What is CARM?

CARM stands for CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management project.

CARM is a multi-year initiative that will transform the collection of duties and taxes for goods imported into
Canada.

ALL businesses importing commercial goods into Canada will need to have a CARM client portal account registered with CBSA.

King Bros. Limited is here to help guide you through the registration process.
The first step to take in setting up your CARM account is to verify your organization with CBSA.

What you need to know:

Your import business number(s)

The amount and the corresponding transaction number of a recent transaction n your history.

A recent SOA payable amount & the corresponding month paid.

For assistance in obtaining recent transaction history & SOA payable amounts for the verification page on the CARM portal,

please contact King Bros. Limited via email at: brokers@kibro.com

We recommend the financial manager or head of procurement be the person in your business to set up your CARM client portal account, thus becoming the Business Account Manager (BAM) of your CARM account.
Click here to start Onboarding with CARM

King Bros. Limited recommends Option 2, the GC Key log in option, versus Option 1 (signing in with your bank credentials as the sign in partner).

Once your account is verified, please look for ‘Manage pending third party requests.’

You will see King Bros. Limited has requested delegation of authority to your account.

Please grant King Bros. Limited delegation of authority. This will enable our team to continue clearing shipments into Canada on your behalf. It is preferable to grant Business Management access type to allow for full servicing of your account.

In the future, CARM will also require importers to post their own financial security with CBSA. King Bros. Limited will be sending out further updates on this process as more information becomes available in the coming weeks and months. For now, we recommend that all importers ensure they are registered on the CARM Client Portal by no later than April 2024 to avoid any potential disruptions to their business.

CARM Preparedness Steps

Print This Checklist
STEP 1: GATHER INFORMATION

The following information is required to set up a Business CCP:

  1. Business Import Number (BN9) and RM Program Account Extension Number;
  2. Legal Entity name of the business, including punctuation (must be exact);
  3. Full legal physical or mailing address of the business (must be exact);
  4. Financial information about your most recent CBSA Statement of Account or Daily Notice. To obtain this information, you can:
    1. request a statement from CBSA directly; or
    2. request King Bros Ltd. obtain a statement from CBSA on your behalf by emailing us at info@kibro.com. Service fees will be applicable.

You will also need to decide who in your organization will manage your business CCP.

Need help setting up your CARM Client Portal?
We Can Help. Contact Us.

STEP 2: CREATE AN INDIVIDUAL CARM USER ACCOUNT

Everyone who wants to use the CCP has to have an individual portal account. To create a portal account, go to the CARM Client Portal page. At this point you will have the opportunity to set up a personal GCKey if you do not already have one; you can also use an existing GCKey, or select a Sign-In Partner instead.

Once you have signed in, you will be directed to the CARM Client Portal landing page, where you can set up your personal profile by going to the Accounts and Profiles tab and selecting Personal Account.

Need help setting up your CARM Client Portal?
We Can Help. Contact Us.

STEP 3: REGISTER YOUR CARM BUSINESS ACCOUNT

Once your profile is set up you will be directed to the First Time Setup page, where you can select the option to Register a Business.

You will be prompted to enter your nine-digit business number and program reference number (likely RM0001 or RM0002). Add your business information. You will have to answer security questions about your most recent Statement of Account.

Your business’s account will be created and linked to your personal account, and you will be made a Business Account Manager of the new business account.

Need help setting up your CARM Client Portal?
We Can Help. Contact Us.

STEP 4: DELEGATE ACCESS THROUGH THE CCP

Each employee will set up their personal account, following the steps in Step 2. When they reach the First Time Setup page, they can select Request Access to My Employer. The BAM can then grant the access request and assign the employee’s level of authority.

The BAM will also grant access requests from third parties, including customs brokers and consultants. Your customs broker can request access at this point.

Need help setting up your Business CPP?
Contact Us. We are here to help.

STEP 5: POST FINANCIAL SECURITY

First, decide what kind of security you plan to post. This will determine how much security is required.

You will need to calculate how much you have paid to CBSA in each of the past twelve months and determine the month in which you had the highest payables. You can request this information from your customs broker.

If you plan to post a cash bond, you can post security through the CARM Client Portal. If you plan to use a continual surety bond, you can contact your customs broker and request they obtain a bond on your behalf. Your broker will apply for a bond and send you the bond package, which you will need to sign and return to them.

For more information on posting financial security, see our resource guide.

More information about setting up a GCKey and CARM Client Portal, linking a business account, and delegating access to employees is available on our blog.

Need help delegating authority?
Contact Us. We are here to help.

If you need any additional help, click below.

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Frequently ASKED QUESTIONS

What is CARM?

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) is a new system for providing financial security for goods being imported into Canada. Under CARM, importers will be responsible for providing the own security rather than using security provided by their customs broker. CARM is being introduced in two stages, in May 2021 and May 2022.

CARM also introduces the CARM Client Portal (CCP), which is a self-service portal that allows importers to more directly manage the accounting activity of their import business.

What does that mean?

CBSA requires financial security to be posted for the duty and tax owed on imports into Canada. With security in place, importers are granted Release Prior to Payment (RPP) privileges. This allows the goods to enter Canada before the duties and taxes have been paid. In the event that the importer is unable to pay the duties and taxes owed, and the goods are already in Canada, the financial security protects CBSA from any losses.

Currently there are two types of financial security: Broker Backed and Importer Direct.
Broker backed means that the importer’s duties and taxes are secured by their Customs Broker’s import bond and paid to CBSA by that broker.
Importer Direct means that the importer has taken out their own bond and therefore pays duties and taxes owed directly to CBSA.
CARM release 2 is going to end the Broker Backed option. This means that if you are a new importer, or if you are currently using Broker Backed security, you will need to post your own security or pay duties and taxes before your imports enter Canada.
Under CARM, importers will be directly liable for customs duties and taxes and responsible for payment. However, a customs broker can still manage payments on behalf of an importer. The CCP will allow importers to delegate varying degrees of authority to their broker.

Does CARM affect personal shipments as well?

Customs brokers will still be able to provide financial security for non-commercial shipments of goods for personal use only. Importers of goods for personal use do not have to register for CARM.

What if I don’t want to register for CARM?

If you are importing commercially and do not have security posted through CARM, you will need to remit duties and taxes before your imports can enter Canada. If you are not registered with the CARM Client Portal, payment will have to be made to a CBSA cashier at a customs office when the goods enter Canada.

How much does my bond have to be?

Importers can post a continual surety bond equal to at least 50% of the value of their highest monthly amount payable to the CBSA in the last twelve months, with a required minimum of $25,000.
Alternately, you can post a cash bond for 100% of the value of your highest monthly amount payable to the CBSA in the last twelve months. Cash bonds will not be postable until CARM 2 goes live in Spring 2022.
Importers will also have the option of posting a one-time single entry bond. Details of this process are not yet available from CBSA.
If you had no payables to CBSA in the past twelve months (for example, if you are a first-time importer) a bond is not required.

This sounds complicated. What can King Bros do to help me?

King Bros can guide your company through the entire process. We can assist you to set up your CARM Client Portal and apply for a surety bond on your behalf.

Additional Resources

CARM resource links:

For Help Setting up Your carm portal

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