CARM Is Live: What Canadian Importers Must Do Before Goods Land

CARM — the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management system — is now the way commercial goods are accounted for at the Canadian border. It is not optional, and the single biggest mistake we see is treating it as paperwork the broker handles quietly in the background. Under CARM, the importer of record carries obligations directly. If you are not set up before your goods arrive, you can be stuck.

What actually changed

• Every importer needs its own CARM Client Portal account, linked to its business number — your broker can no longer fully stand in for you.
• Importers post their own financial security to get goods released before final payment, rather than relying solely on a broker's bond.
• Duty and GST are reconciled through a Statement of Account in the portal, so the numbers are now visible to — and owned by — you.

The steps to get compliant

• Register your business in the CARM Client Portal and confirm your business number and program accounts.
• Delegate authority to your customs broker inside the portal so they can transact on your behalf.
• Arrange financial security — either a surety bond or a cash deposit — sized to your expected duties and GST.
• Confirm your HS classifications up front, because they drive both your duty rate and your security requirement.
• Reconcile your Statement of Account each period so small errors do not compound into a compliance issue.

Why it matters for India-lane importers

A surprising share of small Canadian importers are still not fully set up in CARM. That is a shipment-level risk: goods can be held at the border, and a held container accrues storage and demurrage by the day. If you are bringing your first PO in from India, getting CARM right is not a nice-to-have — it is the difference between goods that clear and goods that sit. Build the compliance step into your timeline before you place the order, not after the container is on the water.