Registrar of Imported Vehicles
Encyclopedia
The Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) is a program started by Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...

, and contracted to Livingston International Inc., to help regulate Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards on vehicles being imported from the U.S.A. into Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

The program, which came into effect October 1, 2000, requires all vehicles newer than 15 years old being imported into Canada to meet Canadian vehicle safety specifications. Reasons for the RIV program being put into place include Canadian safety standards (for bumpers, child tether anchorage systems, daytime running lights, and passive seatbelt restraint systems specifically) being significantly stricter than the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard used in the United States.
The RIV program also requires anyone importing a vehicle into Canada to pay a RIV fee of $195+GST
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...

 CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

 (and QST
QST
QST is a magazine for amateur radio enthusiasts, published by the American Radio Relay League . It is a membership journal that is included in membership with the ARRL. The publisher claims that circulation of QST in the United States is higher than all amateur radio-related publications in the...

 if being imported into Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

) in addition to a $100 CAD excise tax paid to Canada Customs and Revenue Agency if the vehicle has air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...

.

The enforcement of the RIV program added some level of complexity
Complexity
In general usage, complexity tends to be used to characterize something with many parts in intricate arrangement. The study of these complex linkages is the main goal of complex systems theory. In science there are at this time a number of approaches to characterizing complexity, many of which are...

 to the vehicle importation process, and the manner of operation of the Registrar of Imported Vehicles has recently been brought into question. For example, decisions of the Registrar of Imported Vehicles regarding the acceptability of any and all documents presented to them cannot be appealed to any body.

A class action lawsuit was filed in Ontario Superior Court on Feb. 26, 2008 which alleges that Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...

 (through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles), Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...

, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...

 and Canada Border Services Agency
Canada Border Services Agency
The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....

have violated the Competition Act in regard to people who are importing American vehicles into Canada. The suit alleges the automakers and the government violated competition and consumer protection laws by forcing Canadians to pay excessive fees, ranging in the thousands of dollars, for unnecessary vehicle modifications and approvals on cars imported from the U.S.
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