Pre-screen your goods for Canada Customs clearance before arrival.

Both are designed for faster border clearance of bulk shipments. The difference lies in how you ship and whether your shipments may need government agency oversight. PARS LVS involves more stringent requirements, including the need to provide a 10-digit classification number for all products at the time of release.

CLVS: Rapid Release with Approved Couriers

Immediate Release — Qualifying shipments get expedited clearance before formal customs declaration, so your customer receives their order as soon as possible.

Courier-Defined — Only importers using one of six licensed, approved courier companies are eligible. These couriers (including Purolator, FedEx, UPS) handle the entire process and move goods via truck or air.

No Regulated (PGA) Items — CLVS excludes goods that require Participating Government Agency clearance, making it best for standard, non-regulated products.

E-commerce Ready— CLVS is the best choice for businesses shipping goods quickly and frequently, reducing paperwork and optimizing the “click-to-delivery” timeline.

PARS LVS: No Approved Courier/PGA Clearance

The Pre-arrival Review System (PARS) LVS is designed for a wider range of low-value shipments, including those that may require clearance with Participating Government Agencies (PGA).

All Shipments Qualify — All shipments can be cleared this way, including those requiring clearance with Participating Government Agencies (PGAs).

Carrier Agnostic — Whether your parcels move via truck, air, ocean, or a combination, you choose the courier and the mode.

Advance Clearance — Shipments are submitted to CBSA for review before your goods arrive. With data processed ahead of time, CBSA will release your shipment within minutes unless further examination is needed.

We have decades of experience, an exceptional team of trained experts, and outstanding automated systems. Every year, we clear more than 65 million parcels in Canada.

We analyze all import data in advance and report any concerns to ensure speedy clearance.

We also provide our clients with best practices, coaching, and guidance for optimal handling and clearing of e-commerce goods.

Yes. Our online seller clients engage the services of customs bonded warehouses. We coordinate the movement of their goods between the warehouse, importer, and CBSA. This way, our clients defer duty and tax payments through the “in-bond entry” process.

A customs bonded warehouse is a secure, CBSA-licensed facility where imported goods can be stored, re-packaged, or lightly processed before paying Canadian duties and taxes. Goods may remain in the warehouse for up to four years.

Type 10: Goods enter Canada and move directly to a bonded warehouse without clearing customs. No duties/taxes are paid at this stage. The shipment remains “in-bond” and under CBSA control. Livingston manages this process and handles documentation and compliance requirements.

Type 20: If the goods are withdrawn from the warehouse to enter the Canadian market, duties and taxes are paid only at that time. In this way, inventory is released “just in time.”

Type 21: If the goods are re-exported out of Canada from the warehouse, no Canadian duties or taxes are paid. This is ideal for sellers fulfilling cross-border or international DTC orders

Faster Delivery, Less Red Tape: Goods move inland and are stored closer to customers, allowing for faster fulfillment while customs paperwork and payments are deferred.

Duty & Tax Deferral: Duties are paid only when goods leave the warehouse for the Canadian market. If sold elsewhere, duties can be avoided entirely. This enhances cash flow and reduces import costs.

Value-Added Services: Warehouses can repackage, label, or process goods while still in bonded status to prepare for local sale or re-export. This supports complex fulfillment needs.

Demand-Spike Flexibility: High-volume sellers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) gain critical flexibility for demand spikes, product launches, or multi-channel sales, all while optimizing cash flow and minimizing customs complexity.