CARM (CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management)

CARM (the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management) is the Canada Border Services Agency's initiative that modernises how importers and trade partners register, account for and pay customs duties and taxes. Centred on the online CARM Client Portal, it changes long-standing Canadian import processes.

Key changes include: importers must register in the CARM portal and have their own account; the introduction of the Commercial Accounting Declaration (CAD), replacing the traditional B3/B2 forms; and — significantly — importers becoming responsible for posting their own financial security (a bond) to obtain release prior to payment, rather than relying on a broker's bond (the “Release Prior to Payment” change). CARM aims to streamline, digitise and standardise revenue management and give importers direct visibility of their accounts. For businesses importing into Canada — and their customs brokers and software — CARM is a major operational change: registering, managing the portal, arranging security and filing CADs are now essential steps. Understanding CARM is central to importing into Canada today. It reshapes Canadian import accounting and compliance.