OH NO... I FORGOT TO...

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear someone cooking yell...
OH NO... I FORGOT TO...
Some might think it is that "I forgot to add the salt."
Others would believe it to be, "I forgot to mix and stir the ingredients."
I think that the only reason to scream about something in the kitchen is because "I forgot to turn off the stove!"

Even though the dish may not have the perfect taste when you add the salt at the end of the cooking process (see blog: https://customsandcooking.blogspot.com/2021/04/sop.html) the dish could still be very tasty.
If the ingredients are not thoroughly stirred while the pot is simmering, the dish may be a bit sticky or mushy but not something to scream and yell about.

But when you forget to turn off the stove, what happens?
The dish could burn, the surroundings could potentially catch on fire (G-D forbid), etc. The ramifications could be quite disastrous. 

There are many reasons of why someone could forget to turn off the stove.
- phone call lasted much longer than expected
- health break
- door bell rang
- started to help with homework
- had to rush to the pharmacy
- etc.

Similarly, there are also many reasons for a business to decide not to focus on an item that could have an extensive financial impact. 

I was very hesitant to bring this topic up within these blog posts. However, I felt it important to voice this to those businesses that either "forget" or decide to postpone decisions regarding Customs.

Firstly, allow me to state that each business has made decisions based on information that many of us, including myself, do not have visibility to. 
My concern is that when a notice from Customs is received, viewed and then put aside, I am hard-pressed to understand why I receive calls advising that "We had no idea this would happen!" or "Is there a way to get an extension on the decision?".

On May 5, 2021, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) implemented provisional anti-dumping and countervailing duties on specific upholstered furniture that are made in and/or imported from China and Vietnam.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/sima-lmsi/i-e/uds2020/uds2020-np-eng.html 

This is a high profile case as it affects an industry that, to my knowledge, has previously not experienced these types of duties imposed under the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA).

Let me salute and compliment those corporations (big and small) who have convened a coalition through associations that will represent their interests at the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) while the Tribunal reviews the case.
The final determination is scheduled to be issued August 3, 2021.

Without getting into a detailed explanation as to what SIMA is, how the investigations get started by the CBSA and what determines the applicable rates of SIMA duty, for this case, depending on the origin and the vendor, the additional costs to imports can be as high as almost 300%.

So where is the fire? What is burning?

The initial notification starting this investigation was published on December 21, 2020. That is almost five (5) months ago! This is where I get a bit confused when importers call in a panic to state "I did not know".

The chef knows that there is something cooking on the stove. However, for whatever reason, they forgot and left the stove unattended. Hopefully, they remembered in time to ensure nothing catastrophic happened.

Is it very hard for a business to adjust to a cost that has increased by 300% overnight? Absolutely! Are there mechanisms to try and adjust to this imposed costs? Yes there are.

But to say that "I had no idea" is like saying "I did not know the stove was on!"

Again, I might be harsh on this topic but wanted to portray that businesses should always know when the stove is on and how to turn it off or turn the heat down. It does not happen overnight. Strategic analysis and communication with trade attorneys, consultants, even the CBSA may assist in making the right decision for the business.

Don't leave the stove on until it is too late!
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada

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