Fact Sheet

September 2002

Harmonized Commercial Processing of Goods

The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency and the United States Customs Service, in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, are now working to establish complementary systems for commercial processing of goods between Canada and the United States. There are two streams for this initiative:

1. Low-risk processing for eligible participants involved in transborder trade processing
2. High and unknown risk processing for all other commercial processing

Aligning customs processes will significantly enhance security by providing customs agencies with the information they require for proper scrutiny of incoming goods. This alignment will also reduce the costs involved in cross-border trade by providing companies with a simplified set of procedures for importing goods into either Canada or the United States.

Low-risk processing

The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program supports the movement of pre-approved eligible goods across the border quickly and the processing of trade compliance verification away from the border.

It is a harmonized commercial process offered to pre-approved importers and carriers, and registered drivers. Shipments for approved companies, transported by approved carriers using registered drivers, will be cleared into either country with greater speed and certainty, and at reduced costs of compliance.

In Canada, FAST builds on the Customs Self-Assessment (CSA) program and its principles of pre-approval and self-assessment, as well as increased security measures under Partners in Protection (PIP).

FAST includes aligning the requirements of Canada's PIP program and the U.S. Customs Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program. As part of these programs, companies will have to adapt and implement security procedures to be compatible with guidelines laid out by both customs agencies.

High and unknown risk processing

• Harmonizing electronic customs reporting (i.e., common datasets based on G7, advance timeframes, electronic protocols)
  
  
• Establishing systems and protocols for sharing information for effective targeting and processing, including information related to risk management and determinations of risk levels
  
  
• Co-ordinating joint border and in-transit processes
  
  
• Facilitating processing for the import/export community by establishing, to the largest extent possible, a single process to be followed when importing to Canada or the United States.

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