Free and Secure Trade (FAST)
FAST is a joint initiative between the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection that enhances border and trade chain security while making cross-border commercial shipments simpler and subject to fewer delays.
How does FAST work?
All FAST program participants (drivers, carriers, importers) must undergo a risk assessment. FAST-approved participants are identified as low risk, which allows the CBSA to focus resources and security efforts on travelers of high or unknown risk.
When a FAST-approved driver arrives at the border, he or she presents three bar-coded documents to the border services officer (one for each of the participating parties: the driver, the carrier and the importer). The officer can quickly scan the bar codes while all trade data declarations and verifications are done at a later time, away from the border.
Eligible goods arriving for approved companies and transported by approved carriers using registered drivers are cleared into Canada or the United States with greater speed and certainty, which reduces costs for FAST participants.
Where it is available?
Dedicated FAST lanes have been established at a number of major border crossings.
Benefits:
- FAST is a requirement for Customs Self Assessment, an innovative CBSA program to increase your compliance and reduce your importation costs significantly
- Access to dedicated lanes (where available) for faster and more efficient border clearance;
- A streamlined process that reduces delivery times and landed costs of imports;
- No need to transmit transactional data for every transaction;
- Minimal documentation required to clear the border;
- Increased certainty at the border resulting in fewer delays;
- A unified, ongoing partnership with the CBSA;
- Promotion of Canadian competitiveness; and
- Advancement of voluntary compliance and self-assessment
FAST-eligible goods:
In order to qualify for the streamlined FAST process, goods imported into Canada must meet these conditions:
- They must not be prohibited, controlled or regulated importations as set out in any act of Parliament or provincial legislation;
- They must not be subject to the release requirements of any other government department; and
- They must be shipped direct to Canada from the continental United States or Mexico
Contact us today to find out how we can help you get onboard the program