Trade Resources
The reference desk for cross-border trade.
Checklists, documents and official sources for the four groups we serve most — importers, exporters, manufacturers and e-commerce sellers. Bookmark it; regulations move, and so do we.
Bringing goods into Canada & the USA
For Importers
Importing well is mostly preparation: registration, classification, and documents settled before the goods move. Get these right and clearance becomes a non-event.
The checklist
- 01
Register as an importer
Canada: business number with an import-export (RM) account, plus CARM Client Portal registration and your own financial security. USA: an importer of record number and a customs bond.
- 02
Classify your goods before you order
The HS tariff classification sets your duty rate and flags other-agency requirements (CFIA, Health Canada, FDA, USDA). Build it into product costing, not post-arrival surprises.
- 03
Choose your Incoterm deliberately
FOB origin is a sensible ocean default — you control freight and see its true cost. Be cautious buying EXW (origin obligations) or DDP (you depend on the seller's compliance).
- 04
Know your full landed cost
Goods + freight + insurance + duty + taxes + clearance + delivery. GST/HST is recoverable for Canadian registrants; duty is not — it belongs in your margin math.
- 05
Pre-clear before arrival
Documents reviewed and entry filed while cargo is in transit means release on arrival — and no demurrage clock eating your margin.
Core documents
- ▸Commercial invoice (accurate values, currency, terms)
- ▸Packing list
- ▸Bill of lading / air waybill
- ▸Certificate of origin or CUSMA certification (if claiming preference)
- ▸Permits & certificates for regulated goods (food, health, plants)
Selling from Canada to the world
For Exporters
Exporters win on reliability: correct declarations, destination-ready certificates, and documents precise enough to get paid on first presentation.
The checklist
- 01
File your export declarations
Most commercial exports of CAD $2,000+ to non-US destinations require a CERS declaration before departure. US-bound goods are generally exempt from Canadian export declaration.
- 02
Run the control check
Confirm your product is not export-controlled, the destination is not sanctioned, and the end-user is legitimate — and document that you checked. The legal duty sits with the exporter.
- 03
Prepare destination certificates
Preferential origin certificates (CUSMA, CETA, CPTPP), phytosanitary and health certificates, and legalized documents for certain Middle East markets — requirements differ by country and commodity.
- 04
Match documents to payment terms
Under letters of credit, banks reject discrepancies as small as punctuation. Prepare document sets against the credit line by line — clean presentation is cash flow.
- 05
Quote terms you can control
Selling CIF/CPT lets you manage freight and offer a complete price — often a competitive edge over EXW sellers who hand logistics to the buyer.
Core documents
- ▸Commercial invoice & packing list
- ▸CERS export declaration (where required)
- ▸Certificate of origin / preferential origin certification
- ▸Transport document (B/L or AWB)
- ▸Commodity certificates (phytosanitary, health, inspection) as required
Inbound materials, outbound products
For Manufacturers
Manufacturing freight is schedule-driven: inbound windows that hold, buffer strategies that match risk, and duty programs that recover real money.
The checklist
- 01
Design inbound around the line, not the vessel
Delivery windows, transloading options and safety-stock rules should reflect what a line-down hour costs — and which SKUs can never be the reason for one.
- 02
Review duty relief & drawback
Import inputs and export finished goods? Canada's Duties Relief and Duty Drawback programs may refund or waive duty — with retroactive claims possible for prior years.
- 03
Consider bonded warehousing
Defer duty until goods enter the domestic market; eliminate it on goods re-exported. Useful for multi-market distribution from a Canadian node.
- 04
Certify origin for your customers
A defensible CUSMA/FTA origin analysis per product family is a sales asset — your customers claim duty-free entry on the strength of your certification.
- 05
Build mode flexibility
A pre-agreed air/sea-air escalation path for critical parts turns a supply crisis into a known cost, decided in minutes instead of negotiated in a panic.
Core documents
- ▸Bills of materials with origin data (for FTA analysis)
- ▸Import entries & duty-spend history (for drawback review)
- ▸Supplier CUSMA/FTA certifications
- ▸Production & export records linking inputs to outputs
Cross-border online retail
For E-commerce Sellers
Parcel-by-parcel economics have shifted — especially into the US. Winning sellers now design around consolidation, landed-cost pricing and smart inventory placement.
The checklist
- 01
Re-verify de minimis rules per market
US low-value duty-free treatment has been substantially curtailed and rules continue to evolve; Canada's CUSMA courier thresholds remain comparatively favourable. Confirm current treatment before pricing a season.
- 02
Model bulk-import + domestic fulfillment
Consolidated freight, commercial clearance and a local 3PL often beat cross-border parcels on cost and delivery promise once volume justifies it.
- 03
Price DDP with real duty data
Classify every SKU and bake duties into retail pricing — surprise charges at the door are the fastest route to refused deliveries and chargebacks.
- 04
Split inventory by market where it pays
A US node for US customers and a Canadian node for Canadian customers can outperform a single warehouse serving both — model it against your order mix.
- 05
Plan returns before you need them
Cross-border returns can erase category margins. Decide per market: local returns consolidation, refurbish-and-resell locally, or refund-without-return thresholds.
Core documents
- ▸SKU-level HS classification table with duty rates
- ▸Commercial invoices for bulk consolidations
- ▸Marketplace / 3PL routing requirements
- ▸Returns policy & reverse-logistics plan per market
Speak freight
A short glossary.
- B/L (Bill of Lading)
- The ocean transport contract and receipt; often also the document controlling release of the goods.
- CARM
- CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management — Canada's portal-based system for importer registration, security and duty payment.
- CBSA / CBP
- Canada Border Services Agency / US Customs and Border Protection — the customs authorities of Canada and the USA.
- CUSMA / USMCA
- The Canada–US–Mexico free trade agreement; duty-free treatment for qualifying originating goods.
- Demurrage & Detention
- Charges for keeping a container at the port (demurrage) or outside it (detention) beyond free time.
- FCL / LCL
- Full Container Load (container exclusively yours) vs Less than Container Load (shared consolidation container).
- HS Code
- Harmonized System tariff classification — determines duty rates and regulatory requirements for a product.
- Incoterms
- Standardized trade terms (FOB, CIF, DDP…) defining who pays for what and where risk transfers.
- Landed Cost
- The true total cost of imported goods: price + freight + insurance + duty + taxes + fees + delivery.
- PARS / PAPS
- Pre-arrival review systems for shipments trucked into Canada (PARS) and the USA (PAPS).
Go to the source
Official links worth bookmarking.
Regulations change. These are the authoritative sources we check — and where you should verify anything that affects your money.
Ready when you are