Tag: CUSMA
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Introduction: Billions in Savings, Mostly Unclaimed The United States currently maintains free trade agreements with 20 countries, each offering reduced or zero-duty rates for goods that meet the agreement’s rules of origin. Collectively, these agreements offer importers access to duty savings that can completely eliminate the tariff burden. And yet, a substantial portion of eligible…
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Introduction: Relief Programs Most Businesses Do Not Know About The Canadian tariff system includes numerous relief and remission programs designed to reduce the duty burden on imported goods in specific circumstances. These programs exist to promote Canadian manufacturing competitiveness, support industries that depend on imported inputs, and encourage the use of Canada as a platform…
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Introduction: Ontario’s Unique Position in Cross-Border Trade Ontario is the economic engine of Canadian cross-border trade with the United States. With the busiest land border crossings in North America, a manufacturing sector deeply integrated with U.S. supply chains, and a concentration of businesses that depend on seamless goods movement across the border, Ontario businesses face…
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The Key to Duty-Free North American Trade CUSMA offers preferential treatment, often zero duty, for qualifying goods. The certification can be in any format as long as it contains nine prescribed data elements. This flexibility creates a trap – businesses sometimes provide incomplete certifications or issue them without proper origin analysis. Understanding CUSMA Rules of…
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A Bilateral Relationship Under Strain Retaliatory tariffs and surtaxes imposed by both governments have disrupted supply chains, increased costs, and created unprecedented planning uncertainty for businesses on both sides of the border. Understanding the Current Tariff Landscape U.S. actions include Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, broader IEEPA tariffs, and reciprocal measures. Canada has…
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The Scale and Complexity of Canada-U.S. Trade The Canada-United States trade relationship is the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world, with goods and services crossing the border valued at roughly two billion dollars every single day. Trade compliance consulting for cross-border operations requires an integrated understanding of how the two regulatory systems interact. CUSMA:…
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The Growing Complexity of Canadian Tariffs Canada sits at a unique crossroads in global trade. As a signatory to CUSMA, CPTPP, and CETA, Canadian businesses enjoy preferential access to dozens of markets. But those benefits come with strings attached: complex rules of origin, shifting tariff schedules, and a regulatory environment that punishes non-compliance with steep…