Shippers face tougher border enforcement and penalties on top of tariffs

Shippers say stepped-up enforcement of cross-border cargo under the Trump administration is adding time and costs to trade already affected by tariffs.

As tariffs rise along the Canada-U.S. border, transport industry representatives say a more protectionist U.S. approach to customs has increased freight screening and penalties.

Breanna Leininger, who leads U.S. operations for Vancouver-based Pacific Customs Brokers, said American border officials have made a “massive shift.” Requests for documentation on the goods her company ships have increased tenfold from three years ago, she said.

Importers must provide a longer paper trail, including labour and manufacturing records, to demonstrate compliance with product classifications, Leininger said. She said both the required level of proof and the goods subject to tariffs appear to change from month to month.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures indicate audits this year are on track to rise 26 per cent from 2024. The increased enforcement comes as Canada and the United States exchange fresh rounds of tariffs in an escalating trade war.