Binding Rulings
Your Insurance Policy Against Future Reassessment
A duty rate confirmed in writing by CBSA. A landed cost you can build into your forecast. A position the government cannot legally change retroactively. That's what a binding ruling delivers, and it's the foundation of every Dominion engagement that involves classification, origin, or valuation. The purpose of the advance ruling program, according to the RIAS, is to provide certainty to importers, exporters, producers or persons authorized to account for goods, in advance of goods being imported. This is clearly intended, among other things, to allow importers to make informed decisions on whether or not to follow through on the importation of goods that they are proposing to import, although not yet necessarily committed to importing.
Why Obtain a Ruling?
Three different parties can have three different opinions about the correct H.S. classification, country of origin declaration, or customs valuation for one of your products: you, your customs broker, and your customs solutions provider. None of those opinions matter when a Customs Administration, like the CBSA provides verification.
A binding ruling settles the question in advance. Once issued, a Customs Administration, like the CBSA is bound by the ruling for the product and the conditions described, meaning your landed cost is predictable, your future shipments are protected, and the risk of reassessment is materially reduced.
Free Initial Review
If you've received a ruling decision, and you'd like a second opinion on, send it to us. We will analyze it, explain what the government is saying (which is sometimes different from what they are saying), and review the appeal options with you. The review is complimentary. You decide how to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
The two rulings in Canada are Advanced Ruling and National Customs Ruling (NCR)
1.  Advanced Rulings are for HS Classifications
2. NCRs for Origin, Valuation, and other formal requests made to the CBSA.
CBSA's standard processing time for advance rulings is 30-120 days. We manage the entire submission and any CBSA queries on your behalf.