ACROSS - Accelerated Commercial Release Operations Support System
A system developed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that allows importers and customs brokers to exchange information electronically with the CBSA, thereby eliminating the requirement to present paper release packages to the CBSA border office at the point of entry into Canada.

AMPS - Administrative Monetary Penalties
A sanctions regime that authorizes the CBSA to issue civil monetary penalties for the violation of the CBSA’s trade and border legislation in the commercial stream.

ARL - Accounts Receivable Ledger
The CBSA’s official system of record for commercial accounting and payment.

CAED - Canadian Automated Export Declaration
An online export reporting system that makes it possible for authorized clients to report electronically from their place of business.
 

CBSA - Canada Border Services Agency (Canada Customs)
A Canadian federal agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement, and customs services.

CCI - Canada Customs Invoice
An invoice template created by the CBSA containing all the fields required to be filled out for the importation of goods into Canada.
 

EDI - Electronic Data Interchange
The sending of data/files electronically between multiple parties.
 

FTA - Free Trade Agreement
A treaty between two or more countries put in place to facilitate trade, and eliminate trade barriers.
 

GST - Goods and Services Tax
A federal tax levied on all products and services imported into Canada and/or supplied in Canada, except for those expressly exempted by the Excise Tax Act
 

HS - Harmonized Tariff Classification System
An international nomenclature for the classification of products that allows participating countries to classify traded goods on a common basis for customs purposes. The HS tariff is a 10-digit commodity code: the first six digits are universal whereas the last four digits are country specific.
 

HST - Harmonized Sales Tax
A single federal-provincial sales tax used in the provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland/Labrador resulting from the combination of the federal goods and services tax (GST) and the regional provincial sales tax (PST) that is applied to
taxable goods and services in Canada
 

IID - Integrated Import Declaration
The service option used when transmitting import information through the Single Window Initiative (SWI) program.
 

LPCO - License, Permit, Certificate and other Documentation
Licenses, permits, certificates and other information needed by participating government agencies in order for CBSA to release regulated goods into Canada through the SWI-IID option.
 

MFN - Most Favoured Nation
A status, or level of treatment, mandated by the World Trade Organization, that ensures international trade without discrimination between countries and their trading partners
 

NRI - Non-Resident Importer
Companies that, for the most part, do not have a physical presence in Canada, but for duties and tax purposes, are responsible for goods entering Canada.
 

OGD - Other Government Departments and Agencies (*now PGA)
Other federal government departments and agencies that administer and enforce legislation and regulations on behalf of the CBSA for certain commodities imported into Canada.

PAPS - Pre-Arrival Processing System (US Customs)
The United States (U.S.) counterpart of the Canadian Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) that allows importers, and customs brokers acting on their behalf, to submit cargo information to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.
 

PARS - Pre-Arrival Review System (Canada Customs)
A Canadian federal government customs program that allows importers, and customs brokers acting on their behalf, to submit cargo information to the CBSA for review and processing before goods arrive in Canada.
 

PGA - Participating Government Departments and Agencies (*previously OGD)
Other federal government departments and agencies that administer and enforce legislation and regulations on behalf of the CBSA.

PGA’s include: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Transport Canada
 

SIMA - Special Imports Measures Act
Measures put in place to protect Canadian industry from material injury caused by the dumping and subsidizing of imported goods into Canada.
 

SLA - Softwood Lumber Agreement
The expired 2006-2015 agreement between the United States and Canada which promoted a stable and predictable trade environment for the softwood lumber industry by eliminating countervailing and antidumping orders on Canadian softwood lumber, and applying quota limitations on Canadian lumber shipped to the U.S.
 

StatsCan - Statistics Canada
The Canadian government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture.
 

SWI - Single Window Initiative
A Canada Border Services Agency program that streamlines the sharing of commercial import data between the Government of Canada and the import community by allowing importers and customs brokers to submit advance reporting of import information for all participating government agencies electronically to the CBSA.

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