Trade Compliance Advisory · Stoney Creek, ON

We've been on
your side of the border.

J44 Group helps Canadian manufacturers and importers navigate CUSMA compliance, HS classification, and Canada-U.S. tariffs — before a missed detail costs real money.

Book a Free 30-Minute Call 1-844-J44-GROW
17
Years running a Canadian manufacturer
90%
U.S. sales exposure at Awash Systems
$23K
Recovered from a $29K CBP duty assessment
16 yrs
Believing we were compliant — until March 2025
Our Story

Built by a manufacturer who learned this the hard way.

I'm Jack Jackson, founder of J44 Group Inc. I owned and ran Awash Systems — a 34-year-old Canadian manufacturer — for 17 years. With 90% of our sales going into the U.S. market, cross-border trade compliance wasn't theory for me. It was survival.

For 16 of those 17 years, we had no issues. We imported supplies into Canada. We exported finished goods into the U.S. We had a broker. We had documentation. We believed we were fully CUSMA and USMCA protected on both sides of the border.

Then March 2025 arrived. Tariff invoices started hitting. And we discovered that "believing you're compliant" and "being able to prove you're compliant" are two completely different things — with a very expensive gap between them.

I sold Awash to a U.S. buyer. They relocated the operation to Buffalo, New York. A 34-year-old Canadian manufacturer — gone across the border. Section 232 aluminum tariffs made the long-term math impossible for a Canadian owner.

I built J44 Group so other Canadian manufacturers don't end up on the wrong side of that story.

"Believing you're compliant" and "being able to prove you're compliant" are two completely different things — with a very expensive gap between them.

For 16 of my 17 years running a Canadian manufacturer, I thought we were fine. We had a broker. We had documentation. We were shipping 90% of our product into the U.S. with no issues.

Then March 2025 arrived.

J44 Group exists so your company doesn't have to learn what I learned the way I learned it.

What We Do

Trade compliance advisory. Not brokerage. Not law.

J44 Group works upstream of your customs broker — preparing the documentation, analysis, and classification work that makes every filing defensible before it reaches the border.

CUSMA / USMCA Documentation

Certificate of Origin preparation and review, supplier origin statement collection, rules of origin analysis, RVC calculations, and blanket certificate management.

Phase 1 — Foundation

HS Classification & Verification

Tariff classification review for every product SKU. Identification of misclassification risk. Advance ruling requests to CBP for ambiguous products.

Phase 1 — Foundation

Steel & Aluminum Surtax Analysis

Identification of Canadian surtax exposure on imported goods. Certificate of Smelt coordination with U.S. suppliers. Surtax recovery analysis for prior entries.

Specialized Advisory

Compliance Defence File

Complete evidentiary documentation package behind every origin claim — the file that resolves border holds in hours instead of weeks when CBP comes asking.

Phase 1 — Foundation

Broker Coordination

Briefing, reviewing, and managing your customs broker relationship. Entry review and error identification. Broker transition management when needed.

Ongoing Advisory

Managed Compliance — Retainer

Fractional Chief Compliance Officer model. Monthly compliance calls, rolling documentation updates, policy monitoring, and CBP hold response support.

Phase 2 — Retainer
Who We Serve

Canadian manufacturers and importers with U.S. exposure.

J44 Group works with companies that move goods across the Canada-U.S. border regularly — and need their compliance documentation to be as solid as their products.

🏭

Canadian Manufacturers

Exporting finished goods into the U.S. market under CUSMA preferential rates — and needing to prove it.

📦

Canadian Importers

Importing components or finished goods from U.S. suppliers and managing surtax exposure on steel and aluminum content.

🚚

Canadian Distributors

Distributing U.S.-sourced products into the Canadian market and navigating CBSA compliance requirements.

🇺🇸

U.S. Exporters to Canada

American companies shipping into Canada who need their Canadian customers to have defensible USMCA documentation.

Canadian Carwash Association — Associate Member

J44 Group is a listed Associate Member of the Canadian Carwash Association. We work with CCA member companies navigating CUSMA compliance for car wash equipment and components imported from U.S. suppliers.

Associate Member
Canadian Carwash
Association
Free Resources

Everything we publish is free.

J44 Group produces daily content for Canadian manufacturers and U.S. exporters navigating CUSMA and USMCA. No paywall. No sales pitch.

Live Now

CUSMA Answered — Daily Q&A

30 plain-language answers to the questions Canadian manufacturers are actually asking. One new Q&A every day starting July 1, 2026.

Read the Series →
Live Now

Manufacturer Daily — YouTube

Daily video updates on CUSMA and USMCA developments. Plain language from someone who ran a Canadian manufacturer — not a lawyer.

Watch on YouTube →
Free Subscribe

Daily Newsletter — Substack

Q&A answers and trade policy updates delivered to your inbox every morning. Free. No paywall.

Subscribe Free →
Coming Soon

B2B Sales Training

Old-school, personal-touch sales training for Canadian manufacturers, distributors, and SMEs. Built for operators who sell to other operators.

Learn More →
Get In Touch

Talk to Jack directly.

No intake form. No sales team. No automated response. If you have a compliance situation that needs attention, reach out directly — Jack answers his own phone and email.

Email jack@j44group.com
Phone 1-844-J44-GROW (1-844-544-4769)
Q&A cusmasolved.com
USMCA usmcasolved.com
YouTube @ManufacturDaily
LinkedIn Jack Jackson

J44 Group is a trade compliance advisory firm. We are not a licensed customs broker and do not file entries with CBP or CBSA. We prepare documentation, analyze classifications, coordinate with brokers, and advise — so what gets filed is accurate and defensible.


Every engagement begins with a signed Statement of Work. Our liability is limited to fees paid under that engagement. The importer of record liability remains with you — as it does under Canadian and U.S. customs law.


When a situation requires a trade lawyer, we say so immediately and make the referral the same day.