CARM financial security: requirement, annual review and options
Updated · Rotomal
Importers using Release Prior to Payment must post financial security in the CARM Client Portal at least equal to the requirement CBSA calculates for each RM account. At enrolment it is based on the highest monthly account receivable balance of the previous 12 months. A bond must cover 50 percent of it, minimum CAN$5,000; a cash deposit must cover 100 percent. CBSA reviews the requirement every year over 20 October to 19 October and the new amount takes effect on 15 January.
Bond or deposit
| Written security agreement (bond) | Deposit (cash security) | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | 50 percent of the requirement: one dollar covers two dollars of debt | 100 percent of the requirement |
| Minimum | CAN$5,000 per RM account | None |
| Maximum | CAN$10 million per RM account, all forms together | CAN$10 million per RM account, all forms together |
| Expiry | Set by the agreement; CBSA notifies within three months of expiry | No expiry |
| Cost | Surety's fee | Cash tied up with CBSA |
You can combine both to reach the total requirement.
The annual cycle
- 20 October to 19 October: the review period for each RM account.
- After the period: CBSA notifies the new requirement in the CARM Client Portal.
- 15 January: the new requirement takes effect and you must be compliant.
- All year: CARM alerts you at 75 and 100 percent utilization; keep it under 100 percent.
Raising or lowering your security
You can request an updated requirement through the portal. Increases need no CBSA approval. A reduction needs CBSA's approval, and CBSA may ask for projections and evidence. A surety can change a bond's amount and validity directly in CARM; a deposit can be increased or reduced in the portal, and released amounts become a credit on your account.
If you want help
Bond Sizer rebuilds your monthly balances from your CARM statements, estimates the requirement and compares it with what you have posted, with options per account. A $19 utilization check, credited against a review ordered within 30 days, then $129 once for one RM account. It is a calculation service, not legal advice, customs brokerage or financial advice.
Sources
- CBSA Memorandum D17-5-2: Financial Security for Release Prior to Payment (revised 8 August 2025) Source: cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
- CBSA: Release Prior to Payment Source: canada.ca