CFIA Issues Notice to Industry on Use of IID, Says It Won't Reduce NISC Hours
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will not "reduce the service hours for manually processing import declarations transmitted" through the legacy service options "at this time," the agency said in a March 29 notice to industry about integrated import declarations (IIDs). The decision follows industry concerns raised earlier this year, it said. The legacy service options, Other Government Departments (OGD) pre-arrival review system (PARS), or SO 463, and release on minimum documentation (RMD), or SO 471, were set for decommissioning on April 1, 2019, but CBSA said it will instead begin a phased approach on that date (see 1903280062).
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CFIA will maintain the National Import Service Centre (NISC) hours of 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. ET, 7 days a week, for manual processing, it said. Even so, "the Agency will be focusing its resources on the updated [Single Window Initiative] IID process," it said. "For this reason, as of April 1, 2019, the 4 hour informal service standard for processing OGD PARS/RMD declarations will no longer exist. In addition, NISC service level announcements will only be sent out for delays pertaining to the SW IID message."
It's time for commercial importers and customs brokers to start using the SWI IID, it said. "Those who are capable of using the SW IID are expected to make the switch as of April 1, 2019, but, for those who cannot transition to SW IID right away, the two legacy systems will remain open for a short period of time," CFIA said.