All articles tagged with “Canadian Customs”.
The question on the dock isn't bonded or free trade zone. It's whether to defer duty or pay it upfront. For 98% of Canadian importers, bonded warehouse is the answer because the cost model is transparent, the timeline is predictable, and the CBSA audit trail is clean. Free trade zones exist but they're specialist tools for re-export and assembly.
CUSMA entered into force in 2020, but warehouses felt the real impact over the following years. Importers learned to use bonded storage as a tariff-deferral tool, which means holding times stretched, consolidation patterns flipped, and dock schedules now depend on tariff treatment. That's an operational shift, and most ops leads are still adjusting.
The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) went live today. Canadian importers receiving goods from European suppliers will see different packaging formats arriving within weeks. Your dock procedures, racking density, and drayage windows need a refresh right now.
Canada doesn't have formal free trade zones like the US, but CBSA in-bond storage achieves the same goal — duty deferral and faster cross-dock moves. The operational rules are tighter, the timeline constraints are clearer, and the cost math is different. Understand the distinction before you commit container space.