CSA (CBSA Shipment Type)

This article is part of the Shipment Release Types Guide

This article is about the Canadian Shipment Type. For information on the CSA Program visit CSA Program Information

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How to create a CSA shipment in BorderConnect.

CSA, standing for Customs Self Assessment, is a Canadian Shipment Type for goods to clear through CBSA and in an ACI eManifest. It allows for the clearance of goods imported by a CSA Approved importer and transported by a CSA Approved carrier.

For a shipment to clear under CSA both the importer and carrier must be CSA Approved, and the driver must be registered with either the Commercial Driver Registration Program (CDRP) or the Free And Secure Trade (FAST) driver registration program.

To be eligible as a CSA Shipment the goods must have been shipped directly from the United States or Mexico, and must not require any kind of permit, license or other similar document to be presented at the time of report. (i.e. cannot be subject to regulation of another government department such as CFIA.) The importer is responsible for indicating to the carrier those shipments that are eligible for CSA clearance.

Declaring a CSA Shipment in ACI

CSA Shipments are not required to be reported on an ACI eManifest. The carrier can elect to continue to use the same process to clear CSA shipments that was in place before ACI, i.e. paper process with 3 bar codes. If using this option the carrier would not file a manifest at all for trucks carrying only CSA Shipments, and would file a manifest only reporting the non-CSA Shipments in the case of a mixed load.

If a carrier elects to report their CSA Shipments in ACI, they must first notify CBSA's Technical Support Unit at TSU.UST@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca, as well as their CSA senior project officer. The carrier must also be an Release Notification System participant (e.g. BorderConnect's PARS Checking software) in order to transmit CSA data through ACI. It is important to note that carriers electing to transmit CSA data through ACI are responsible for also transmitting their TCP data through ACI. For instructions on this and on the registration process, it is best to contact your service provider. (BorderConnect's contact info here.)

To report a CSA Shipment in ACI the carrier will need to create an ACI Shipment designated as CSA and ensure that the shipment is transmitted as part of their ACI eManifest.

Although a CSA Shipment is different from a PARS shipment, the carrier will still need to provide a unique Cargo Control Number, as well the CSA Importer Business Number and all other information normally required for an ACI Shipment including Shipper, Consignee and Commodity information.

At the border, the CSA Shipment will be processed automatically as part of the ACI eManifest when the driver hands the officer the ACI Lead Sheet. It is not necessary for the driver to present the 3 barcode CSA card when the CSA Shipment has been declared on the manifest, but the driver must still be prepared to show a FAST or CDRP card to demonstrate eligibility to transport a CSA Shipment.

In order to comply with ACI eManifest requirements you are required to ensure that both your manifest and the broker clearance on any PARS shipments are on file with CBSA for at least one hour before the driver arrives at the border.