Trade Compliance Advisory · Canada & United States
Whether you import into Canada or export into the United States, cross-border trade compliance has never been more complex — or more consequential. J44 Group helps manufacturers and businesses get it right.
Understanding the agreement
Canada calls it CUSMA. The United States calls it USMCA. Mexico calls it T-MEC. It is the same trilateral trade agreement — and it governs every commercial shipment crossing the Canada–U.S. border.
Importing into Canada — CUSMA
CUSMA governs the preferential duty rates available to Canadian importers bringing U.S.-origin goods across the border. Claiming CUSMA preference requires documentation that proves origin — and CBSA has the authority to audit those claims.
Without proper documentation, Canadian importers pay full MFN duty rates on goods that should qualify for zero-rate treatment.
Exporting to the U.S. — USMCA
USMCA governs preferential duty rates for Canadian-origin goods entering the U.S. market. CBP enforces these rules strictly — and has the authority to hold shipments, assess duties, and initiate audits when documentation does not support the origin claim.
The rules of origin, regional value content thresholds, and documentation requirements are specific, technical, and unforgiving.
July 1, 2026 — The CUSMA / USMCA Sunset Clause
CUSMA's sunset clause required all three countries to formally review and confirm the agreement by July 1, 2026 — or allow it to expire. That date is now weeks away. Negotiations between Canada, the United States, and Mexico are ongoing, and the outcome remains uncertain.
What this means for your business: Regardless of how the review concludes, businesses that depend on preferential cross-border trade need compliance documentation that is current, defensible, and ready. An agreement extension, renegotiation, or lapse — each scenario carries different risks. The businesses best positioned are those who are already prepared.
Your direction across the border
Whether goods are moving north or south, the compliance requirements are distinct — and the consequences of getting them wrong are the same.
Canada ← United States | Importing
Canadian importers claiming CUSMA preference must be able to demonstrate that the goods qualify — with documentation that satisfies CBSA on demand.
Canada → United States | Exporting
Canadian exporters shipping into the U.S. market must document their origin claims precisely — or face CBP holds, duty assessments, and potential audits.
What J44 Group provides
J44 Group is a trade compliance advisory firm — not a customs broker, not a law firm. We prepare, advise, document, and coordinate. Our role is to make your compliance position as strong and defensible as possible.
01
CUSMA and USMCA certificates of origin, commercial invoice standardization, HS code and HTS code verification, supplier origin statements, and bill of materials analysis.
02
The complete evidentiary record behind every origin claim your company makes — built so that a CBP or CBSA challenge can be answered with documentation, not scrambling.
03
Determining whether your products qualify under CUSMA and USMCA requires a detailed reading of the applicable rules. J44 performs that analysis and documents the rationale.
04
J44 briefs your licensed customs broker, reviews entries, and manages the relationship — so your broker has everything they need to file accurately on your behalf.
05
CUSMA and USMCA policy changes, new CBP rulings, CBSA interpretations, and tariff developments — monitored continuously and communicated to clients when they matter.
06
J44 as your fractional Chief Compliance Officer — ongoing documentation management, monthly compliance reviews, broker coordination, and hold response support.
Who we are
J44 Group was founded by a Canadian manufacturer who spent decades running a cross-border business and navigated the complexity of CUSMA and USMCA compliance from the inside — not from a textbook.
We built J44 Group because we lived what our clients are facing — and we know exactly what it costs when documentation is not where it needs to be.
Jack Jackson founded J44 Group after operating Awash Systems, a Canadian manufacturing company with active cross-border trade into the U.S. market and importing supplies into Canada. That experience — including navigating a significant tariff dispute and recovering a substantial portion of a major duty assessment — is the foundation of everything J44 advises.
Stay informed
The policy environment around Canada–U.S. trade is moving faster than most businesses can track. Manufacturer Daily covers CUSMA and USMCA developments every weekday — practical, current, and built for Canadian manufacturers and U.S. companies sourcing from Canada who need to know what is happening at the border.
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Weekly newsletter and daily video updates on CUSMA and USMCA developments. Trade policy changes. Border enforcement trends. What it means for your business — explained clearly by someone who has lived it.
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Get in touch
No intake form. No sales team. Just Jack. Email or call and he will respond typically within one business day.
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