Customs clearance delay! Largest strike in Canada's history, government services slow down

On the morning of April 19, local time, about 100,000 federal government employees across Canada went on strike. The 155,000-member union of Canadian public servants failed to reach a pay deal with the federal government by Tuesday's deadline, sparking one of the largest strikes in Canadian history. The Canadian government has issued an announcement recently that managers will issue written notices to employees in some essential service positions, telling them their roles and responsibilities in the event of a strike.

The services of many federal government departments in Canada will be delayed or even completely shut down. Unions expect nearly a third of workers across the federal public service to join the strike. This will lead to the delay or stop of many public services, such as employment insurance, immigration and passport applications, the supply chain and international trade interruption of ports, terminals and airports, and the slowdown of border clearance.

It is worth noting that this strike coincides with Canada's annual tax filing season, and large-scale strikes are bound to affect tax filing work. However, the tax bureau said that this year's tax filing deadline will not be delayed due to the strike, and Canadian residents still need to complete their tax returns and pay taxes before May 1. Negotiations are still ongoing, and the two parties have not completely broken down.

Here is a reminder that freight forwarders and consignors who have traded with Canada recently, keep in touch with customers in a timely manner, and pay close attention to the delay and impact of the strike on the transportation of goods.