Tsawwassen’s New Container Examination Facility Now Operational
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Tsawwassen’s New Container Examination Facility Now Operational

As of June 17th, 2019, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility (TCEF) is now open. Historically, the most vital marine port in all of Canada is the Vancouver port, accounting for 57% of the marine containers entering into Canada each year.

With a growing majority of Canada’s goods entering into the marine ports of Vancouver each year, the marine ports of Vancouver have struggled. “The CBSA risk assesses 100% of all marine containers in order to identify potentially high-risk shipments. The vast majority of marine container shipments are processed and authorized by the CBSA to enter Canada without delay. However, a small percentage of containers are selected by the CBSA for examination. Now with the TCEF they will have the opportunity to take advantage of state-of-the-art technology to facilitate the examination process.”

The Facility's Focus

The focus of the new facility is to increase the capacity for potential examinations arriving to the marine ports of Vancouver. This will allow for improved security on goods shipped into Canada via Vancouver’s marine ports.

The Benefits Of The New Facility

The new facility will allow CBSA officers to conduct complete offload examinations of marine containers. It will also serve as a general purpose warehouse facility for incoming goods that may not have a home when they arrive at the port.

One of the great benefits from the new facility is the focus on efficiency. This, in theory, will allow for the supply chain of goods flowing into Canada to enter into the Canadian market faster. Less time for people waiting for brand new, top of the line goods, entering into Canada.

CBSA is looking to provide smart, secure and efficient borders. The TCEF will help them identify security risks, as well as, address previous gaps in security. The new facility also brings along new technology, so CBSA officers can spend more time completing risk-based compliance to identify and scrutinize cargo with unknown-risks.

Another ancillary benefit of the TCEF is the increase in business coming to the city of Tsawwassen, BC. Now many businesses and companies are targeting the location to improve their supply chain. With facilities in close proximity to the new TCEF companies will be able to take advantage of the additional benefits of being near their arriving goods.

All of the above changes align with the Canadian Government’s vision of working closer with stakeholders, expediting legal cargo and providing Canadian businesses with a competitive advantage.

Pacific Customs Brokers & PCB Freight Management

If you want a competitive advantage for your business than look no further than Pacific Customs Brokers and PCB Freight Management. Whether you are importing goods into the U.S. or Canada, or shipping freight worldwide, your answers are here. Contact us for a quote on any of our services, speak with a Trade Advisor on what you can do to take advantage of the world of trade, or watch one of our online courses on-demand in the PCB Learning Center.

Additional Reading | TCEF Fact Sheet | The Marine Container Examination Process | About The TCEF Project |

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About Author
Jan Brock

Jan Brock joined PCB Customs Brokers in 2015 as a Senior Trade Advisor. She retired from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in 2015 after serving more than 37 years. Jan started her career with CBSA as a summer student in 1976 and worked part-time until she graduated from U.B.C. with a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1980 . Shortly after graduating from U.B.C. Jan worked full time as an inspector with CBSA and within three years was promoted to Superintendent. She served some time in the Regional Operations office as an Operations Review Officer before she was promoted to Chief of Operations first at the Customs Mail Centre, then in the Metro District as the Commercial Chief and ending her career as a Chief at Pacific Highway Commercial Operations where she served as Chief from 1992 to 2015. During her career she was a member of the Customs Drug Team and a trainer in the National Enforcement Program. Jan also served as the Regional Coordinator Officer Powers and Use of Force for the Pacific Region. Jan served on many Commercial Program Reviews and committees both national and regional during her career and possesses an expansive knowledge of importing and exporting into and from Canada.

While we strive for accuracy in all our communications, as the Importer of Record it is incumbent upon your company to ensure that you are aware of the requirements under the new regulations so that you maintain compliance as always.