Frequently Asked Questions - Appendix G Pre-clearance Program

Question1 -

To commercially import vehicles via the Appendix G Pre-clearance program;

• obtain a valid import/export business number (BN) registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a company established in Canada; and
• declare your company as the importer of record on Canada Border Services Agency final accounting documentation; and
• only import vehicles where both the vehicle class and the foreign manufacturer are registered in the Appendix G Pre-clearance program.

Question2 -

The responsibility for compliance ultimately lies with the commercial importer established in Canada. Under sections 5, 10 and 17 of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA), it is an offence to import non-compliant vehicles into Canada. You can find the MVSA and regulations at: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/M-10.01/index.html.

The Appendix G Pre-clearance program is designed to assist Canadian commercial importers in meeting part of their obligations under the MVSA and streamline the border process by listing foreign manufacturers that have successfully registered with Transport Canada as “pre-cleared” for the classes of vehicles they build as Canadian compliant for sale on the Canadian market.

In addition to managing your commercial activities related to importing vehicles via Appendix G, you also must maintain importation records and may be called upon to issue a notice of defect in cooperation with the foreign manufacturer.

Importers that use Appendix G Pre-clearance must be aware that although they may not have manufactured the vehicles they import, they are ultimately responsible for all aspects of compliance with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA).

The Minister of Transport does not have the discretionary decision making power to waive a company or and person's responsibility to comply with the MVSA.

Question3 -

You must provide applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) certification documents for each class of vehicle you build and demonstrate your ability to issue a "notice of defect" (recall) to customers who purchase your vehicles in Canada.

Contact us using the contact information provided at the bottom of this page to request an Appendix G foreign manufacturer registration package. Please specify the class of vehicle your company manufactures.

If you are currently a foreign manufacturer registered in the Appendix G Pre-clearance program and wish to register an additional vehicle class, you must submit a new application for the new class of vehicle.

Once you receive the package, read the instructions carefully and submit all the information as requested.

We prefer electronic submissions.

Question4 -

The entire review process takes six to eight weeks once we receive all of the information we requested.

Question5 -

Yes, but the application to register for Appendix G Pre-clearance must be in the name of the foreign vehicle manufacturer and it must be signed by them.

Foreign manufacturers can use the services of consultants, compliance specialist or industry associations to assist them with developing and maintaining records necessary to demonstrate compliance of the vehicles they build, maintain an ongoing self certification system, compile the information for the application and/or act as their primary compliance contact.

Question6 -

We may deny an application to register as a foreign manufacturer for Appendix G Pre-clearance if:

• The information provided by the foreign vehicle manufacturer is insufficient to establish compliance with applicable Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for the vehicles it builds; or
• The foreign manufacturer name and address does not coincide with the assigned World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) code registered with Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE); or
• The foreign manufacturer is not able to demonstrate an ability to issue a notice of defect (recall) to customers who purchase their vehicles in Canada.

If you are unsure of the information you are required to submit, or if you need help in determining if your application is complete, various consulting agencies, compliance specialists and trade associations can provide you with assistance.

Question7 -

Yes, you may commercially import new Canadian-specification vehicles outside the Appendix G Pre-clearance program if, prior to importation, you submit the required proof of compliance to Transport Canada using the case-by-case importation process.

You can find more information about requesting a case-by-case authorization number to import new Canadian-specification vehicles at: Pre-clearing new vehicles for importing using the case-by-case process

Each request is reviewed on individually and Transport Canada may issue a case-by-case authorization number for all vehicles identification numbers (VINs) belonging to a particular shipment.