Sea/Air/Courier Freight Services on Shipping to Canada
Are you looking for freight options for your cargo delivery to Canada? Are you looking for better supply chain management to save cost and time on transportation?
Sea shipments, air shipments or express courier shipments, we can offer all forwarding services to satisfy different logistics requirements. We advise you on shipping costs and transit times, vessel and aircraft schedules. We are your reliable and dependable business partner when imports from China.
Business Number (BN)
Before importing commercial goods into Canada, as a business or an individual, you will need to obtain a Business Number (BN) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for an import/export account.
This import/export account is free of charge and can usually be obtained in a matter of minutes. Click here for learn more.
Determine Canadian Customs Fees – Duty & Tax
All merchandise imported for commercial use are subject to customs duty and goods and services tax (GST), unless they are exempt or free of duties. No matter where you purchased the goods and in what currency, the value of the goods must be converted in to Canadian dollars to determine the duties payable.
Valuing goods can be a complicated task as a number of adjustments to the actual sale price are required, expert assistance is usually required.
In order to establish what duties will have to be paid, you must have a thorough description of the goods and know their value and origin. The CBSA can also give you advice about the appropriate valuation method, tariff classification, and tariff treatment. If you wish to know in advance exactly what you will have to pay, you can request an Advance Ruling or a National Customs Ruling on tariff classification, origin, marking or valuation.
Customs Duty – 10-digit HS Code
The seller can provide the HS code, while you need to determine the one used for Canada customs – Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
The first six digits are a common identifier across all countries using the HS for that particular good, including China and Canada. The following four are unique to Canada and used to establish the duty rates and for statistical purposes.
Example:
| A complete code the seller provided | 9506.11.00.00 |
| Heading - International | 9506 |
| Sub-heading - International | 9506.11 |
| Tariff item - Canadian | 9506.11.90 |
| Statistical suffix - Canadian | 9506.11.90.00 |
You may:
1. Learn more about HS Code.
2. Check the customs tariff rate.
Customs Tax
In addition to the tariff based on the HS Code, there are taxes you also need to be aware. It includes HST, GST and PST.
HST: Harmonized Sales Tax
GST: Goods and Services Tax
PST: Provincial Sales Tax
| Canada's Province | Rate Type (HST, GST, PST) | Canada Rate | Provincial Rate | Total Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta (AB) | GST | 5% | 0% | 5% |
| British Columbia (BC) | GST + PST | 5% | 7% | 12% |
| Manitoba (MB) | GST + PST | 5% | 8% | 13% |
| New Brunswick (NB) | HST | 5% | 10% | 15% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) | HST | 5% | 10% | 15% |
| Northwest Territories (NT) | GST | 5% | 0% | 5% |
| Nova Scotia (NS) | HST | 5% | 10% | 15% |
| Nunavut (NU) | GST | 5% | 0% | 5% |
| Ontario (ON) | HST | 5% | 8% | 13% |
| Prince Edward Island (PE) | HST | 5% | 10% | 15% |
| Quebec (QC) | GST + QST | 5% | 9.975% | 14.975% |
| Saskatchewan (SK) | GST + PST | 5% | 6% | 11% |
| Yukon (YT) | GST | 5% | 0% | 5% |
Calculate Customs fees
The following is an example of a calculation of customs duty and tax on imported goods with a value for currency conversion of US$1000. The example exchange rate is US$1 = CAN$1.2. The goods are subject to 4% customs duty and 5% GST:
- Value for customs: US$1000 x 1.2 = CAN$1200
- Customs duty: $1200 x 4% = $48
- Value for tax: $1200 + $48 = $1248
- Customs tax: $1248 x 5% = $62.4
Total of customs fees (in Canadian dollars) are $48 + $62.4 = $110.4
Canadian Border Services Agency has a policy of keeping a profile on all importers. Importers with a good profile – that is, who consistently provide accurate documentation – will be rewarded with less border scrutiny and are able to take advantage of special release options. On the other hand, those with a poor profile will face fines and penalties and will not be able to benefit from participation in some programs.
You are responsible for keeping all records related to the import for six years following date of entry.
Sea Freight
The main ports are Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver.
Sea cargo service is directly linked to our warehouse and nationwide transport network to manage any supply chain requirements. You can select FCL or LCL based on your actual volume/weight.
How long?
Here’s a routine schedule from CSCL (COSCO) for your easy reference.As we can see from the Transit Times chart above, it cost about 20 days for ocean delivery from China main ports to Vancouver, west coast of Canada. Add additional 7 days for the destination at the east coast.
Click here to learn more about shipping by ocean.
Air Freight
With the world’s major commercial airlines, cargo carriers and charters at our disposal, air cargo service is available to link China with every route in Canada.
Click here to learn more about shipping by air.
Courier Service
Transportation by express couriers is more easier than by airlines. FedEx/DHL/UPS can hand-delivery to your step door, while you don’t have to worry about customs issue and paper works.
We can get a big discount 50%-80% from the official public express rates.
Find more about how to select the most cost-effective courier.
We are always trying to succeed in meeting the cargo transportation needs to Canada, and we possess the capability of responding to all your cargo forwarding requirements regardless of shipment types.
Get a quote now and let’s get started!
