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Postal Shipment (CBSA Cargo Exemption): Difference between revisions

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{{note|This article is part of the [[Shipment_Types_For_ACE_and_ACI_eManifest|Shipment Release Types Guide]]|info}}
{{note|This article is part of the [[Shipment_Types_For_ACE_and_ACI_eManifest|Shipment Release Types Guide]]|info}}
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{{#ev:youtube|zyMyAJoWSY8|960|center|How to create an IIT and cargo exemptions in ACI.}}
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<h1>Postal Shipment (CBSA Cargo Exemption)</h1>
<p>A guide to reporting mail (Canada Post, U.S. Mail, International) under CBSA ACI eManifest highway rules.</p>
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<span class="bc-article-pill"><i class="fas fa-envelope"></i> Type: Cargo Exemption / Exception</span>
<span class="bc-article-pill"><i class="fas fa-flag"></i> Country: Canada (CBSA)</span>
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[[Image:Postal-shipment-mail.jpg|360px|thumb|right|A typical '''Postal Shipment''']]A '''Postal Shipment''' is a Canadian [[Shipment Types For ACE and ACI eManifest|Shipment Type]] for goods to clear through the [[Canada Border Services Agency - General Information|Canada Border Services Agency]] and as an exemption in an [https://www.borderconnect.com/aci-e-manifest/index.htm ACI eManifest]. It allows for the release of mail moving via a contract carrier from a foreign postal service to Canada Post.<ref name="ECCRD">ACI Highway ECCRD</ref>
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To qualify the shipment must be moving directly from the foreign postal service, e.g. US Postal Service, to Canada Post, and must consist only of letter class mail or correspondence. Merchandise would require a formal or informal entry and would clear under other shipment types.
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== Reporting Postal Shipments in ACI eManifest ==
<h2 style="margin-top: 0;">Overview</h2>
<p>A <strong>Postal Shipment</strong> is a specific category for mail being transported across the border by a contract carrier. This exemption applies specifically to mail moving from a foreign postal service (such as the <strong>United States Postal Service</strong>) to <strong>Canada Post</strong>.</p>


Loads consisting entirely of mail are exempt from ACI eManifest reporting requirements,<ref name="ECCRD" /> however carriers do have the option of preparing a manifest for them anyway. Mixed loads consisting of mail and other shipment types, e.g. PARS, must have the postal shipment reported on the manifest.
<p>International mail items are presented by Canada Post to the CBSA for processing through the designated mail stream, where duties and taxes are assessed as required.</p>


To report a postal shipment the carrier will need to set the Postal exception code on either the truck, trailer or container, depending on where the mail is loaded. This tells Customs that there is a postal shipment aboard. The carrier will not create an ACI Shipment to report the postal shipment, it must be reported using the exception code only. The example below shows how to report Postal shipments using [http://borderconnect.com BorderConnect's] [[ACI eManifest Software User Guide (CBSA)|ACI eManifest software]].
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<strong>Eligibility Note:</strong> To qualify for the ACI/eManifest mail exemption, the load must consist of mail (Canada Post, U.S. Mail, or International). Merchandise shipped via the postal service may be subject to different assessment rules upon arrival at the CBSA mail processing center.
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[[Image:Postalexemption2.jpg|800px]]
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If the postal shipment is the only thing being transported, the carrier can transmit the ACI eManifest with only the trip (conveyance) portion, and no ACI Shipments attached. Otherwise, the other shipments can be added and the manifest can be transmitted normally.
<h2 style="margin-top: 40px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eee; padding-bottom: 10px;">Reporting Categories in ACI eManifest</h2>
<p>The method for reporting mail depends on whether the conveyance is carrying a <em>full load</em> of mail or a <em>mixed load</em> containing other commercial goods.</p>
 
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<th style="width: 30%;">Category</th>
<th>Reporting Requirement</th>
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<td><strong>Full Load Only</strong></td>
<td>Listed by CBSA as a <strong>Highway Cargo and Conveyance exemption</strong>. No full eManifest cargo or conveyance submission is required for this specific scenario.</td>
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<td><strong>Mixed Load</strong></td>
<td>Treated as an <strong>exception to cargo data</strong>. The carrier must submit a Highway Conveyance Document (Trip) and identify the mail using the postal exception code.</td>
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<h2 style="margin-top: 40px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eee; padding-bottom: 10px;">How to Process in BorderConnect</h2>
 
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<h3><span class="bc-step-circle">1</span> Start New ACI eManifest</h3>
<p>Begin by entering your trip (conveyance) information, including the Trip Number, Port of Entry, and Estimated Time of Arrival.</p>
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<h3><span class="bc-step-circle">2</span> Assign the Postal Exception</h3>
<p>Instead of creating a separate ACI Shipment, you will apply the exception code directly to the equipment.</p>
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* <strong>Identify Equipment:</strong> Select the truck, trailer, or container where the mail is physically loaded.
* <strong>Set Exception:</strong> Apply the <strong>Postal exception code</strong> to notify Customs that a postal shipment is aboard.
* <strong>Mixed Loads:</strong> If commercial shipments (like PARS) are also present, create those ACI Shipments normally while maintaining the Postal exception on the equipment.
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[[Image:Postalexemption2.jpg|thumb|center|800px|Applying the Postal Exception Code in BorderConnect]]
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<h3><span class="bc-step-circle">3</span> Transmit and Verify</h3>
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* <strong>Transmit:</strong> Click <strong>Sync with CBSA</strong> to send the trip-only manifest (or manifest with mixed shipments).
* <strong>1-Hour Rule:</strong> Ensure the manifest (and any broker clearances for mixed PARS loads) is on file for at least <strong>one hour</strong> before the driver arrives at the border.
* <strong>At the Border:</strong> The driver should be prepared to present the ACI lead sheet and identify the load as mail to the CBSA officer.
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== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:Shipment Type Guide]]
[[Category:Shipment Type Guide]]

Latest revision as of 16:56, 9 February 2026

🔖 This article is part of the Shipment Release Types Guide

Postal Shipment (CBSA Cargo Exemption)

A guide to reporting mail (Canada Post, U.S. Mail, International) under CBSA ACI eManifest highway rules.

Type: Cargo Exemption / Exception Country: Canada (CBSA)

Overview

A Postal Shipment is a specific category for mail being transported across the border by a contract carrier. This exemption applies specifically to mail moving from a foreign postal service (such as the United States Postal Service) to Canada Post.

International mail items are presented by Canada Post to the CBSA for processing through the designated mail stream, where duties and taxes are assessed as required.

Eligibility Note: To qualify for the ACI/eManifest mail exemption, the load must consist of mail (Canada Post, U.S. Mail, or International). Merchandise shipped via the postal service may be subject to different assessment rules upon arrival at the CBSA mail processing center.

Reporting Categories in ACI eManifest

The method for reporting mail depends on whether the conveyance is carrying a full load of mail or a mixed load containing other commercial goods.

Category Reporting Requirement
Full Load Only Listed by CBSA as a Highway Cargo and Conveyance exemption. No full eManifest cargo or conveyance submission is required for this specific scenario.
Mixed Load Treated as an exception to cargo data. The carrier must submit a Highway Conveyance Document (Trip) and identify the mail using the postal exception code.

How to Process in BorderConnect

1 Start New ACI eManifest

Begin by entering your trip (conveyance) information, including the Trip Number, Port of Entry, and Estimated Time of Arrival.

2 Assign the Postal Exception

Instead of creating a separate ACI Shipment, you will apply the exception code directly to the equipment.

  • Identify Equipment: Select the truck, trailer, or container where the mail is physically loaded.
  • Set Exception: Apply the Postal exception code to notify Customs that a postal shipment is aboard.
  • Mixed Loads: If commercial shipments (like PARS) are also present, create those ACI Shipments normally while maintaining the Postal exception on the equipment.
Applying the Postal Exception Code in BorderConnect

3 Transmit and Verify

  • Transmit: Click Sync with CBSA to send the trip-only manifest (or manifest with mixed shipments).
  • 1-Hour Rule: Ensure the manifest (and any broker clearances for mixed PARS loads) is on file for at least one hour before the driver arrives at the border.
  • At the Border: The driver should be prepared to present the ACI lead sheet and identify the load as mail to the CBSA officer.
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References


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