Prepare Canada-bound cargo and conveyance drafts, reuse profiles, and run local preflight checks. Production CBSA transmission is pending certification.
ACI — Advance Commercial Information — is the Canada Border Services Agency program that handles electronic pre-arrival reporting for commercial trucks entering Canada. Most non-exempt highway cargo entering from the United States requires ACI cargo and conveyance data to be received and validated at least one hour before arrival. Confirm current CBSA exceptions and requirements for each movement. The data can include conveyance data (carrier, truck, trailer, port of entry) and cargo data (commodity, weight, shipper, consignee, and a cargo-control or release reference where applicable) so CBSA officers can pre-screen the shipment before the truck reaches the booth.
Carriers can file ACI manifests through CBSA's eManifest Portal or another approved production channel. BorderPro early access focuses on saved profiles, cargo and conveyance drafts, local preflight checks, and document preparation. It does not currently transmit to CBSA or provide live PARS release status. BorderPro is built for highway-carrier workflows.
If you also run southbound lanes into the United States, the equivalent US filing is called ACE eManifest — BorderPro can prepare drafts for both in one dashboard. For deeper background on the cargo release documents that move alongside ACI, see our guides on PARS barcode specs and the draft preparation checklist.
Review draft fields against local rules before using an approved production filing channel. Checks do not guarantee CBSA compliance or acceptance.
Prepare both cargo and conveyance data in one workflow. Equipment details feed the draft; crew information is retained only as a local operational profile and is not represented as ACI cargo or conveyance data.
Associate ACI cargo drafts with PARS barcodes for local preparation. Live broker or CBSA release status is not currently available.
Generate draft driver documents from prepared manifest data. Verify CBSA acceptance separately before treating them as final.
Prepare and validate locally, then use an approved channel for production filing.
Add the carrier code, equipment, and port of entry used by the conveyance draft. Driver details may be stored separately for local operations.
Enter cargo details, PARS barcodes, consignee information, and commodity data. Import from CSV for large loads.
Run local preflight checks and review the prepared data. This step does not transmit to CBSA. The carrier or freight forwarder assigns the cargo control number; CBSA then confirms whether transmitted data was received and validated.
Use CBSA's portal or another approved provider for the live filing, and rely on that channel or your broker for release status.
ACI features designed for Canadian cross-border operations.
Prepare local cargo-control references for review. Only CBSA or an approved production channel can confirm an official filing reference.
Prepare commodity-level draft data including description, weight, quantity, and shipper/consignee details.
Save truck, trailer, and driver profiles so conveyance data can populate a new draft.
Prepare and retain local revision history. Submit any live correction through an approved production channel.
Add multiple cargo segments to a single conveyance — perfect for LTL loads with several different consignees.
Attach BOLs, commercial invoices, and permits to a local draft and retrieve them for review.
A quick disambiguation for carriers researching the Canadian side.
When carriers in North America talk about "Canadian eManifest", "CBSA eManifest", or "e-manifest Canada", they are almost always referring to the same thing: the ACI (Advance Commercial Information) eManifest used by CBSA for most non-exempt highway cargo entering Canada. The naming inconsistency exists because:
These terms commonly point to the same highway ACI process. For movements subject to it, cargo and conveyance data must be received and validated at least one hour before arrival. Exemptions and alternate processes can apply. BorderPro early access can prepare ACI and ACE drafts in the same dashboard, but production agency filing remains external.
CBSA enforces ACI through AMPS — per-incident penalties for late, missing, or inaccurate filings.
AMPS — the Administrative Monetary Penalty System — is how CBSA enforces ACI. Each contravention has its own code and treatment; some use occurrence-based schedules and others do not. See the ACI eManifest price breakdown for context.
Common AMPS triggers carriers should design around:
BorderPro's draft checks and ETA workflow can help users review information, but they do not guarantee compliance, acceptance, or avoidance of penalties. See the AMPS penalties guide.
ACI (Advance Commercial Information) eManifest is the electronic pre-arrival reporting program used by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Most non-exempt highway cargo entering from the United States requires advance cargo and conveyance data. Confirm current exceptions for each movement.
You can file ACI eManifests directly through CBSA's free eManifest Portal or another approved production channel. BorderPro early access can prepare drafts, save profiles, run local preflight checks, and generate draft documents, but it does not currently transmit to CBSA.
ACI is the Canada Border Services Agency system for shipments entering Canada. ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) is the US Customs and Border Protection equivalent for shipments entering the United States. Carriers running cross-border lanes typically file both — ACI for northbound trips and ACE for southbound trips.
Yes. CBSA requires a valid carrier code to submit ACI eManifests. Canadian carriers typically use their CBSA-issued carrier code. US carriers must obtain a carrier code from CBSA before filing. BorderPro early access can store the code in a carrier profile for draft preparation.
For non-exempt highway cargo subject to ACI, CBSA requires cargo and conveyance data to be received and validated at least one hour before arrival. Exceptions and alternate processes can apply. BorderPro can flag a draft for review but cannot confirm receipt or validation.
PARS (Pre-Arrival Review System) is used for applicable cargo entering Canada; PAPS is the corresponding process for applicable cargo entering the United States. The distinction follows entry direction, not the goods' country of origin. BorderPro can organize local PARS and PAPS references, but live agency release status is not currently available.
Most non-exempt highway cargo entering Canada requires conveyance and cargo data to be received and validated at least one hour before arrival. A cargo-control or release reference such as PARS is included where applicable, and carriers generally need a valid CBSA carrier code. Confirm current exceptions and field requirements. BorderPro can run local checks on a draft, but those checks do not transmit the filing, guarantee completeness, or prevent rejection.
Yes. CBSA's free eManifest Portal accepts manual ACI production ACI filings. BorderPro remains in certification testing, so early-access users must continue using the portal or another approved filing channel for live submissions.
The CBSA eManifest Portal is the free web interface where carriers can file ACI eManifests. BorderPro early access is a separate draft-preparation workflow and is not currently a production CBSA transmission channel.
Follow CBSA's current credential and enrollment instructions for its eManifest Portal. BorderPro early access does not replace portal access because production CBSA transmission is unavailable.
AMPS (Administrative Monetary Penalty System) is CBSA's framework for issuing per-incident penalties when ACI is filed late, is missing data, or contains inaccurate cargo or conveyance information. Any amount depends on the exact contravention code, facts, and applicable history. See our AMPS guide and verify the current CBSA Master Penalty Document.
Yes. When Canadians say "eManifest" for trucking, they often mean the highway ACI cargo and conveyance process. Requirements and exemptions vary by movement. CBSA also runs eManifest programs for rail and marine, but the highway flow is the most common reference.
Prepare and validate drafts while production CBSA transmission remains pending certification.
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