On May 16, 2013, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued a notice announcing the Cargo Control and Sufferance Warehouse Modernization (CCSWM) initiative, which intends to modernize and simplify their current import in-bond process and the requirements to store goods in a sufferance, or bonded, warehouse.

According to the notice, "the modernized process will result in the electronic tracking of in-bond cargo, thereby permitting bonded carriers to deliver these shipments directly to their own facilities or the premises of a third party. The CBSA will conduct, as required, inland examinations at designated integrated examination facilities instead of at each sufferance warehouse facility."

CBSA will turn to members of the trade on several important changes, including:

• Warehouse licensing process
• Types and number of warehouse designations
• Removing certain restrictions
• Co-storing domestic and in-bond goods in the same area of a warehouse
• Establishing designated inland examination facilities

Implementation of the CCSWM facility will be phased in, and it could take up to two years to be fully finished. More information on this initiative will be provided as it becomes available.

The full text of the release is available online here.