Canada Spends Logo
Follow Build Canada

Explore our Budget 2026 analysis

Program directory · Canada Border Services Agency

Targeting

Program code
BUF01 (CBSA)
Core responsibility
Border Management
In Departmental Plans
2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

The Targeting program identifies people, goods and conveyances bound for Canada that may pose a threat to the security and safety of the country. Electronic pre-arrival information of people, goods and/or conveyances is used to perform risk assessments, according the Customs Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), and other government department legislation and regulations, in advance of their arrival in Canada. Those identified as posing a threat to Canada are referred for verification and examination upon their arrival at a Port of Entry (PoE). The activities of the National Targeting Centre are captured here.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Targeting 2018-19: $75.8MTargeting 2019-20: $71.7MTargeting 2020-21: $70.6MTargeting 2021-22: $77.1MTargeting 2022-23: $74MTargeting 2023-24: $69MTargeting 2024-25: $74.5MTargeting 2025-26: $77MTargeting 2026-27: $76.3MTargeting 2027-28: $81.1MTargeting 2028-29: $81.3MTargeting
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
TargetingThis program2018-19 – 2028-29$513M

No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

YearWhat changedSource
2022-23Indicators added: Percentage of marine and air cargo targeted for examination that led to an intended resultDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2022-23Indicators dropped: Percentage of marine cargo targeted threats examined that led to a resultDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2026-27Indicators added: Percentage of commercial targets examined that led to a result; Percentage of travellers targets examined that led to a resultDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)
2026-27Indicators dropped: Percentage of air traveller targeted threats examined that led to an intended result; Percentage of marine and air cargo targeted for examination that led to an intended resultDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

Percentage of air traveller targeted threats examined that led to an intended result
Expected result: The CBSA’s intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities support CBSA programs in the identification and interception of high-risk people, goods and conveyances that pose a threat to the security of Canadians
20%2018-19✗ not met25.8%2019-20✓ met11.3%2020-21✗ not met22.4%2021-22✓ met37%2022-23✓ met38%2023-24✓ met28.2%2024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 21%201920%
The result falls within the acceptable threshold for program performance.
Not met
2019-20≥ 21%202025.8%Met
2020-21≥ 21%202111.3%
As a result of significantly reduced air traveller volumes in 2020–21 due to border restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of targeted examinations was too small to produce a statistically meaningful result for this indicator.
Not met
2021-22≥ 21%202222.4%Met
2022-23≥ 16%202337%Met
2023-24≥ 16%202438%Met
2024-25≥ 16%202528.2%Met
Percentage of marine and air cargo targeted for examination that led to an intended result
Expected result: The CBSA’s intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities support CBSA programs in the identification and interception of high-risk people, goods and conveyances that pose a threat to the security of Canadians
0.6%2022-23✓ met0.7%2023-24✓ met1.3%2024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2022-23≥ 0.5%20230.6%Met
2023-24≥ 0.5%20240.7%Met
2024-25≥ 0.5%20251.3%Met
Percentage of marine cargo targeted threats examined that led to a result
Expected result: Targeting contributes to the mitigation of threats to the safety and security of Canadians.
1.4%2018-19✗ not met1.6%2019-20✓ met1%2020-21✗ not met1.2%2021-22✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19≥ 1.5%20191.4%
The result falls within the acceptable threshold for program performance.
Not met
2019-20≥ 1.5%20201.6%Met
2020-21≥ 1.5%20211%
The CBSA is undertaking efforts to address program gaps in order to improve performance going forward.
Not met
2021-22≥ 1.5%20221.2%
The target was not met due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to cargo volume variances, supply chain issues, and therefore led to fewer results than expected.
Not met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

Percentage of commercial targets examined that led to a result
Expected result: The CBSA’s intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities support CBSA programs in the identification and interception of high-risk people, goods and conveyances that pose a threat to the security of Canadians
3%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 3%2027—Planned
Percentage of travellers targets examined that led to a result
Expected result: The CBSA’s intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities support CBSA programs in the identification and interception of high-risk people, goods and conveyances that pose a threat to the security of Canadians
18%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 18%2027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

No targets with a later due date.

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2018-19: $81.8M2018-19: $75.8M2018-192019-20: $48.8M2019-20: $71.7M2019-202020-21: $82.4M2020-21: $70.6M2020-212021-22: $77.4M2021-22: $77.1M2021-222022-23: $83.5M2022-23: $74M2022-232023-24: $71.5M2023-24: $69M2023-242024-25: $82.3M2024-25: $74.5M2024-252025-26: $77M2025-262026-27: $76.3M2026-272027-28: $81.1M2027-282028-29: $81.3M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19$81.8M$75.8M
2019-20$48.8M$71.7M
2020-21$82.4M$70.6M
2021-22$77.4M$77.1M
2022-23$83.5M$74M
2023-24$71.5M$69M
2024-25$82.3M$74.5M
2025-26$77M—
2026-27$76.3M—
2027-28$81.1M*—
2028-29$81.3M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2018-19: 3382018-19: 3212018-192019-20: 3772019-20: 3392019-202020-21: 3692020-21: 3062020-212021-22: 3272021-22: 3172021-222022-23: 3262022-23: 2792022-232023-24: 3292023-24: 2862023-242024-25: 4272024-25: 2992024-252025-26: 3442025-262026-27: 3872026-272027-28: 3822027-282028-29: 3842028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19338321
2019-20377339
2020-21369306
2021-22327317
2022-23326279
2023-24329286
2024-25427299
2025-26344—
2026-27387—
2027-28382*—
2028-29384*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Plan2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29
2018-19 plan$81,791,182$81,779,566$81,782,310
2019-20 plan$48,751,981$50,005,621$45,579,065
2020-21 plan$82,441,338$82,195,883$81,354,911
2021-22 plan$77,371,249$77,665,071$77,730,361
2022-23 plan$83,504,473$84,441,609$83,564,108
2023-24 plan$71,461,149$81,605,261$77,861,877
2024-25 plan$82,277,320$76,972,146$75,697,730
2025-26 plan$76,986,645$76,108,845$76,219,384
2026-27 plan$76,282,133$81,052,697$81,305,217
Actual$75,763,544$71,707,505$70,620,699$77,067,588$73,988,160$69,035,116$74,510,456

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.