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 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 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.