Terms and conditions
On this page
- Copyright / permission to reproduce notice
- Non-commercial reproduction
- Security statement
- Cookies
- Browser requirements
- Accessibility features statement
- Disclaimers
Copyright / permission to reproduce notice
All content on this web-based Portal service was produced and/or compiled by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for the purpose of providing the trade community with a secure means to submit exporter commercial information in compliance with new legislation.
The content within the Canadian Export Reporting System (CERS) Portal is covered by the provisions of the Copyright Act, by Canadian laws, policies, regulations and international agreements. Such provisions serve to identify the information source and, in specific instances, to prohibit reproduction of materials without written permission.
Non-commercial reproduction
Information within the CERS Portal, other than government symbols, has been posted with the intent that it be readily available for personal and public non-commercial use and may be reproduced, in part or in whole and by any means, without charge or further permission from the CBSA. We ask only that:
- users exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced
- the CBSA be identified as the source department
- the reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made, in affiliation with nor with the endorsement of the CBSA
Security statement
The Internet is an open and public network. When it comes to performing business transactions or providing services involving confidential data, extra safeguards must be in place.
Important: If you are using a shared computer, once you have completed using the CERS Portal, you must sign out by selecting the sign out link and close your browser before leaving the computer unattended. This will prevent unauthorized access to your personal and/or commercial information by others.
The CBSA uses specially configured computer Web servers for any business we do with you. We use corporate firewalls to protect our Web servers from unauthorized access. Your personal or sensitive commercial information is not stored on these servers; we securely store your personal or sensitive commercial information on separate computer systems that are not directly accessible from the Internet.
When transmitting personal or sensitive commercial information, access to our Web servers is limited to Web browsers that meet our security standards of encryption. We ensure that your personal or sensitive commercial information is encrypted — or scrambled — when it is transmitted between your computer and our Web servers. This ensures that computer hackers and other Internet users cannot view or alter the data being transmitted. Our standard for encryption is the Transport Layer Security protocol version 1.2 (TLS 1.2). This is one of the most secure forms of encryption available in North America and is a typical requirement for Web-based services — such as online banking or shopping — where securing personal information is a priority.
With TLS 1.2 encryption, the privacy of information passing between your Web browser and our Web servers is ensured. Encrypting the information allows it to be transmitted and authenticated safely. Data cannot be compromised when TLS is in use. Through TLS 1.2 the identity of the server computer can be verified. Although it is also possible to identify the user, the CBSA does not use this method of identification.
When you send data using TLS 1.2 encryption, the data is broken down into small, separate packages of information called blocks. TLS 1.2 then encrypts each block. These encrypted blocks are sent over the Internet as individual network packets, and are individually addressed. Once all the packets have reached the safety of our secure Web server, they are reassembled and decrypted.
For security purposes and to ensure that our services remain available to all users, we monitor network traffic. This monitoring is done to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or to otherwise cause damage.
Cookies
The CERS Portal uses encrypted session cookies. The cookies are stored on the user’s browser after they have been authenticated and are deleted after the user has signed out. This means that someone reviewing your cookies would not be able to sign in to the CERS Portal as though they were you. These encrypted session cookies will not store any identifying data.
Browser requirements
Recommended browsers
Please review the technical requirements for the CERS portal.
Note: You may access the CBSA sign in services using other web browsers and recently released versions of supported browsers; however, they may not have been fully tested with the CBSA sign in services. If you encounter difficulties while using these browsers, it is recommended that you try again using one of the supported browsers listed above or an earlier version of a supported browser.
Check your browser's encryption
To make sure that you can complete your transactions securely and confidentially, you must use a web browser that supports TLS 1.2 encryption.
Once a secure session has been established, a padlock or key icon will appear in the bottom right corner of your browser window. This shows that data is being encrypted. However, to determine what level of encryption your browser provides, you have to check your browser's properties.
If your system configuration and settings are not compatible with these requirements and you choose not to upgrade or change them, you will not be able to access the CBSA sign in services.
Check Cookies and JavaScript are enabled
You should also check that your cookies and JavaScript are enabled in your browser settings. All browsers are configured a little differently; check the Internet options of your browser for ways to enable the cookie and JavaScript.
Accessibility features statement
The CERS Portal is compliant with the Standard on Web Accessibility, which ensures Government of Canada websites respect internationally accepted guidelines for Web accessibility and are measured consistently.
Disclaimers
The CBSA disclaims all liability for losses or damages arising from wrongdoing (except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct), contract or any other form of claim in relation to the use of, delivery of, license of or reliance upon the CERS Portal.
Without restricting the generality of the foregoing, the CBSA disclaims all liability for any claim in relation to:
- any matters or factors outside of its control, including the availability or unavailability of the Internet, or telecommunications or other infrastructure systems
- the availability or unavailability of the Internet, or telecommunications or other infrastructure systems due to system maintenance
- the availability or unavailability of the CERS Portal service for any reason
- any illegal or fraudulent use of your CERS Portal credentials
- the use of your CERS Portal credentials for the exportation or importation of cryptographic products
- the use of your CERS Portal credentials in a foreign country where such use is prohibited by the laws of that country
- Date modified: