A Guide Through the World of Global Trade

Trade Advisory

PCB’s Trade Advisory Services is the collective term for the ways our team of industry specialists and tenured experts can improve, streamline, and insulate you from many of the complex challenges that international importers face. Our services can often mitigate or fully avoid unnecessary penalties, simplify declarations, and offer options and opportunities that might otherwise have been missed.

From logistics and supply chain management to tariff optimization and duty drawback qualifications, we can show you how to become and stay compliant while taking advantage of every trade opportunity for which you qualify.

‍Our services are listed below, but if you don’t see one that matches your needs exactly, we are always open to offering bespoke solutions to complex problems, so don’t hesitate to get in touch for something unique.

CARM Client Portal

Are you in the CARM Portal? The CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) client portal is coming, and it is set to fundamentally shift how commercial importers import into Canada. If you still need to get into the CARM portal and you aren’t sure how - now is the time to contact our CARM team. We can help you register and prepare for the wave of changes that the new financial requirements of this program will bring about.

We can assist with:

CARM setup and management
Streamlining your accounting activities, corrections, reconciliations, adjustments, and payment due dates
Paying duties, tax liability, and customs disbursements through the portal

Customs Binding Rulings| Advanced Rulings

Have a complex or ambiguous import and are unsure what your HS Tariff Classification should be? Let us help you apply for a binding or advanced ruling. With this ruling determined, you can import with confidence, as your shipment declaration will be legally settled before it even reaches Customs.

We can assist with:

Reviewing your commodity’s composition, industry, suppliers, buyers, and production
Researching current rulings that are similar to your commodity to determine the feasibility of your ruling
Researching regulations, explanatory notes, and other interpretive materials for precedent
Filing the ruling application with Customs

Duty Drawback

Are you leaving money on the table by not taking advantage of your country’s Duty Drawback program? We can help you find out if your import clearances qualify for a Duty Drawback, and if they do - we’ll assist you with the reporting, calculating, and filing of your application.

We can assist with:

Determining which clearances are eligible for drawback opportunities
Reporting and calculating your drawback
Filing and management of your records

Tariff Classification Analysis

Do you know your import’s accurate HS Tariff Classification? Let our experts analyze your good’s composition and determine your correct classification. There’s no better way to ship with confidence than with an expert classification.

We can assist with:

Obtaining an updated and current list of goods and/or part numbers for your database
Producing a full and proper description of your goods
Reviewing previous entries to ensure compliance
Reviewing and comparing Canadian and US databases simultaneously to ensure consistency (when applicable)
Putting in place protocols for new part numbers or products when they are added

Sample Audit

Are your importing practices compliant with current Customs regulations? Let our team of experts review your importing practices holistically to determine your level of compliance and any areas of improvement that can be made.

We can assist with:

An internal audit of customs entries, tariff review, origin, valuation, and free trade agreement treatment
Determination of project
Record keeping

Post-Verification Audits

Are you unsure what to do now that you have received an official verification from Customs? Let us help you turn this audit into an opportunity by examining it for areas of protest or appeal and by helping determine protocols that can assist in staying compliant going into the future.

We can assist with:

Reviewing Customs audit findings for possible appeal opportunities
Explaining audit findings and related regulations
Assisting in putting in place protocols for future compliance efforts

Free Trade Agreement Review

Are you making the most of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)? Let our expert team assess, find, and apply the most effective free trade agreements for your imports.

We can assist with:

Determining the tariff classification of your goods
Determining the assessment of your needs: available sourcing, speed of delivery, and quality
Researching all available free trade agreement rules of origin or other benefits, such as Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) countries
Tariff optimization opportunities (if available)

Supply Chain Audits

Is your supply chain as healthy as it could be? Our supply chain and logistics experts can help assess your supply chain’s risks and weaknesses with an eye toward improving efficiencies, identifying issues, and providing recommendations based on professional best practices.

We can assist with:

Assessing your needs: sourcing availability, speed of delivery, and quality
Reviewing your current Incoterms®, sourcing countries, shipping routes, and modes of transportation
Assess your supply chain’s level of risk
Advisement of efficiencies and other improvements

Government Agency Requirements

Do you know all the relevant government agencies and their regulations for your import? Let us guide you through the complex world of Participating/Partner Government Agencies and their requirements. We can flag what imports will require extra steps, what will be involved in meeting their requirements, and your current level of compliance.

We can assist with:

Reviewing your commodity database
Determining which PGAs are applicable to your imports
Providing the rules and regulations that must be followed for each PGA reviewing your imports
Providing best practice advice

Personalized Instruction

Do you know your import’s accurate HS Tariff Classification? Let our experts analyze your good’s composition and determine your correct classification. There’s no better way to ship with confidence than with an expert classification.

We can assist with:

Customized training videos, webinars, in-person seminars, live-conference or even one-on-one training
Access to industry leader presenters for further questions

Customs Manuals

Do you have a single localized document with all your business’s import processes? Let us help by creating a standardized and tailored operating procedures manual for your company’s import processes. It is a great tool for vacation coverage, new staff, and clarity of regulatory requirements for your products.

Manual includes:

Step-by-step guide on the basics of importing (parties involved, paperwork, valuation, origin, and tariff)
Customized appendices for your product type
Overview of record-keeping requirements
Best practice advice to remain up-to-date with regulation changes
Available resource lists

Valuation of Goods

Have you correctly valued your import? As one of the most important and regularly underestimated elements of Customs clearance - valuation holds many opportunities for errors. Trust our team to apply the correct valuation method for your imported goods and get your import across Customs - complication-free.

We can assist with:

Providing a general understanding of the various methods of valuation and their restrictions
Determining what costs, additions, and/or deductions can be made
Clarifying direct cost vs indirect cost, inclusion, assist, and commission valuation of goods

Prior Disclosure | Voluntary Disclosure

Have you detected errors or mistakes on one or more previous imports? If it’s before Customs has found it with an audit, a prior/voluntary disclosure can be written to rectify the issue with Customs without penalty. We can help you through this delicate process step by step.

We can assist with:

Determining what entries, classifications, or other errors may be present
Determining the duties owed
Submitting the disclosed documents

Customs Penalty Protests | Appeals

Do you believe you have been penalized by Customs in error? Our team of experts can help assess your penalties to see if a protest or appeal can be made to Customs on your behalf.

We can assist with:

Developing, writing, and confirming potential mitigating circumstances
Developing standard operating procedures that preclude future errors
Reviewing for the same or similar issues in the past
Providing training/assistance in understanding culpability, correction, and disclosure

Tariff Relief

Would you like to find ways to pay less in tariffs? Our team can review your commodities, sourcing, and manufacturing practices to determine if trade modifications can be made to secure a lower duty rate.

We can assist with:

Reviewing possible exclusions from particular trade remedies
Exploring options for tariff optimization
Assessing free trade agreements that may not yet be taken advantage of

Provisional Entry Applications

Are you importing a major construction project or military equipment? You may qualify for a provisional entry. We can help you determine your qualification for this entry type and assist you through the application process.

We can assist with:

Determining the project scope: modes of transport, number of shipments etc.
Assessing the entry use
Completing and submitting the application for a provisional entry

Partners in Protection (PIP) Consulting

Do you have an interest in the Partners in Protection (PIP) program? PIP is a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) program that enlists the cooperation of private industry to enhance border and trade chain security, combat organized crime and terrorism, and help detect and prevent contraband smuggling.

It is a voluntary program with no membership fee that aims to secure the trade chain, one partnership at a time. Industry strongly supports the PIP program and greatly values the commitment of PIP members to do their part, together with the CBSA, to secure the supply chain and facilitate legitimate trade.

We can assist with:

The formalization of your policy and procedures
A supply chain risk assessment
An annual audit review
Developing your security profile / PIP application
Individualized consultations and training

How can we hep you trade today?