CBSA carrier code
A CBSA carrier code is a unique identification number the Minister issues under the Customs Act. A person required to give the CBSA pre-arrival information about a conveyance must hold a valid carrier code unless exempt. The CBSA says carriers and freight forwarders need a 4-character code.
A buyer of a cross-border trucking or freight firm meets this code when checking that the business can report cargo to the CBSA. It is a federal code. The Customs Act says the Minister shall issue a carrier code to an applicant whose application meets the requirements, if the Minister is satisfied the prescribed requirements and conditions for issue have been met, and may, subject to the regulations, suspend, cancel or reinstate one.
How it is issued
The CBSA says carriers enrol for a code through the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) Client Portal. For highway carriers it issues one carrier code per mode per legal entity. A bonded code needs a customs bond, which must be a continuous bond or a bond for a specified period. If a bond for a specified period is submitted, the bonded code expires on the date the bond ends.
What to ask
- Which legal entity holds the code, and will it be the entity operating the business after closing?
- Is the code bonded, who holds the bond, and does it continue past closing?
- Has the code ever been suspended or cancelled?
See the trucking business buyer checklist and the entry on carrier safety rating.
Sources
This definition is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Government of Canada (Justice Laws)GovernmentCustoms Act
- 02Canada Border Services AgencyGovernmentGet a CBSA-issued carrier code
- 03Canada Border Services AgencyGovernmentCBSA Guidelines - Highway Carrier Code Application Process
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