ImportInfo Newsletter May 2023

Christian Siviére – New TFO Canada Regional Representative in Quebec

TFO Canada is pleased to announced the appointment on Christian Siviére as its new regional representative in Quebec. Following a 30 year career in international logistics, Christian Sivière started a Montréal-based import-export consultancy in 2010, Solimpex, active in two areas: consulting to help SMEs grow internationally; and training on the Logistics, Customs and Regulatory aspects of International Trade, Free Trade Agreements, Supply Chain Management and related issues.

Christian lectures for the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association, gives seminars and webinars for various trade organizations like the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, Invest Ottawa, Supply Chain Canada and similar, and personalized training for importers and exporters. He publishes articles in Inside Logistics and Supply Professional.

New Supply Offers: May 2023

TFO Canada received 18 new supply offers in these categories:

8 – Food products and beverages (inc. seafood)
3 – Home Decor, Giftware and Crafts
3 – Clothing (not inc. footwear)
1 – Personal Care, pharmaceuticals and natural health products
1 – Floriculture
1 – Fashion Accessories
1 – Furniture

Upcoming missions: Mark your calendars!

TFO Canada is hosting a Canadian Buyers Mission to Vietnam

in the week of November 20th, 2023

TFO Canada, in cooperation with Vietrade, is organizing a buyers mission from Canada to Vietnam in the week of November 20th 2023. The visit will take place just before Vietnam’s Food Expo Trade Show in Ho Chi Minh City.

The suppliers are export ready with experience exporting to Asia, the E.U., the USA and Australia/New Zealand.

This initiative provides a unique opportunity for Canadian buyers to witness first-hand potential products manufactured by SMEs in Vietnam. It is also an opportunity for Canadian buyers to visit Vietnam Food Expo, one of Vietnam’s top trade shows.

An attractive financial assistance package towards the trip will be given to the selected Canadian buyers!

Interested in participating? Please complete the online form here. DEADLINE FOR APPLYING IS FRIDAY, JUNE 9^th 2023.

For more information, please contact Marc Germain at 514-995-5011.

Blue Box Transition

Did you know the Ontario Blue Box program producer responsibilities comes into effect on July 1 2023 and will impact all obligated producers within Canada?

On August 15, 2019, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued direction to the Resource, Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) and Stewardship Ontario to begin transitioning the management of Ontario’s Blue Box Program to producers of plastic and other packaging. This will enable the transition of materials collected under the program to individual producer responsibility under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. The Blue Box Program will transition to the new regulatory framework for resource recovery starting on July 1, 2023 through to December 31, 2025.

The Blue Box regulation, originally introduced on April 14, 2022, shifts the management and costs from municipalities to producers which will account for the collection, transportation, and recycling of the materials in the blue box program. This includes paper, plastic, metal, and glass containers.

All obligated producers as defined below, must meet these obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. By holding producers accountable for the materials produced, it is hoped that this will incentivize industry to create more sustainable products and packaging. Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) is the regulatory oversight body mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce the province’s Waste Diversion Transition Act.

A person or company is considered an obligated producer if:

They are the brand holder of the plastic, metal, glass, paper or packaging-like product and are a resident in Canada. This is a key change from the Stewardship Ontario program and impacts brand holders outside of Ontario.
Brand holders are defined as a person or a company who owns or licenses a brand or has rights to market a product under the brand in Ontario.
There is no resident brand holder, then the importer is the obligated producer
There is no resident importer, then the retailer is the obligated producer
The retailer is a marketplace seller, then the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer
The producer is a business that is a franchise, the franchisor is the obligated producer, if that franchisor has franchisees that reside in Ontario

The previous program for these materials was managed through Stewardship Ontario. Starting July 1, 2023, the program will transition to the new resource recovery framework. We encourage all impacted members to start planning now. This phased approach is meant to help minimize disruptions to the collection system across the province.

Approximately one third of municipalities in Ontario will transition to the new program each year from the latter half of 2023, throughout 2024 and through to December 31, 2025. Obligated producers are responsible for transitioning on or before the dates in the schedule listed here. Both programs will run concurrently in various parts of the province until the Extended Producer Responsibilities are fully achieved. The Stewardship Ontario program will close in 2026.

As an obligated Blue Box producer, you are required to:

Register with the Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA) and pay the associated registration fee
Report supply data to RPRA annually
Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for Blue Box collection systems
Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for managing collected Blue Box materials, including meeting a management requirement set out in the regulation
Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for promotion and education
Provide third-party audits of actions taken towards meeting your collection and management requirements, and report on those actions to RPRA through annual performance reports.

To support with these obligations, there are Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) registered with RPRA which can help fulfill the mandatory requirements. Currently there are four PROs in Ontario, we recommend reviewing each one and deciding if this is a fit for your business. Read more on PROs and how they operate here.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM)

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) is a multi-year initiative that will transform the collection of duties and taxes for goods imported into Canada. Through CARM, the CBSA will modernize and streamline the process of importing commercial goods.

This project is being released in phases. CARM Release 1, was in May 25, 2021 which launched the CARM Client Portal, a self-service tool that will facilitate accounting and revenue management processes with the CBSA.

CARM Release 2 is scheduled for October 2023. Release 2 is anticipated to expand the functionalities of the CARM Client Portal by adding:

· electronic commercial accounting declarations with ability for corrections and adjustments

· new requirements related to the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) program

· harmonized billing cycles

· new offsetting options

· electronic management of appeals and compliance actions.

Register for the Canadian Border Services Agency CARM onboarding webinar on 12th June 2023 from 13:00 – 14:30 pm to learn more.