Tradewin Canada is a division of Expeditors Canada Inc., providing creative and effective solutions in compliance, logistics and trade data management. Tradewin^® provides expertise in customs compliance and other government regulations to companies in every industry sector involved in global trade. We navigate through the complex waters of international trade... keeping our eye on the horizon.

In April 2000, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency launched an Action Plan to improve the efficiency of the trading environment and bring it up to a level capable of handling current and future volumes of goods and information in a controlled manner. Under CCRA's Administrative Monetary Penalty initiative, importers are being motivated to revisit their import practices and policies for compliance. A tariff classification review and database development is a good place to begin as all Customs transactions are based its contents.

The most prevalent data compliance issue for Canada Customs today is misclassification of goods. To the importer this can translate into increased duties and penalties under AMPS as well as possible admissibility issues. Working with your company's product experts, Tradewin^® will ascertain the function, form and composition of the product. Using tariff classification principles, we will determine the proper Harmonized Tariff code. For complex issues, Tradewin^® will fully research prior rulings issued by Canada Customs to provide guidance. The result will be a solid foundation for Customs transactions with the assurance of minimized duty valuation and fulfillment of CCRA's requirement to satisfy "reason to believe".

Tradewin^® recommends that importers maintain visibility to and control of their product compliance information via a system. Tradeflow^®'s Product Management Centre faciliates access control, allows information to be shared with Trade Partners, includes field-level change history, document images can be uploaded, and provides users with integrated access to tariffs for over 120 countries. Tradewin^® customers have the option of subscribing to Tradeflow^® to store the classification work and use the system to streamline entry processing. A web-view or data extract can be made available to Customs brokers.

Goods which are not explicitly defined in the provisions of existing Customs legislation fall subject to interpretation. National Customs Rulings give businesses certainty with a binding statement outlining how CCRA will apply specific provisions of Customs legislation to an importation. To obtain a ruling, Tradewin^® will research the product, compile evidence to support an application and prepare and submit a formal request. A Ruling will assure you of compliance on that product, satisfy "reason to believe" obligation and avoid contention of the shipment which can lead to costly delays at the border. NCRs apply to tariff classification, value for duty, origin and marking.

A building is a testament to the foundation that supports it. Imperfections in the base will have a compounding effect on the solidity of the whole structure over time. Invite Tradewin^® to use its expertise and research experience to ensure the data you are basing your Customs transactions on is reliable. Satisfy your compliance responsibilities to Canada Customs, minimizing your exposure to AMPS.

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REGULATORY - LOGISTICAL - FINANCIAL