The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has refreshed its Trade Compliance Verification Priorities list, the semi-annual roadmap of where the agency will focus its post-entry audits of tariff classification and customs valuation. The list was last updated July 7, 2026. CBSA sets these priorities through a risk-based, “evergreen” process, which means new targets are added throughout the year rather than only at fixed intervals. Importers of any listed goods should treat their inclusion as a clear signal that CBSA is likely to review their declared classification or values.
On the tariff classification side, the current priority goods include:
- Spent fowl (end-of-lay hens and products claimed as such)
- Frozen desserts containing dairy
- LED lamps
- Bags (handbags and similar articles)
- Gloves
A growing share of the classification workload now sits with surtax-order compliance. CBSA is actively verifying that goods subject to Canada’s recent surtaxes are being correctly classified and reported — including the China surtax orders on electric vehicles and on steel and aluminum, and the United States surtax orders on steel, aluminum and other listed goods. Because surtax liability turns on tariff classification, origin and value, misclassification here carries direct duty exposure, not just a paperwork correction.
On the valuation side, CBSA’s current priority is energy commodities (including electrical energy), where the agency is examining whether the value for duty has been correctly determined and declared.
Being named on the list does not mean an importer has done anything wrong, but it does raise the odds of a verification letter and, if errors surface, reassessments, interest and penalties (AMPS). If you import any of the goods above, now is the time to review your tariff classifications and valuation methodology, confirm your supporting records, and correct any known errors proactively — a voluntary correction is almost always cheaper than one CBSA finds first. NoGlobalBorders can review your classifications and value-for-duty treatment against the current priorities and help you file corrections where needed.
Read the full Trade Compliance Verification Priorities list on the CBSA website
