CARM Release 2 — what Canadian customs brokers need from day one
CARM has restructured the relationship between importers, brokers and CBSA. A practical playbook for Canadian brokers preparing the operations side of the transition.
The CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) Release 2 is the largest customs operational change in a generation. For Canadian brokers, the migration is not a software update — it is a structural rewrite of how clients are onboarded, financial security is posted, and statements of account are reconciled.
The three operational problems CARM creates
1. Client portal migration at scale: every importer needs a CARM Client Portal account, RPP postings and ongoing monitoring.
2. Bandwidth crunch: brokers cannot run the migration and daily operations with their existing local team.
3. Ongoing monitoring: CARM is not a one-time event. Daily monitoring of client postings, SOA reconciliation and RPP positions becomes part of the steady-state operating model.
How leading Canadian brokers are solving it
The smart playbook we are seeing among our Canadian clients is a phased CARM operations desk: a 6–12 person dedicated team that runs the migration as a project and then transitions to permanent monitoring after Release 2 is fully embedded. The team handles client outreach, Portal account creation, RPP setup support and ongoing daily monitoring inside the CBSA timelines.
The 90-day plan
- Day 1–14: client master data cleanse and outreach scripting
- Day 15–45: CARM Portal account creation and posting setup
- Day 46–75: RPP positions established, financial security clarified
- Day 76–90: monitoring desk transitioned to BAU operations