G7 EDI vs CERS: the two ways to file a Canadian export declaration
The CBSA accepts export declarations through two electronic methods: the CERS web portal and G7 EDI, where software sends the declaration straight to the CBSA. Both file the same declaration under the same rules. The difference is how the data gets there, what it costs to set up, and who it suits.
- Same declaration, two channels
- CERS is the CBSA's recommended method
- G7 EDI suits high-volume senders
Two channels for one declaration
Memorandum D20-1-1 names both methods as the prescribed form for reporting exported goods under section 95 of the Customs Act. Whichever you use, the deadlines, the BN15 requirement and the No Declaration Required exemptions are identical. Choosing G7 EDI does not change what you must report, only how.
CERS is a web portal: you sign in and fill in each declaration on screen. The CBSA calls it the primary reporting method, and its exporters' guide says that if you are unsure which method is right, use CERS.
G7 EDI is a system-to-system channel. Your own software, or a service provider's, transmits the declaration to the CBSA's network in the message format set out in chapter 19 of the CBSA's Electronic Commerce Client Requirements Document (ECCRD). The CBSA says the process was developed to make trade between the G7 countries easier, which is where the name comes from. It is used mostly by exporters and customs service providers who already hold shipment data in their own systems and file too often to retype it.
Choosing and registering
- 01
Get a business number with an RM export program account (your BN15). A valid BN15 is needed to file through either method.
- 02
Decide on the method. If you export occasionally, or your shipments are entered by hand anyway, use CERS: it is free and needs nothing beyond a browser.
- 03
If you choose G7 EDI, pick a connection. You can use a third-party provider whose EDI software the CBSA has tested and registered. You can connect over the Customs Internet Gateway, which means buying encryption software and building or buying the protocol software. Or you can set up a Direct Connect line, which the CBSA puts at about $25,000 (plus or minus $5,000) to set up.
- 04
Register with form BSF831, the exporter reporting application. It is the same form for both methods; for G7 EDI you also complete its G7-EDI Software Information annex (software, connection type, sender ID, mailbox ID). Email it to the CBSA export program address shown on the form.
- 05
For G7 EDI, request chapter 19 of the ECCRD from the CBSA's Technical Commercial Client Unit (it is not published online) and pass the CBSA's acceptance testing before you send live declarations.
- 06
Once a declaration is accepted, give the proof of report number to your carrier before the goods leave Canada.
CERS and G7 EDI side by side
From Memorandum D20-1-1, the CBSA exporters' guide and the CBSA's EDI system requirements.
| CERS | G7 EDI | |
|---|---|---|
| How you file | Web portal: sign in and enter each declaration | Your software or a service provider transmits it to the CBSA network |
| Registration | Form BSF831 | Form BSF831 plus its G7-EDI Software Information annex |
| Set-up cost | Free | Provider or software fees; a Direct Connect line costs about $25,000 (± $5,000) to set up |
| Goods classification | 8-digit Canadian Export Classification (Statistics Canada) | 10-digit tariff classification number (Customs Tariff) |
| Proof of report | Authorization ID + submission date + sequence number, e.g. AB123420200320101 | 17 characters: authorization ID + year, month and 5-digit sequence, e.g. RC123420121012345 |
| Amending | "Amend" feature in the portal | Electronic amendment feature |
| Cancelling | "Void" under Export Documents, up to 90 days after submission | Electronic cancellation feature |
| Technical rules | ECCRD chapter 25 | ECCRD chapter 19 (on request from the CBSA) |
The classification number is not the same
CERS asks for the 8-digit Canadian Export Classification number from Statistics Canada. G7 EDI asks for the 10-digit tariff classification number from the Customs Tariff. They are different code lists. If you move between the two methods, or reuse codes from your import side, check each code against the list the method asks for.
Common questions
What does "G7" mean in G7 EDI?
It refers to the Group of Seven countries. The CBSA describes the G7 EDI export reporting process as developed to facilitate the import and export of goods between the G7 countries. It does not limit where you can export: a G7 EDI declaration covers exports to any destination, as a CERS declaration does.
Is G7 EDI being phased out?
Not according to the CBSA's current guidance. Memorandum D20-1-1 (October 2024) still lists G7 EDI as one of the two available reporting methods. It names CERS as the primary method, and the exporters' guide recommends CERS to anyone unsure. The latest G7 EDI technical chapter is dated May 2015.
Can my customs broker or forwarder file for me?
Yes, through either method. On form BSF831 you name the customs service provider, which creates an association letting it file on your behalf. The declaration still carries your BN15, not theirs, and you stay liable for the accuracy of what is reported. Penalties are issued against the BN15 on the declaration.
Does the CBSA charge to file through G7 EDI?
The CBSA's EDI pages do not list a filing fee. The costs are on your side of the connection: a service provider's fees, encryption and protocol software for the Customs Internet Gateway, or the set-up cost of a Direct Connect line. CERS has no such costs.
What if CERS or G7 EDI is down when I need to ship?
The CBSA's contingency plan lets you present two paper copies of form BSF844 at the export reporting office closest to where the goods leave Canada, or email it where that office takes electronic submissions. It does not replace the electronic declaration: you still file through CERS or G7 EDI once the system is back.
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 →RM business number
The import/export account number the CBSA needs before your first shipment.
Read →Export readiness
Check your export readiness: export account, CERS reporting, permits, origin.
Read →