International Customs Day 2026: CBSA highlights commitment to border security and public safety

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 26, 2026 /CNW/ - On January 26 of each year, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) marks International Customs Day alongside the World Customs Organization (WCO) and customs administrations across the world. This year's theme, "Customs Protecting Society Through Vigilance and Commitment," aligns with the CBSA's mandate of safeguarding our borders and keeping Canadians safe, while enabling secure and efficient cross-border travel and trade.

In 2025, the CBSA exemplified this through dedicated efforts at the frontline, strategic partnerships, and ongoing investments from Canada's Border Plan. Dedicated CBSA employees across the country and abroad intercepted threats, disrupted criminal networks, and upheld the integrity of our borders, all while supporting Canada's economy.

In 2025, the CBSA:

• seized 83,211 kg of illegal drugs (including cannabis), exceeding the 52,057 kg intercepted in 2024
• confiscated more than 17,700 prohibited weapons, exceeding the total from 2024, when over 17,200 weapons were confiscated
• confiscated more than 830 firearms, in comparison to the confiscation of more than 880 firearms in 2024
• prevented the export of 1,590 stolen vehicles, compared to 2,277 vehicles intercepted in 2024, consistent with a broader national decline in auto theft
• facilitated the removal of over 22,000 inadmissible individuals, bolstering public safety and immigration system integrity
• collected $47.5 billion in duties and taxes in fiscal year 2024-2025 through CBSA's Assessment and Revenue Management system (CARM), almost $2 billion more than in previous years
• processed nearly 5 million commercial trucks, comparable to the previous year

A 12% reduction in traveller volumes compared to 2024 allowed the CBSA to redirect resources toward critical enforcement efforts, as we welcomed over 82 million visitors and residents.

Security at the border

The CBSA operates as Canada's first line of defence at more than 1,200 service points. Over 16,500 dedicated employees, including more than 8,500 uniformed officers, work tirelessly to stop dangerous goods and inadmissible persons from entering the country.

The addition of 1,000 new CBSA officers through ongoing recruitment will further enhance our ability to combat firearms and drug smuggling, stolen vehicles, and unfair trade practices.

In 2025, the CBSA:

• Intercepted 83,211 kg (exceeding the 2024 total of 52,057 kg) of illegal drugs from reaching Canadian streets and international markets, with shifts across categories:
  • 2.8 kg of fentanyl (down 43% from 2024)
  • 4,725 kg of cocaine (up 3% from 2024)
  • 128 kg of heroin (up 237% from 2024)
  • 2,397 kg of methamphetamine (up 10% from 2024)
  • 1,144 kg of other opioids (up 227% from 2024)
  • 28,206 kg of other narcotics and precursor chemicals (up 4% from 2024)
  • over 46,608 kg of cannabis and 803,652 kg of undeclared tobacco, this is a 162% increase in cannabis seizures and 40% more tobacco than the prior year, denying significant revenue to organized crime
• carried out 29,486 detector dog searches, uncovering 13,986 high-risk food, plant, and animal items, along with 34,810 seizures involving drugs, firearms, and currency. This has exceeded the 2024 total, which recorded 31,028 seizure actions of drugs, firearms, and currency
• stopped 1,590 stolen vehicles at export points, responding to every police referral and acting on internal intelligence
• helped reunite 35 abducted or missing children with their families, part of more than 2,100 successful reunions since the Our Missing Children Program began in 1986

To maintain the integrity of our immigration laws and national security, CBSA officers including liaison officers posted at locations around the world:

• removed nearly 22,000 foreign nationals for breaches of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, including 1,010 cases involving serious inadmissibility
• turned away 40,693 individuals deemed inadmissible at land border crossings, who subsequently withdrew their entry applications, in comparison to 2024 where 44,944 individuals were deemed inadmissible
• conducted security screenings for more than 80,950 asylum claimants
• recommended the blocking of 7,037 passengers with invalid documentation from boarding Canada-bound flights

Supporting our economy and the flow of legitimate travellers into Canada

In 2025, the CBSA efficiently processed over 82 million travellers, representing a 12% decrease from 2024. Among them, roughly 36.6 million travelled by air, 42 million by land, and 3.3 million by marine modes.

True to our commitment to economic stability and prosperity, the CBSA continued to foster fair and efficient trade by:

• handling over 5 million commercial truck entries
• collecting $47.5 billion in duties and taxes that fund vital government programs
• expanding use of the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) system, which processed over 41 million Commercial Accounting Declarations and now serves more than 213,000 registered businesses through its client portal. The CARM system:
  • helped collect $47.5 billion in payments in duties and taxes
  • enabled Release Prior to Payment enrolment which contributed to an electronic release rate of 99.12% for commercial imports
  • portal and its features were available to users 99.5% of the time
• initiating 33 new dumping and subsidy investigations (20 involving steel) and maintaining 181 trade remedy measures (67% steel-related) targeting unfair practices from more than 40 countries

Quotes

"National security starts at the border and the CBSA is Canada's first line of defence. On International Customs Day, and every day, we express our appreciation for the commitment and vigilance of CBSA personnel in protecting our border, keeping Canadians safe, and supporting our economy."

– The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety

"The CBSA is proud to partner with World Customs Organization members to address global threats, disrupt criminal activities and prevent the illicit trafficking of dangerous goods and people. These contributions to global security are thanks to the skill, professionalism and diligence of our personnel across the country and abroad."

– Erin O'Gorman, President, Canada Border Services Agency

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SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency

Contacts: Media Relations, Canada Border Services Agency, [email protected], 1-877-761-5945