The B13A export declaration: what replaced it, and how to file now
The B13A was Canada's paper export declaration. The CBSA stopped accepting it on June 30, 2020. Every export that needs a declaration is now reported electronically, almost always through the free CERS portal. Here is what changed, and how to file today.
- Not accepted since June 30, 2020
- Replaced by CERS or G7 EDI
- Same exemptions as before
What happened to the B13A
In Customs Notice 19-14 (July 2019) the CBSA announced it would eliminate the paper B13A and make electronic export reporting mandatory. From June 30, 2020, B13As were no longer accepted. The CAED desktop software, the other old way of filing, stayed available until it was shut down on September 30, 2020.
Today the CBSA accepts two electronic methods: the CERS portal, which is free and runs in a browser, and G7 EDI, which sends declarations from your own software. Memorandum D20-1-1 makes these the prescribed form and formally repeals the B13A prescription, dated July 10, 1997.
What did not change is when you must report. The same goods still need a declaration and the same goods are still exempt. Most exports for consumption in the United States and commercial shipments under CAD$2,000 need none; the carrier records a No Declaration Required code instead.
How to report an export today
- 01
Check whether the shipment needs a declaration at all. Non-restricted goods for consumption in the United States, and non-restricted commercial goods under CAD$2,000, are exempt.
- 02
Make sure you have a business number with an RM export program account (your BN15). Both CERS and G7 EDI require it.
- 03
Register for CERS by emailing the CBSA form BSF831, the exporter reporting application. If a customs broker or forwarder will file for you, name them on the same form.
- 04
Sign in to the CERS portal with a GCKey or a Sign-In Partner and fill in the declaration. Goods are classified with the 8-digit Canadian Export Classification number.
- 05
File before the deadline for your mode of transport: 2 hours before loading for air, rail or mail, 48 hours before loading for marine, and before the truck crosses the border for highway.
- 06
Give the proof of report number to your carrier. If the goods need an export permit, present a printout of the electronic declaration with the permit, where the permit says or at the export office closest to the place of exit.
Key dates
From CBSA Customs Notices 19-14 and 20-30 and Memorandum D20-1-1.
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2019 | Customs Notice 19-14 announces the end of the paper B13A and mandatory electronic reporting. |
| 16 Mar 2020 | Exporters can register for the new CERS portal. |
| 30 Jun 2020 | The CBSA stops accepting the B13A. Exports must be reported through CERS, CAED or G7 EDI. |
| 30 Sep 2020 | CAED is shut down, three months later than first planned. CERS and G7 EDI are the only methods left. |
| Today | Memorandum D20-1-1 prescribes CERS and G7 EDI, and repeals the B13A's prescription. |
Paper is not the fallback
If CERS is down when you need to ship, a B13A will not help. The CBSA's contingency form is the BSF844: two paper copies at the export office closest to the place of exit. It does not replace the declaration. You must still file it electronically once the system is back.
Common questions
Can I still use a B13A form?
No. The CBSA stopped accepting the B13A on June 30, 2020. An export that needs a declaration must be reported electronically, through the CERS portal or G7 EDI.
Where can I download the B13A PDF?
The CBSA no longer publishes it, and any copy you find elsewhere is obsolete. Filling one in does not count as reporting your export.
My carrier or forwarder is asking for a B13A. What do they need?
Usually they mean proof that the export was reported. Give them the proof of report number from your CERS declaration. If the shipment is exempt, give them the No Declaration Required code that applies instead.
Do I need a declaration for exports to the United States?
Usually not. Non-restricted goods exported for consumption in the United States are exempt. Goods that only pass through the United States on the way to another country are not: they need a declaration, as they did under the B13A.
Do I have to keep my old B13A records?
Export records must be kept for six years from the date of export and shown to the CBSA on request. That rule applies to B13As as it does to CERS declarations.
Sources
Check where you stand
See which export requirements apply to your shipments.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
CERS declaration
When a CERS export declaration is required, and the deadline for each mode.
Read →CERS exemption codes
All sixteen NDR codes — the reasons no export declaration is needed.
Read →G7 EDI vs CERS
The two ways to file an export declaration, and which one fits you.
Read →Export readiness
Check your export readiness: export account, CERS reporting, permits, origin.
Read →