Canada Border Agent Strike Action Update

09 Jun Canada Border Agent Strike Action Update

ear customer, 

Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) announced that they have postponed a potential job action until Wednesday, June 12th as they continue to work towards an agreement with the Treasury Board.

A job action would have the potential to disrupt daily cross-border trade from the U.S. into Canada, causing delays at land crossings, airports, and ports. The immediate impact may be felt by trucking industry members that bring goods across the border. 

However, the flow of goods into the U.S. is expected to face limited impact, as Canadian export declarations are not required for commercial goods moving from Canada to U.S. final destinations.

In a statement, the Canadian government indicated that 90% of front-line border staff are considered essential and must continue to provide uninterrupted border services to protect the safety and security of the public. 

What to expect: 

• EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) customs clearance submissions should not be affected. These entries are electronically submitted without an officer’s manual review and approval.
• Over the counter customs clearance requests may experience delays in processing files. These are special permits and require document review requests for mannered customs release.
• Truck shipments could experience delays with the trucks coming across the border into Canada as the officers may be asking more questions before releasing PARS shipments.
• Ocean entries will face minimal impact unless flagged for inspection, examination, or manual officer review. There are no changes to scheduled sailings at this time.

We recommend that Canadian importers reach out to their carriers/forwarder for additional details and insights on their cargo if needed.