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Goods Astray (CBSA Shipment Type)

Last updated 21 July 2026

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This article is part of the Shipment Release Types Guide

Goods Astray, also called Goods Found Astray or Misrouted Goods, is a Canadian Shipment Type for goods reported to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) through ACI eManifest. It is used when Canadian domestic goods that were shipped from one point in Canada to another point in Canada are found astray in the United States and must be returned to Canada.

CBSA describes Goods Found Astray as a unique shipping process. Domestic goods shipped from one point in Canada to another point in Canada, found astray in the United States, and returned to Canada must be covered by the appropriate ACI/eManifest cargo transmission showing the CBSA office of re-importation as the receiving CBSA office.[1]

Once the facts are verified, CBSA releases the shipment to the carrier or freight forwarder. Verification may consist of satisfactory evidence provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US CBP), the carrier, or the freight forwarder at the trans-shipping point where the goods were found.[1]

Video Tutorial

How to create a Goods Astray shipment in ACI

Training video: How to Create an ACI eManifest with a Goods Astray Shipment.[2]

When to Use

Use Goods Astray when goods that were originally moving domestically within Canada are accidentally misrouted into the United States and are then returned to Canada. This shipment type is intended for the return of misrouted Canadian domestic goods, not for normal commercial imports or standard PARS shipments.

Goods Astray may also apply where the goods were originally exported from Canada but must be brought back because they were undeliverable or rejected upon delivery, depending on the facts and CBSA direction. The driver should be prepared to show evidence that the goods were originally exported from Canada and were undelivered or rejected.[2]

Declaring in BorderConnect

Highway carriers transporting Goods Astray shipments into Canada must report them on their ACI eManifest unless an exemption or exception applies. CBSA's ACI/eManifest Highway Portal guidance states that highway carriers must transmit eManifest cargo data for all goods being transported to Canada, including goods found astray or misrouted goods, unless there is an exemption or exception.[3]

To report Goods Astray in BorderConnect, create an ACI Shipment with the Shipment Type Goods Astray and transmit the shipment as part of the ACI eManifest.

Selecting Goods Astray in ACI.

A typical BorderConnect workflow is:

  1. Start or open the ACI eManifest.
  2. Enter the trip, carrier, port, ETA, driver, truck, and trailer information.
  3. Create a new ACI shipment.
  4. Select Goods Astray as the shipment type.
  5. Enter a unique Cargo Control Number.
  6. Add the shipper and consignee information.
  7. Add the commodity description, quantity, and weight.
  8. Save the shipment and return to the ACI eManifest.
  9. Sync the ACI eManifest with CBSA.
  10. Confirm the manifest is accepted before the driver arrives.

Although a Goods Astray shipment is different from a PARS shipment, the carrier still needs to provide a unique Cargo Control Number. The shipment should also include the other information normally required for an ACI shipment, including shipper, consignee, and commodity information.

BorderConnect Status

In BorderConnect's Goods Astray workflow, once the manifest is transmitted and accepted by CBSA, the manifest status changes to On File with CBSA. Because there is no customs broker or transaction number associated with Goods Astray shipments, the status remains on file until the driver arrives at the first port of arrival.[2]

When the driver arrives at the border, the status changes to Arrival Reported At Border. BorderConnect's training notes that it remains at that status even after crossing into Canada because there is no release message for Goods Astray shipments.[2]

Evidence Commonly Requested

At the border, the driver should be prepared to show documents supporting the Goods Astray claim. CBSA states that verification may include satisfactory evidence provided by US CBP, the carrier, or the freight forwarder at the trans-shipping point where the goods were found.[1]

Evidence may include:

  • original paperwork showing the goods were exported from, or moved out of, Canada;
  • refusal, rejection, misrouting, or undeliverable documentation;
  • information from US CBP, the carrier, or the freight forwarder showing where the goods were found;
  • proof that the shipment was intended for movement within Canada or return to Canada; and
  • any other document requested by the CBSA officer to verify the facts.

If the carrier is unsure which documents are needed, they should contact the CBSA port of arrival before the driver reaches the border.

Foreign Goods in Canada

CBSA guidance separately addresses foreign goods found astray in Canada. If foreign goods are discovered in Canada after arrival, ACI/eManifest cargo data must be transmitted electronically post-arrival as soon as the goods are discovered by the carrier or freight forwarder.[1]

The goods may then be exported according to the applicable export reporting requirements. CBSA guidance on unique ACI processing also notes that foreign goods found astray in Canada must be electronically transmitted post-arrival as soon as they are discovered by the carrier and then exported and reported to CBSA as required.[4]

At the Border

Goods Astray is a unique shipment process, and a standard broker release or PARS transaction number is not normally generated in the same way as a regular PARS shipment. The driver should present the ACI lead sheet and any documentation supporting the misrouting, refusal, return, or custody chain.

Carriers should still follow the importer, broker, freight forwarder, or CBSA instructions for the specific situation rather than assuming no compliance support may be involved. If there are also PARS shipments or other freight on the truck, those shipments must be reported using the proper ACI shipment type and must meet the normal pre-arrival requirements.

In order to comply with ACI eManifest requirements, carriers should ensure the ACI eManifest is on file with CBSA for at least one hour before the driver arrives at the Canadian border. If the truck is also carrying PARS freight, the broker clearance for those PARS shipments should also be on file before arrival.

Common Mistakes

  • Using Goods Astray for a normal commercial import.
  • Using Goods Astray when the freight should be reported as PARS.
  • Forgetting to provide a unique Cargo Control Number.
  • Sending the driver without documents proving misrouting, rejection, return, or custody.
  • Expecting a broker transaction number or normal release message for the Goods Astray shipment.
  • Failing to report other freight on the same truck using the correct ACI shipment type.
  • Not contacting the CBSA port when the facts or documents are unclear.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 CBSA Memorandum D3-1-1: Policy Respecting the Importation and Transportation of Goods
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 BorderConnect: How to Create an ACI eManifest with a Goods Astray Shipment
  3. ↑ CBSA ACI/eManifest Highway Portal
  4. ↑ PCB: Processing Unique Shipments for ACI eManifest Filing
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