Customs Notice 13-001

Ottawa, January 8, 2013

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Increase to the Value Threshold for Exemption From the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Certificate of Origin Requirements for Commercial Goods for Which Preferential Treatment Under NAFTA is Claimed

1. This notice announces that, effective January 8, 2013, the value threshold exemption from the NAFTA Certificate of Origin requirements for commercial goods imported into Canada, for which the benefit of preferential tariff treatment under NAFTA is claimed, will be increased from CAD$1,600 to CAD$2,500. As a result, the exemption to the proof of origin required under subsection 35.1(1) of the Customs Act is extended to commercial goods for which the benefit of preferential tariff treatment under NAFTA is claimed and for which the estimated value for duty is less than CAD$2,500.

2. This initiative supports the Canada-U.S. "Beyond the Border" Action Plan announced and released by the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States on December 7, 2011. Canada's intention to increase this value threshold to CAD$2,500 for exemption from the NAFTA Certificate of Origin requirements, thereby aligning it with the current threshold of the United States, was published in Part 2 of "Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness" Action Plan. Information on the "Beyond the Border" Action Plan is available at: http://www.actionplan.gc.ca.

3. The proposed regulatory amendment under the Customs Act related to the increased threshold will be announced in a separate customs notice.

4. For more information, within Canada, call the Border Information Service at 1-800-461-9999. From outside of Canada, call 204-983-3500 or 506-636-5064. Long distance charges will apply. Agents are available Monday to Friday (08:00 - 16:00 local time/except holidays). TTY is also available within Canada at 1-866-335-3237.