average time PGA-related shipments take to be processed at border?

PGA	List the commodity(ies)	Average time to process at border	Comments

Thank you for your contribution.

Please send completed questionnaires to the

SWI generic mailbox: SWI-IGU@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca

by Friday, October 31, 2014.