The government of Canada today announced that it intends to introduce legislation requiring information about cargo to be provided to the CBSA in advance of importation. For the press release click here:

http://news.gc.ca/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=378729

While announced intentions may fall by the wayside in the face of opposition or elections, we believe that Canadian cargo interests and intermediaries are in an environment of ever increasing security demands. Ultimately, we are likely to see a move toward 100% screening and much more frequent (and sophisticated) inspection. It can only be hoped that the very political response of getting tough on border crime will be tempered with a practical position that recognizes the importance of global trade for Canada and the desirability of harmonizing our security systems with those of our largest trading partners.