Customs and Excise

The RCMP’s Customs and Excise Program is responsible for enforcing laws within Canada and along the Canada/U.S. border with respect to:

• the international movement of goods,
• the illicit manufacture, distribution or possession of contraband products (including tobacco and spirits),
• the illicit traffic of critical high technology and strategic goods such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear components as well as their delivery systems,
• regulations that impose non-tariff (permit) controls on the international movement of commodities.

Border realities

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have a shared responsibility for securing the border. Their efforts are complemented by the Canada/U.S. Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs) strategically located along the length of the Canada/U.S. border.

Quick Facts

• The most common contraband or prohibited goods smuggled into Canada include: firearms, tobacco, alcohol, currency, drugs and jewellery.
• Investigations into national security and organized crime are priorities for the program.
• Approximately 80 percent of Canada’s exports go to the United States, while nearly 70 percent of our imports come from the U.S.

Partnerships

The program is committed to building and maintaining partnerships nationally and internationally to provide the best response to policing and security issues. As well, the program undertakes community outreach and awareness initiatives emphasizing the RCMP’s role in cross-border crime and national security.