Canada/US Border Integrity Thread

[KevinB]

Every time I return and have to stop at customs (no Nexus here) I make sure I have one hand full of my receipts. It's an effective deterrent to CBSA questions, since they assume I am ready.

I've also discovered that if you earnestly declare that you have two 26oz bottles of booze and want to declare one, they look at you incredulously and then wave you through.

I’ve taken to very carefully ensured I bring no firearms, ammunition (and that is tough for me) alcohol, tobacco or really anything when I cross the border.

I only use my US passport as well, as if I use my Canadian one entering Canada if just seems to set CBSA folks off since I live in the US.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Deep down, they still look at themselves as excise tax collectors first. If you show up prepared, they figure you know the rules, are ready to answer for everything and willing to pay what needs be paid. Then they weight the expected tax revenue against how much time and paperwork will be required to decide to wave you through or actually do the work.

But under no circumstances, answer "yes" to the question "Did you visit a farm while out of Canada?' unless all your shoes and boots you wore while over there are easily accessible. FYI we (wife and I) have friends in England and New Zealand who own farms. When we visit, anything we wore while in the fields or barns goes into a sealed plastic bag (canoe or kayak type) placed as the first thing on top in our luggage. Saves a huge amount of time and the people from Agriculture Canada really appreciate that we know what we are doing.

 

[Alberta Bound]

I went to Cuba a few times and on the second trip found that I liked Santiago de Cuba (rum). So for the next three trips I brought six bottles back. Each time we returned my wife had the receipts for the $100-150 in souvenirs we had in one hand (including a bottle) and I had the receipt for the six bottles in my hand. Trips 1 and 2 they stared at me and then waived me through. Trip 3, she lectured me on how much I could bring back. I explained to her you couldn’t buy it in Canada and I told her the sum of the GST and Excise tax. I asked her if I could go pay the GST / Excise now. She said don’t bother and waived me to leave. Very nice people, but in my working alongside CBSA I never found them concentrating on the bigger picture as being their primary focus. Catching people in the small lie for a small fine or seizure seemed to be the focus. Like CATSA, more annoyance than result.

 

[OldSolduer]

I went to Cuba a few times and on the second trip found that I liked Santiago de Cuba (rum). So for the next three trips I brought six bottles back. Each time we returned my wife had the receipts for the $100-150 in souvenirs we had in one hand (including a bottle) and I had the receipt for the six bottles in my hand. Trips 1 and 2 they stared at me and then waived me through. Trip 3, she lectured me on how much I could bring back. I explained to her you couldn’t buy it in Canada and I told her the sum of the GST and Excise tax. I asked her if I could go pay the GST / Excise now. She said don’t bother and waived me to leave. Very nice people, but in my working alongside CBSA I never found them concentrating on the bigger picture as being their primary focus. Catching people in the small lie for a small fine or seizure seemed to be the focus. Like CATSA, more annoyance than result.

At one point CBSA was a tax collector. After 9/11 the focus did change. One of our partner agencies is CBSA.

 

[lenaitch]

I know. And neither is CSIS or the parole board or any number of adjacent orgs. Public Safety is the department that is supposed to in theory be coordinating all those pieces.

Like I said. We have that already. Not sure if it is being done right or not.

It has a whole section on border strategies in its mandate.

Changing/replacing an OIC can be done normally without parliamentary approval as long as it stays within the bounds of the Act it was written under. So that part can be done quickly. Offer up CBSA jobs to current PSAC members willing to meet the requirements to start bolstering the force. Adapt the MOU with the RCMP to accommodate a growing CBSA role. RCMP might also want to consider their long term role in supporting the border as the shift away from urban policing continues.

Perhaps. I'll leave to others more knowledgeable to comment on whether the CBSA has the legislated mandate to act like an avatar to the US Border Patrol. According to their website, they enforce approximately 100 statutes.

I suspect even with the budget to hire, train, equip, etc. a few thousand more agents who are willing to patch over and move to Pigeon River or Gander, it would still take quite a while.

A properly mandated, staffed and equipped CBSA shouldn't be predicated on another agency supporting it.

 

[RedFive]

In all of my experiences with CBSA (and my patrol zone contained two of their busiest land crossings, nationwide) the front line members are good, hungry and capable, its the managerial risk aversion that hamstrings them badly.

 

[Haggis]

Coming back we had filled out our cards which said we weren't brining back weapons, booze, cigarettes or marijuana etc and that I had brought back $0.00 of items and 9D $200.00 of items against each of our $800.00 exemptions. So what question did the agent ask my wife? "What did you buy for $200.00?" I couldn't quite understand if this was legitimate curiosity or an attempt to break her into confessing that after a lifetime of not smoking her suitcase was stuffed with American ciggies. In any event it certainly got me recalling this discussion thread and where CBSA's emphasis seems to be.

There's good reason for that question.

Other than tobacco and alcohol there's a lot of other regulated and controlled goods that people could inadvertently bring back:

• harmful cosmetics;
• dangerous health products;
• fireworks;
• items manufactured by prison labour;
• non CSA approved domestic appliances and products (i.e. baby walkers).

As well as determining if all the declared goods are accompanying you today or if there are goods to follow. CBSA won't charge duties and taxes on those goods until they actually arrive in Canada.

It also helps clarify if she may qualify for additional personal exemptions she may not be aware of.

 

[lenaitch]

non CSA approved domestic appliances and products (i.e. baby walkers).

I don't know why people would try to bring non-CSA/UL/ETL certified products across the border. It is much easier to simply order them on Amazon.

 

[Haggis]

I don't know why people would try to bring non-CSA/UL/ETL certified products across the border. It is much easier to simply order them on Amazon.

International packages and mail gets screened, too.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

My passport expired recently. I'm not sure whether I'll get it renewed right now or not.

 

[Haggis]

My passport expired recently. I'm not sure whether I'll get it renewed right now or not.

Why not?

 

[Czech_pivo]

My passport expired recently. I'm not sure whether I'll get it renewed right now or not.

What kind of statement is that?
You waiting to see if you’ll be getting a US one?
You not planning on flying out of the country anytime soon?
You haven’t seen a barber in 2.5yrs and you’re afraid you won’t like your picture?

 

[Quirky]

Canadian peso isn’t exactly useful right now…

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Why not?

I simply feel no desire to travel to the US right now. I just don't need it. This whole trade thing has got me pissed, from both sides.

I'm going to look at real estate there, online, though. I'm 15 minutes from downtown Detroit.

There's a very real possibility, that if the socialist here eke out a win, I might relocate.

 

[lenaitch]

International packages and mail gets screened, too.

Some desire increasing CBSA staff by 10000. A chunk of that could be swallowed up solely at Amazon fulfillment centres. On DIY and home improvement forums, the number of posters showing obviously illegal (uncertified) crap from China they bought through Amazon - mostly electrical - and can't figure out how to install it or get it to work on NA systems, is staggering. Stuff they can't buy at retail stores.

Sorry, it's just a thing with me.

 

[Haggis]

Some desire increasing CBSA staff by 10000. A chunk of that could be swallowed up solely at Amazon fulfillment centres. On DIY and home improvement forums, the number of posters showing obviously illegal (uncertified) crap from China they bought through Amazon - mostly electrical - and can't figure out how to install it or get it to work on NA systems, is staggering. Stuff they can't buy at retail stores.

Sorry, it's just a thing with me.

Yeah, CBSA is chronically short staffed and Trump isn't helping. Mail and courier screening is like like catching speeders.... or fish.

But you've gotta love the new RCMP Border Patrol video!!!

 

[The Bread Guy]

Meanwhile, word of some of Canada's fentanyl ending up in Australia ...

Trump says Canadian fentanyl is flooding into the U.S. New report indicates it’s actually going to Australia

Canadian organized crime groups are ramping up their production of fentanyl, and there are indications that the deadly product is bound for the Australian market.

www.thestar.com

Also readable here if link above is firewalled for you.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Meanwhile, word of some of Canada's fentanyl ending up in Australia ...

Trump says Canadian fentanyl is flooding into the U.S. New report indicates it’s actually going to Australia

Canadian organized crime groups are ramping up their production of fentanyl, and there are indications that the deadly product is bound for the Australian market.

www.thestar.com

Also readable here if link above is firewalled for you.

I just want to be clear here. Sure its not going to the USA. Trump is wrong.

We still need to be a good nation and work to shut that shit down no matter where its going.

The issue is the distribution of fentanyl.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I simply feel no desire to travel to the US right now. I just don't need it. This whole trade thing has got me pissed, from both sides.

I'm going to look at real estate there, online, though. I'm 15 minutes from downtown Detroit.

There's a very real possibility, that if the socialist here eke out a win, I might relocate.

You can use an expired CDN passport (or US) to drive across the border for up to 1yr before you'll need to renew it.

 

[Czech_pivo]

I simply feel no desire to travel to the US right now. I just don't need it. This whole trade thing has got me pissed, from both sides.

I'm going to look at real estate there, online, though. I'm 15 minutes from downtown Detroit.

There's a very real possibility, that if the socialist here eke out a win, I might relocate.

Your from Windsor? So I am, though I left when I was 23yr. My family is still there (and across the border in Metro Detroit).