Can you believe that 2024 is already nearly over? As is tradition here at the Trading Post, in our last post of the year before we go on hiatus, we like to pull together the top ten blog posts from the year that was and, through that list, reflect on what was making waves in the world of international trade in 2024.

This year, what is most interesting is the breakdown of popular articles on both sides of the border. Normally, the split is fairly even between Canadian and US posts in the top ten, but for some reason, a very specific Canadian topic has dominated the top ten.

From the dreaded arrival of CARM to understanding bonds all the way to a #1 that is going to be very important for the days and months ahead. This has been an extraordinary year for the Trading Post - and the world of Global Trade at large. We encourage you to flip through the best of this year and reflect on the remarkable journey we have all taken together and the exciting adventure that is set to start in the year ahead.

Without further ado, here is the countdown of the top ten blogs of 2024!

10. Transport Bond Under Customs - What Types Of Bond Does a Carrier Need

One of the big educational goals we had going into 2024 was to thoroughly explain the concept of ‘bonds’ on the blog. It’s one of those terms that sometimes seems to take on a life of its own and gain more or less meaning than it actually has. It was important to us to deliver accurate information that dispels some of the misunderstandings and clarifies what you can expect when it’s time to get a bond. 

Over the course of three different posts, we dived into every configuration of bond and every party that might need to engage with them, and this, the one covering ‘Carrier Bonds’, is the second most popular of the year. Which was the first? You’ll have to keep reading to find out.

9. Through the Portal: A CARM Choose Your Own Adventure

Much of our efforts in the early months of 2024 were dedicated to getting our clients and Trading Post readers to register for the CARM Client Portal ahead of its impending implementation date, and every now and then, we opted for creative approaches to that challenge. Our first, but hopefully not last, ‘choose your own adventure-style’ post saw an importer move through the many choices and consequences potentially waiting for them in the days leading up to CARM’s implementation.

It’s a particularly interesting read now, in retrospect. How did the fictionalized journey compare to the actual experience of the importer who, in just a few short months, would actually live through these events? Was it an accurate prediction of future events or just the overactive imaginations of your friendly Customs broker? You’ll have to let us know.

8. Do Carriers Need to Register for CARM? YES.

It’s particularly exciting to see this one make the list, as it indicates that we are reaching our incredible carrier audience as well as our importers. If you are surprised to see another CARM article on this list, don’t be. There is plenty to come as CARM utterly dominates this year’s list. However, this one, in particular, is worth another read if you haven’t yet, as it dives into an issue that is still a significant challenge for importers and carriers today, namely the titular question - do carriers need to register for CARM?

It’s important enough to give it away in the title - yes, they do. Put simply, if you are an entity that engages with the CBSA in a financial way, then you need to be registered in the CARM Client Portal, and that includes commercial importers and carriers alike. For more information about this, you are encouraged to give this one a read.

7. Who Needs To Use CARM? And Other Questions and Resolutions for 2024

What’s most interesting about this one is the date that we published it - January 11, 2024. 

This was our first blog of the year, and it accurately predicted the topic that would be of most keen interest throughout the entirety of the year. It just goes to show - watch this space carefully; it’s a great way to know what’s coming down the pipe at any given moment.

6. CBSA July 2024 Trade Verification Priorities List

Speaking of predictions, for those not in the know, the CBSA releases a twice-annual list of its priorities for the coming quarters, essentially providing a targeted list of goods that are much more likely to get an additional inspection and verification when they reach Customs.

This post not only alerted importers to the newly published list but also provided some additional context and relevant information for importers who find their goods have newly earned the CBSA’s interest.

If you are an importer of any of the goods on this list, you hopefully already know and have read this blog, but for other importers who have not had the experience, this is a good post to read and a wise topic to keep your eyes on every January and July.

5. Exhibiting In A US Trade Show: Consider A Temporary Import Bond

The second bond-type blog post on this list and the more popular read by about 600 people. This post covers Temporary Import Bonds, which makes a lot of sense because it is one of the more common ways that we help our clients. Temporary imports can feel like a whole other ball game compared to standard imports, and it’s easy to get confused about what’s permitted and what isn’t when it comes to bringing goods into the US on a temporary basis. While this post is a fantastic way to get your mind around what is required - it is always recommended that you get in contact with your broker for specific advice relevant to you ahead of your import. 

4. CARM is Imminent. So, What’s Next?

A mild bump in the road for some and a shocking surprise for others, CARM’s arrival and implementation were up in the air just a few days before it was set to be implemented. It seems, however, that you can’t outrun destiny forever, and it arrived in force on October 21st, with this blog not far ahead of it.

It’s interesting to look at this blog as one of our last efforts to prepare our readers ahead of the implementation date. Did our efforts work to adequately prepare Canadian commercial importers? It’s hard to know for sure, but seeing this post so far up this list is reassuring. At the very least, we tried our best to get the word out.

3. CARM and The New E29B

The ‘Temporary Import Bond’ of Canadian importers, this one’s location on the list isn’t a big surprise given the location of the US TIB just a few spots below. However, the E29B, or as it is known now - the Temporary Admission Permit (TAP) - is of particular interest because it has changed significantly under CARM. Many of our clients who used the old E29B have since learned that TAP’s process is not as forgiving as it once was. At the risk of spoiling a focus for 2025 - this is a sentiment we are going to explore at length next year.

CARM has made the process of importing more streamlined and has moved it closer to the CBSA. Processes are changing, and mistakes, errors, and oversights are now easier to spot. It has never been more important to have a broker in your corner that is focused on compliance, and there is no better example of their value than the new ‘E29B.’ 

A perfect storm of a relevant topic and new information combined to make this one of our most-read articles of the year, but it wasn’t the most - it wasn’t even the second most, that distinction goes to - 

2. Who’s Paying My Duties and Taxes Under CARM?

Another CARM post! We are going to spoil the finale of this list and point out that this was the most popular CARM post of the year, and it’s pretty easy to see why. CARM’s biggest change to the way that importers proceed is related to who is paying the duty and taxes of imports, with the most significant transition being away from brokers and towards the importer handling all the accounting themselves. So, the question of ‘who is going to pay my duties and taxes’ is at the forefront of our reader’s minds - particularly during these early days.

Of course, we aren’t going to just leave you to your fate - PCB’s CARM Payments service allows us to continue to do the hard part for you and return you to the simpler days before CARM got involved.

With that said, if this was the most popular blog post covering the most discussed topic of 2024, then what could the top blog of the year even be?

Great question. The number one blog of the year answered the following -

1. What Is The Country Of Origin?

In what can only be described as a significant upset, a rogue article in February discussing the concept of ‘Country of Origin’ has taken the top spot for 2024. It’s informative and obviously incredibly important to know and understand, but why it had the commanding win in a year colored by CARM is honestly anyone’s guess. 

With that said, it’s quite a forward-thinking article because ‘Country of Origin’ is most intimately tied to Free Trade Agreements, and those are very quickly moving into the public spotlight once again in 2025. So, maybe you are all just ahead of the curve.

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Regardless, that’s our list of the top blogs of 2024. It’s been a very interesting year, and next year is looking like it’s going to be just as exciting. Whether you’ve just joined us or if you’ve been here for decades, we can’t wait to provide you with even more information, guides, and news in 2025!