Signing authorities for the importation of goods

The Privileges and Immunities Unit, the point of contact for this page, is responsible for providing to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) the list of accredited persons vested with signing authority for importation purposes, along with their specimen signature. For their part, the CBSA and LCBO are responsible for ensuring that customs clearance operations, including those related to the release of alcoholic beverages in sufferance and bonded warehouses, are duly authorized and authenticated.

To help the CBSA and the LCBO ensure the accuracy, validity and effectiveness of customs clearance operations for goods intended for official use by diplomatic missions in Ottawa and consular posts in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), missions are asked to email the following to the Privileges and Immunities Unit:

• a specimen signature from the head of diplomatic mission, the chargé d’affaires, a.i (or acting high commissioner), and any other diplomatic agent authorized to sign correspondence regarding the duty-free importation of goods intended for the official use of the mission, or for the personal use of eligible accredited representatives,
• a specimen signature from the head of consular post in the GTA and other career consular officers authorized to sign correspondence with regard to the duty-free importation of goods intended for the official use of the consular post, or for the personal use of eligible accredited representatives.

The absence of a name on the list of signing authorities delays the processing of the merchandise import request.

In the case of Ottawa-based personnel, once the Office of Protocol has provided the information above, the webpage Signing authority list (Importation of official goods) is updated. In the case of Greater Toronto Area-based personnel, there is no webpage, though the LCBO is informed of each new signing authority.

When emailing updated information, missions are asked to simply provide the name and signature specimen of any new signing authority, as well as the name of any person who no longer has delegated authority, if the case arises. There is no need to resend the entire list of signing authorities.

Please note that the online signing authorities listing per above is distinct from the process of assigning an authorized representative for a mission’s or post’s offline access to the Canada Revenue Agency GST/HST account for which the AUT-01 Authorize a Representative for Offline Access form must be completed. Before concluding their posting, each authorized representative (or the mission on that person’s behalf) is responsible for updating the Canada Revenue Agency with the details of the new authorized representative.