CIFFA Forwarder Spring 2025

32 THE FORWARDER | SPRING 2025 Customs Regulatory Committee – Chair Kim Campbell • Importers are required to post financial security in the CARM Client Portal by April 19 to qualify for release prior to payment (RPP). The committee directed CIFFA to write to the Minister of Finance to request a deferral of the requirement, due to its several concerns about timing. Tariffs have added a complication: Will these new surtaxes be included in calculations of security requirements? If yes, will CBSA increase the amount of financial security importers are required to provide? The committee believes that many importers, especially small companies and non-resident importers, have not posted financial security. If border crossings into Canada become congested because those importers have shipments held until payment is received, U.S. President Trump could be expected to heap scorn on Canada. • The committee asked CIFFA to request a process review or service standard regarding the issuance of business numbers. The process in Canada has been taking a long time, impeding trade. • CIFFA sent a letter to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada regarding Purolator’s acquisition of Livingston International. The letter expressed concern about the government’s involvement (through Canada Post, owner of Purolator) in competitive private enterprise. Drayage Committee – Chair Chris Ford • The Drayage Committee directed CIFFA to write a letter to notify the Canadian International Trade Tribunal of the trucking industry’s continuing challenge to access chassis because of a decision the Tribunal made some years ago in favour of a Canadian manufacturer. CIFFA is waiting for a response to its March 17 letter. • The committee met with six members of CN’s management team to receive a network update and discuss operational challenges. The CN team highlighted the impacts on fluidity of this winter’s severe weather in much of Canada. Ground count was still high at some terminals at the time of the meeting in mid-March but has been improving with the warmer weather. Committee members asked for updates on situations at the ports of Halifax and Vancouver, and at CN terminals in Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal. They also sought CN’s perspective on possible impacts in Canada if the Trump administration goes forward with exorbitant fees on Chinese-made vessels at U.S. ports. Meetings with the railway are valuable for both sides to gain insight and discuss potential service improvements. • A similar meeting with CPKC will be held in the coming weeks. • CIFFA spoke with MSC, which owns the Termont terminals in Montreal, about dray companies’ frustration using the Termont reservation system. It can be a very slow process to schedule appointments through the system. MSC promised to investigate the situation and contact CIFFA to report back. Freight Brokers Committee – Co-Chairs Tim Drake, Gary Nicholson • CIFFA’s Freight Brokers Committee determined during its January meeting that the association should take a stand against Driver Inc. Consequently, CIFFA wrote on February 26 to then-Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Anita Anand to share the association’s view on non-compliant carriers that “are distorting competition, jeopardizing highway safety, and undermining responsible businesses” – in other words, Driver Inc. CIFFA has aligned its view on this topic with that of the Canadian Trucking Alliance and will now partner with that organization as the fight against the tax-evasion scheme continues. In Ontario alone, it is estimated that Driver Inc. costs the government $1 billion in lost tax revenue. • Drivers in Canada on work visas are concerned that, if they cross the border into the U.S., they may not be able to return, affecting capacity for cross-border shipping. Further, many of those drivers are allowed to work for two years only for the companies that sponsored their visas. • Employers can use labour market impact assessments (LMIAs) to show a need for workers that can’t be met by the Canadian labour force and sponsor temporary foreign workers to meet the need. Because of fraud and misuse of LMIAs, the government made changes to the program that have limited the number of foreign workers an employer can sponsor. • Because of fears that tariffs imposed by the U.S. and Canada will affect cross-border trade, carriers are looking to pivot to cross-Canada shipping. Companies are already known to have laid off some cross-border drivers. A committee member noted that companies with facilities in both countries have been moving production around to meet needs without requiring cross-border shipping.