Single-trip Bonds: An Alternative for Non-Bonded Carriers

What is a non-bonded highway carrier to do when they have an opportunity to pick up a load that needs to travel in-bond through Canada? One alternative is to obtain a single-trip bond.

Bonds issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), whether single-trip or annual, allow highway carriers to move goods inland to a sufferance warehouse for release or "in-transit" through Canada for furtherance to a point outside of the country.

In order to become an annually bonded carrier with CBSA, carriers must have a carrier code, post financial security of up to $25,000 as well as fill out an application. However, to obtain a single-trip bond the process can be completed on an as-needed basis.

A single-trip bond can be acquired by the carrier directly through CBSA at the First Port of Arrival (FPOA) by filing security using cash or certified cheque or by engaging a customs broker who provides this service.

Goods moving on a single-trip bond are linked to the carrier code of the carrier moving the goods, a bond authorization number and Cargo Control Number (CCN) printed on a Cargo Control Document (CCD). This allows for reporting, tracing and acquittal of each shipment by CBSA.

CBSA expects the single-trip bond process to be limited and declining in use and as such this process remains paper-based.

The process for a single-trip bond movement of goods:

1. The highway carrier will transmit cargo and conveyance data as a frontier release prior to arriving at the FPOA.
2. At the Primary Inspection Line (PIL), the driver will declare that a single-trip authorization is required to move the goods inland. The carrier will then provide a lead sheet to the Border Services Officer (BSO) with the a bar coded CRN or a bar coded CCN and handwritten CRN.
3. The BSO will refer the driver inside for primary processing to apply for a single-trip bond.
4. The carrier will present a completed paper re-manifest (A8A) to the BSO. The officer will stamp the A8A allowing the carrier to move the goods inland. The clearance is then processed as an in-bond movement.
5. The A8A copies will be split as they were pre-emanifest carriers will not be penalized for handwriting the CCN onto the A8A being used to re-manifest, single-trip in-bond movement.
6. Goods must go to the destination that CBSA has allowed the carrier to carry the goods to as per the bond. The single-trip bond naturally ends at the destination of the goods.
7. The carrier is required to retain all records relating to this single-trip bond for three (3) years plus the current year.

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