When moving to Canada from another country, you can bring your personal and household goods without paying duty. However, you must pay duty on any item that hasn’t been used. A duty is a fee that the government charges on some goods when they enter Canada. This guide provides an overview of the commercial importing process for businesses importing goods into Canada. It includes steps such as preparing to import, classifying goods, determining duties and taxes, shipping, examining, reporting, and getting your goods released.
Candidates may qualify for a personal exemption that allows them to bring goods of a certain value into Canada based on their length of time outside Canada. Learn about import controls and other restrictions on the import of goods including food, plant and animal products, cultural property, firearms, nuclear substances, and more.
Canada Customs Duty Rates, Tariffs, and Taxes are essential for Canadians to be aware of the regulations and duties on prohibited and non-permitted goods. Canadians are free to import many wood products for personal and commercial use, including primary wood products, pulp and paper products, and wood-fabricated materials. Wooden articles less than 1.5 cm thick and not containing bark will most likely be approved for import with no additional document requirements.
Primary wood products, pulp and paper products, and wood-fabricated materials are all acceptable, including commonly used materials like planks. Information on what you can bring back to Canada, what you must declare, customs duties and taxes, and personal exemptions is available. As long as you comply with government regulations, you can import commercial goods into Canada.
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Can you take wood products into Canada?
Wooden articles made from processed wood materials, without bark, are approved for entry by the CFIA without additional documents. Processed wood materials subjected to heat, glue, pressure, or any combination of methods are also approved for entry. However, they are still subject to border inspection and must be declared at the time of entry into Canada. Wooden articles less than 1. 5 cm thick and not containing bark are usually approved for import without additional documents. Unprocessed wood articles without bark require a Phytosanitary Certificate, issued by the plant protection organization of the country, to ensure the wood is inspected and pest-free.
What items Cannot be taken into Canada?
Canada requires the declaration of firearms, firearms, food, plants, animals, and related products at the CBSA port of entry when entering Canada. Food, plants, animals, and related products must be declared as they can carry diseases like E. coli. Proper identification is required for both individuals and children traveling with them. Visitors from or transiting through the United States should visit the U. S. Customs and Border Protection website for information on entering, transiting through, or returning to the country.
U. S. citizens and permanent residents must carry proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, U. S. Permanent Resident Card, or Certificate of Indian Status, along with photo identification.
How much can I import without paying duty Canada?
To enter Canada, goods must be in possession and reported at the time of entry. If the value of the goods exceeds CAN$800, duties and taxes apply only to imported goods exceeding CAN$800. A minimum 48-hour absence from Canada is required. Alcoholic beverages are allowed if the person has been away for 48 hours or more. Importing alcohol free of duty and taxes is allowed if the person meets the minimum age of the province or territory where they enter Canada, which is 18 years for Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, and 19 years for the remaining provinces and territories.
What happens if you don’t declare items at customs Canada?
The CBSA can seize goods if they are not declared or falsely declared, leading to permanent loss or a penalty of 25 to 80 percent of the seized value. The Customs Act allows border services officers to seize vehicles used to illegally import goods, imposing a penalty before the vehicle is returned. Additionally, if tobacco products and alcoholic beverages are not declared at the time of import, the CBSA can seize them permanently. These penalties vary depending on the type of goods and circumstances.
Can wood go through customs?
The Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) system requires that all imported products, including timber, wooden articles, bamboo, and related items, comply with the import conditions for commercial or personal use. Importers are responsible for ensuring that the products they import meet these conditions.
What disqualifies you from entering Canada?
Foreign nationals with a criminal history, even minor offenses, may be denied entry to Canada if they were convicted of a crime, such as a misdemeanor arrest or more serious crimes like felony convictions. Immigration authorities may turn away these individuals at the border. However, individuals who have been denied entry can overcome their past criminal offenses and legally cross the Canadian border. The Cohen Immigration Law Firm can assist in assisting these individuals in their immigration efforts.
What items need to be declared at customs Canada?
To cross the border into Canada, you must declare items you must pay duty on, such as gifts, alcohol, tobacco, money over CDN $10, 000, business goods, plants, food, animals, and firearms. Important documents must be translated into English or French before arrival to ensure clarity. A detailed list of personal or household items and a list of items arriving later and their money value is also required.
What items do you have to declare at customs?
Customs duties on personal effects such as clothing, jewelry, photography equipment, portable radios, and vehicles are typically waived for individuals over one year of age. All vehicles are dutiable. Unaccompanied purchases, which are goods bought on a trip and mailed or shipped to the US, are not carried with the individual upon return. If the goods are from an insular possession (IP) or a Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) country and imported within 30 days, they can be entered as personal exemptions. Up to $1, 600 in goods from an IP will be duty-free, while up to $800 in goods from a CBI or Andean country will be duty-free. Any additional amount is dutiable at a flat rate.
What items are exempt from import duty in Canada?
Upon relocating to Canada, individuals are permitted to import personal and household items without paying duty on a range of goods, including books, linens, clothing, jewelry, antiques, furniture, silverware, musical instruments, gifts valued at a maximum of CDN $60 each, hobby tools, private collections of coins, stamps, or art, and appliances such as stoves or refrigerators. Nevertheless, any item that has not been previously used will be subject to duty charges.
Can you bring wood across the Canadian border?
Canada prohibits importing firewood from the USA unless it is heat-treated and labeled. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates areas for invasive forest pests, such as hemlock woolly adelgid, Dutch elm disease, and emerald ash borer, which spread harmful pests when untreated firewood is moved. The CFIA prohibits transporting firewood out of regulated areas without a permit, especially in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Ontario, and crossing prairie provinces.
To prevent pest spread, the CFIA recommends residents and visitors buy local firewood within 80km, buy firewood at campgrounds or gather dead and down wood when permitted, and not remove firewood from any campground. Open fires are not allowed at many national and provincial park campgrounds, and fire restrictions may be imposed when wildfire risk is high.
What can deny you entry into Canada?
Canadian immigration officers determine if a person can enter Canada through visa applications, Electronic Travel Authorizations (eTA), or arrival at a port of entry. Inadmissibility can result from security reasons, human or international rights violations, or committing a crime, such as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If found inadmissible, the individual may be denied a visa, refused entry, or removed from Canada.
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I find this sort of thing really interesting. I spent 20+ years buying from the far east and seeing how far east companies manufacture is mind blowing. We simply are unable to do this in the UK. What is interesting is Turkey being brought up all the time. Most of your printing media is made in the far east and perusal it being made just shows how cut out China is with manufacturing.
Great content as always James, We started importing container loads of car parts literally start of 2019 and we hit it really well but post 2020 the snowball stopped and literally was breaking even. Now the freight charges are back to normal I hope they all stay and hope we can all get those pre covid margins back and grow 🌱
Love your articles, great efforts! On the actual challenge, then the game here is that you need to set up some B2C brands.. You would say, that’s easy, I’ve done that.. But honestly, how you have to do it is find people that are good in ecom, buy 75% of their business, leave them with the rest – and make them work on your stock – so you start owning your B2B customers slowly and indirectly get more B2C – that you simply own. Look through your 40-80 B2B customers, there might be 1 or 2 there you can consider to buy 🙂
Thanks for sharing, James. Presumably that means in months like January, you make quite a sizeable loss, right? What’s the annual profit if you don’t mind me asking? £12k on your warehouse and £17k on labour is killer. It would be interesting to compare your costs against the cost of using a 3rd party warehouse. I work with a good 3rd party warehouse over your way and their rates are surprisingly good. For reference, my goods are a lot smaller than yours (35 per ctn), but I sold over £250k of goods last month and my 3rd party warehouse fees were only 3.5k (warehouse labour, processing, and storage included) so the size of your goods must make a huge difference. Presumably the teddies arrive vacuum packed, right? How many teddies can you fit in one of those boxes behind you at 1:50?
This is all really great stuff – the pure mechanics of it all. However the big omission and headache…. and the “lifeblood”… is how do you get the customers, particularly the wholesale/trade accounts, in the door?! Is it a case of build it and they will come? Are you that “niche” that you’re the go-to for this stuff?
I understand manufacturing in India for cheap labour, Turkey aswell since import costs are lower, better exchange rate and relatively low wages however why do you manufacture in China as opposed to Vietnam or Pakistan? I thought Chinese labour and importing is getting much more expensive compared to other Asian countries like Vietnam, Pakistan? My only guess could be maybe that the industry is more accessible in China and roadways ECT are more developed. Just a question from someone who probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about. 😂
Maby you can put your best seller products as an affiliate products, so you can increase your online sales, there is as well a lot of youtube websites that review toys, so you can work with them as well. You can even put the links on your articles, because you have a decent amount of views, and people can see your product range. Great article, it was really interesting!
Hi James, great article! There are so many articles out there talking about their successful business stories and sharing their tips without actually showing what their businesses really are, which leaves you wondering if they’re actually making money with their business or actually making profit out of people listening and perusal their content. You’re the first person that came out really starightforward from the beginning. Of course, there must be so many other factors to considering when running a business (tax, product certification, logistics etc), but I think you showed the basics of running your business very clearly. I’m trying to build my own import/export business and your website is just what I needed. I’d like to know more about your beginning of your business. (Why you chose your first product, how you found it, how you started etc). I look forward to seeing more of your articles!
You’re content is great and people can learn a lot also get to see a successful business from the inside. Just one criticism… your thumbnails on almost all of your articles give off a negative sort of vibe to them with your face always being either sad or angry… try some happy ones, be proud of the success and attract others into that success.😊
I’m surprised you didn’t mention FX fees working in many currencies and customs and import fees. They make up a big proportion of my costs for my very small business. I totally agree with stock levels being a killer. I try to be lean, buy to order and drop ship when possible but it’s very difficult when customers are used to short delivery times. For me taking pre orders really helps with cash flow but I have found a winning formula yet. Were Rossi’s at IFE the past few days? I didn’t see you but It was a big show so it would have been easy to miss!