Descartes Systems Group, a leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, is now the only service provider that has been certified to submit commercial import data for the Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) Single Window Initiative (SWI), the primary, modernized system through which the Canadian government will track, control and process information related to the import of goods into the country.
Using the CBSA-certified Descartes Canadian Customs Brokerage™ solution, customs brokers, freight forwarders and/or importer self-filers can now streamline the submission of customs entries to CBSA and Participating Government Agencies (PGA) through a centralized platform, which simplifies the import process by eliminating manual tasks and paper documentation in the Canadian customs process. Nine government departments are participating in the SWI, as well as agencies representing 38 government programs. CBSA has set April 1, 2018 as the deadline for mandatory use of the SWI.
"Being an early adopter in the certification process for the CBSA Single Window Initiative has been a top priority for Thompson Ahern," says Rod Kyle, president and general manager, Thompson, Ahern & Co. Limited. "The ability to more effectively communicate with the CBSA and PGAs will allow us to work more efficiently and process time-sensitive shipments more rapidly. Descartes has enabled us to achieve this goal by achieving certification for the initiative."
An on-demand, enterprise-level software solution, the Descartes Canadian Customs Brokerage solution leverages the power of the Descartes Global Logistics Network™ (Descartes GLN™) to electronically connect customs brokers, freight forwarders and/or importer self-filers with shippers, carriers and regulatory authorities around the world. With the CBSA certification, the solution can now be used to send customs entries directly to the following government departments and agencies: Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Public Health Agency Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
"With an ongoing investment in technology, Omnitrans is committed to providing clients with market-leading solutions," adds Blair Katz, executive vice president, Omnitrans. "We're proud to honor that commitment by being the first Customs Broker in Canada to be certified on all available PGAs, thanks to our close partnership and collaboration with the Descartes team."
"Descartes is pleased to have earned the necessary certification from CBSA to help early adopters, like Thompson Ahern and Omnitrans, comply with the Single Window Initiative," says Glenn Palanacki, director of product strategy at Descartes. "As governments around the world look to modernize their systems to better balance the need for information with a more global business environment, the combination of our software-as-a-service offerings and the world's most extensive logistics messaging network can help organizations of all sizes in diverse industries enhance preparedness to meet current and future global trade mandates."
