Canadian Teams Attending American Regionals
These files are for Canadian teams shipping their robot to a US regional.
GM shipping First Robotics Instructions - Canada
Sample Canada Customs Invoice.pdf
SAMPLE.PDF
GM shipping FIRST Robotics
Canadian Teams Imports into US
Regarding imports/exports done by Canadian teams, there are two issues. The import of the Robot themselves and subsequently any support material.
RobotsRobots will be shipped from a consolidation point in Canada weeks ahead of the competition, to the location of the competition. To help alleviate costs borne by FIRST Robotics, GMCL has agreed to be the Importer of Record into the United States on all student robots.
Therefore GMCL Customs requires that the teams complete a US Customs Invoice. On the Customs invoice, it must clearly state that GM Corporation is to be the Importer of Record and that GMCL Canada is responsible for any Customs Clearance. GM’s US Customs broker is Fed Ex Trade Network (FTN).
To allow GMCL to ensure that the robots are cleared without delay, we ask that the team provides us with a copy of the invoice at the time of shipment. Please email or fax invoices to Raylene Van Vliet. We will match the invoices up to the waybill being used to ship the robots from the consolidation point and follow up with our broker to avoid any delays. My particulars will be noted at the end of these instructions.
See the sample of the Canada Customs Invoice and a template for your use.
Support materialMost teams bring with them at the time of competition various support material such as extra parts. Because the teams are not entering into commercial activity, we do not believe that there should be a requirement for formal Customs clearance into the United States. With that being said, US CBP (US Customs and Border Protection) can ask at any time for a formal declaration. Therefore we suggest that the teams prepare a list of all parts and supplies that they are bringing with them. This list should have columns noting Description of Goods, Quantity, Part N# (if applicable), Serial N# (if applicable), Country of Manufacture or Origin (if available or noted on item), and an approximate value.
Issues also arise with electronics and again we suggest that laptops and other support electronics not be noted on the packing list but kept with personal items. Otherwise forms for FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) may be required since many electronics emit radio frequency or radiation. Very often, the required information about an item’s compliance to FCC and FDA regulations can be found on the item itself in term of a label. If not the information may be in the user manual from the manufacturer and/or can be obtained by contacting the manufacturer directly. Our recommendation to teams is to have has much documentation on their electronics as possible for customs inspection.
Lastly, we would advise all teams to prepare an a Y38 for personal items and an E15 (Certificate of Destruction/Exportation) for support material. The E15 should be attached to a copy of the packing list. This set of papers then must be stamped by Canada Customs prior to exiting Canada. It will hopefully allow you to return to Canada with having to do a formal customs declaration through our broker. Below is a sample and a template of an E15.
A Y38 (Identification of Articles for Temporary Exportation) is a customs form that establishes that items listed on the form were initially taken out of Canada and were not acquired abroad. This procedure is optional and offered free of charge by Canada customs at all Customs offices across Canada. Again this procedure is suggested for personal items such as cameras and laptops.
See the Certificate of Exportation/Destruction
American Teams attending Canadian events
These files are for any American team shipping their robot to the Waterloo or Greater Toronto Regionals.
GM Shipping FIRST Robotics Instructions - US
US Customs Invoice and Template
CF4455 Template and Sample
In regards to imports/exports done by US teams, there are two issues. The import of the Robot themselves and subsequently any support material.
RobotsRobots are shipped from a consolidation point, weeks ahead of the competition, to the location of the competition. To help alleviate cost borne by FIRST Robotics, GMCL has agreed to be the Importer of Record into the Canada on all student robots.
The teams must complete a Canada Customs Invoice (‘CCI”). On the invoice it must clearly state that GM Canada is the Importer of Record and is responsible for customs clearance. We request that the team provides us with a copy of the Canada Customs Invoice at the time of shipment. GM’s broker is Affiliated Customs Brokers. For any assistance with clearance issues into Canada, please contact me, Raylene Van Vliet, at GMCL. I can be reached at 905-644-6171. We will match the invoices up to the waybill being used to ship the robots from the consolidation point and follow up with our broker to avoid any delays.
See the US Customs Invoice Template and Sample. Support MaterialBecause the teams are not entering into commercial activity, we do not believe that there should be a requirement for Customs clearance into the Canada. With that being said, we still suggest that that the teams prepare a list of all parts and supplies that they are bring with them. This list should note Description of Goods, Quantity, Part N# (if applicable), Serial N# (if applicable), Country of Manufacture or Origin (if available or noted on item), and an approximate value. If Canada Customs does demand a formal declaration, the team should refer to our Canadian Customs broker – Affiliated Customs Brokers.
Lastly we would recommend that all US teams prepare a CF4455 (Certificate of Registration) and attach a copy to above noted packing list. This set of papers should be stamped by US Customs prior to exiting the USA. By doing so you can prove to US Customs that these goods are returning US good and were not purchased in Canada. This should exempt the team from filing a US Customs formal entry.
See CF4455 Template and Sample
FIRST Robotics Competition handbook
FIRST has produced a comprehensive handbook and sample team timeline on running a FIRST Robotics team, especially useful for rookie teams just starting out.Workshop Presentations
Over the years, FIRST Robotics Canada has put on several workshops for teams:- Robot Design covers the entire robot design process, discussing FIRST robots and games in general, design priorities and decisions, and design principles and techniques
- Running a Team discusses team organization, both during the January-February 'build season' and through the rest of the year
- Strategy deals with the strategic decisions to be made while designing a robot, as well as competition strategy (scouting, match planning, alliance selection, etc.)
- Electronics & Controls gives an overview of the control system, sensors and programming used in FIRST Robotics
- Mobility describes the different types of FIRST Robotics drive systems, some of the theory of designing a drive system, and some construction techniques and principles
- Pneumatics introduces the pneumatic components used in FIRST Robotics and some typical pneumatic mechanisms
- Omnidirectional Drive Systems dives into the advanced topic of drive systems which can move in any direction
- Mechanical Design covers a range of mechanical design principles and techniques
- FIRST Judging Process comes straight from FIRST HQ as an approved document to help you fill your mantel with awards and contains tips to become an ideal FIRST team
- Programming FRC Robots: CMU Camera goes into the details of using the provided CMU2 camera to track objects
- Programming FRC Robots: PID Control discusses how to use Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control to achieve fast and accurate autonomous motion
