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Free and Secure Trade Program
for Importers, Carriers, and Commercial Drivers
What is the FAST program?
It is a commercial process offered by Canada Border Services Agency and the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency to pre-approved importers, carriers, and registered drivers. Shipments for approved companies, transported by approved carriers using registered drivers, will be cleared into either country with greater speed and certainty, and at a reduced cost of compliance. FAST participants must meet the requirements of Canada’s Partners in Protection Program (PIP) and the United States’ Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Program (C-TPAT).
What are the benefits of the FAST program?
FAST members enjoy shipments cleared into either country with greater speed and certainty at a reduced cost of compliance. Some of the key benefits are:
- the FAST ID card is an approved travel document for identification at the U.S. border which can be used as an alternative to a passport under the U.S. travel document requirements for U.S. and Canadian citizens;
- reduced information requirements for customs clearance;
- eliminated the need for importers to transmit data for each transaction;
- dedicated lanes for FAST clearances;
- reduced number of inspections resulting in reduced delays at the border;
- verifying trade compliance away from the border;
- priority (front of the line) processing for CBP inspections; and
- streamlined accounting and payment processes for all goods imported by approved importers (in Canada only).
At the Peace Bridge, trucks entering the U.S. have the added benefit of using a dedicated FAST lane to by-pass the truck queue when staging is in place.
What is the cost?
As of December 1, 2007, FAST application fees are $50 U.S. or Canadian.
For more information contact:
Canada Border Services Agency – 1-866-340-FAST (3278) or cbsa-asfc@canada.gc.ca
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