Personal Goods (CBSA Shipment Type)

This article is part of the Shipment Release Types Guide

This article is about the Canadian Shipment Type. For the U.S. Shipment Type, see Personal Shipment (CBP Shipment Type)

Loading personal goods onto a truck

Personal Goods, also known as casual goods, is a Canadian Shipment Type for non-commercial goods being transported into Canada by a highway carrier. In BorderConnect's ACI eManifest software, this shipment type is used when the goods are not being imported for sale or for any commercial, industrial, occupational, institutional, or similar use.

CBSA describes casual goods as goods imported for personal use, not for business, resale, work, industrial, institutional, or similar use. The Persons Authorized to Account for Casual Goods Regulations also define casual goods as goods imported into Canada other than goods imported for sale or for any commercial, industrial, occupational, institutional, or other like use.

Personal Goods are different from PARS shipments, but the highway carrier must still report the cargo on an ACI eManifest when the goods are transported by a commercial highway carrier. CBSA states that highway carriers entering Canada must transmit ACI at least one hour before arrival at a port of entry so CBSA can validate the data before the driver arrives.

When to use Personal Goods

Use this shipment type when the goods are being imported for personal use rather than for a business or other commercial purpose. Common examples include household goods, personal effects, or casual/non-commercial purchases being transported for an individual.

Do not use Personal Goods for freight imported for sale, resale, distribution, business use, occupational use, institutional use, or any other similar commercial purpose. Those shipments normally require a commercial release process such as PARS.

Personal versus commercial

The key distinction is the purpose of the import. If the goods are for personal use by an individual, they may be casual or personal goods; if they are for business, resale, industrial, occupational, institutional, or similar use, they should not be treated as Personal Goods.

Situation	Likely shipment type	Notes
Used household furniture for a person moving to Canada	Personal Goods	May require personal effects documentation such as BSF186 or BSF186A.
A sofa purchased by an individual for home use	Personal Goods	May be accounted for as a casual importation if not for business use.
Inventory for a store	PARS or another commercial shipment type	Imported for sale or commercial use.
Tools imported for a contractor’s work	PARS or another commercial shipment type	Occupational or business use is not casual/personal.

Declaring a Personal Goods Shipment in ACI eManifest

To report a Personal Goods shipment in BorderConnect:

1. Create an ACI Shipment.
2. Select Personal Goods as the Shipment Type.
3. Enter the Cargo Control Number, shipper, consignee, and commodity information.
4. Attach the shipment to the ACI Trip and transmit the trip to CBSA.

Creating a Personal Goods shipment in BorderConnect

Although a Personal Goods shipment is not a PARS shipment, the carrier still needs a unique Cargo Control Number and the normal ACI cargo data needed to identify the shipment. CBSA states that the cargo control number begins with the carrier code followed by a unique shipment number, and that carriers must not reuse cargo control numbers for at least three years.

CBSA also requires detailed commodity descriptions in plain language that are clear enough to identify the cargo, and says that if cargo is used, the word “used” should be included in the description. For personal shipments, examples of useful descriptions include Used household goods, Used personal effects, or Used sofa for personal use.

Documents at the border

The driver should be prepared to present the paperwork needed for the personal shipment at the border. The exact document depends on the type of non-commercial goods and the importer's circumstances.

Document	When it may apply
A8A(B) - Cargo Control Document	Used as a cargo control document when a paper cargo document is required.
BSF715 or BSF715-1 - Casual Goods Accounting Document	CBSA Memorandum D17-1-3 states that casual goods are generally accounted for on Form BSF715 or BSF715-1, Casual Goods Accounting Document, with listed exceptions.
BSF186 - Personal Effects Accounting Document	Used for personal effects, including settlers, former residents, seasonal residents, or beneficiaries.
BSF186A - Personal Effects Accounting Document continuation sheet	Used as a continuation sheet for additional imported goods or goods to follow.

For casual importations, CBSA Memorandum D17-1-3 provides accounting guidance for casual goods, including goods coming into Canada for personal use and non-commercial goods entering Canada on a commercial conveyance. For goods of persons moving or returning to Canada, CBSA provides travel guidance on moving or returning to Canada and Memorandum D2-2-1 for settlers’ effects.

Printing or ordering A8A forms

Pre-printed A8A(B) Forms from BorderPrint

When an A8A(B) cargo control document is required for a Personal Goods shipment, carriers can print, fax, or email the A8A directly from the ACI Shipment Details Page in BorderConnect where supported. BorderConnect’s ACI In-Bond tutorial shows that, after creating the ACI shipment and commodity information, the user can return to the ACI Shipment page and use the A8A Form option to print, fax, or email the A8A, with the required shipment information automatically generated.

BorderConnect’s ACI eManifest product page also states that carriers can make ACI In-Bond shipments and print A8A cargo control documents directly from BorderConnect. BorderConnect’s A8A glossary explains that carriers can create and submit in-bond shipments using BorderConnect ACI eManifest software and generate the A8A form electronically instead of completing it by hand.

Carriers can also order physical A8A(B) In-Bond Cargo Control Documents from BorderPrint. BorderPrint lists A8A(B) documents among its border documents and offers blank, pre-printed, and A8A(B) documents with PARS labels options. BorderPrint’s pre-printed A8A(B) product page states that A8A(B) documents come in packets of 100 with carbon copies and can be customized with printed and barcoded cargo control numbers and the carrier name.

To comply with ACI eManifest requirements, highway carriers must ensure that cargo and conveyance data is received and validated by CBSA at least one hour before the driver arrives at the First Port of Arrival. If the trailer also includes PARS shipments, the carrier should also ensure the broker release information for those PARS shipments is on file before arrival.

Common mistakes

• Selecting Personal Goods for shipments that are actually for resale, business, occupational, industrial, or institutional use.
• Using vague commodity descriptions such as “freight,” “goods,” or “miscellaneous.”
• Forgetting to include “used” in the description when the cargo is used personal effects or used household goods.
• Assuming that non-commercial goods do not need to be reported on an ACI eManifest when moved by a highway carrier.
• Arriving without the personal effects, casual goods, or cargo control paperwork needed by CBSA.

See also

• PARS
• Cargo Control Number
• ACI eManifest Software User Guide
• Personal Shipment (CBP Shipment Type)
• Shipment Types for ACE and ACI eManifest
• A8A In-Bond Cargo Control Document