Belgium's strategic location and modern cargo handling facilities and expertise makes it an ideal entry point into the European Union. Many Canadian shippers often send parcels to Belgium to complement their heavier ocean freight shipments. Canadian companies rely on low cost delivery to Belgium and the EU.
Contact our Canadian Team for information on sending your parcels to Belgium, In this blog, we review the carrier options when shipping from Canada to Belgium and review of the various clearance processes for parcels and shipping online orders.
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Shipping Canadian Shopify Orders to Belgium and the EU
Jet Worldwide is building international shipping solutions for Shopify, Canada's leading e-commerce platform. Building on Jet Worldwide’s decades of Canadian cross-border parcel shipping experience, our team is currently developing Shopify-integrated solutions for shipping to Belgium and the entire European Union, allowing businesses to “self-fulfill” their orders.
For updates on the latest international shipping solutions for Canadian online orders, connect with Jet Worldwide’s e-commerce team.
Duty Free for low value online orders shipped to Belgium
While orders online orders shipped to Belgium - and other Europe Union countries- valued under €150 (around CA$220) can be imported duty free, VAT will be assessed. This includes items sold on eBay, Shopify, big commerce, and other e-commerce platforms.
Read our blog on payment of VAT for online orders shipped to Europe.
Among the main changes are provisions for online marketplaces to be deemed the "supplier." As a supplier, the online marketplace will be held responsible for collection of VAT for online orders of up to €150. This new process, referred to as the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS). See Section below.
The close economic connection between Canada and Belgium has created a need for efficient parcel delivery from all of Canada to Belgium.
In this blog, we review the following issues to consider shipping to Belgium:
- Carrier options for shipping to Belgium
- Shipping terms to Belgium delivery duty unpaid or paid?
- IOSS and VAT payment for ecommerce imports to Belgium and EU
- Customs clearance for low value and high value
- EORI number for importing to Belgium
- Shipping personal effects to Belgium from Canada
- Shipping product samples from Canada to Belgium
- Sending to Trade Shows in Belgium
- CETA duty free clearance for Canada origin goods to Belgium
- Duty free import TO Canada from Belgium under CETA provisions
- Information required for a shipping quote
Jet Worldwide shares our logistics expertise (as evidenced by our industry leading blog articles) and global parcel shipping solutions: Including shipping to Belgium. For professional insights, a comparison quote or "out of the box" solution, Contact Jet's logistics professionals.
Shipping Belgium from Canada
Jet's parcel service serves to supplement and support the economic connections made possible by the efficient ocean connections. Shippingparcels to Belgium from Canada involves an entirely different process thanocean freight shipping. In the following post, you will find information to help clarify the different delivery possibilities.
Shipping Belgium From Canada
Canadian Carrier Options for shipping to Belgium
Shipping to Belgium via Canada Post
Canadian Post shipping options to Belgium from Canada include:
Parcel post shipping Belgium from Canada small parcel packets
- Canada Post international Packet to Belgium: Surface, Air and "Tracked Packet"
Parcel Post shipping Belgium from Canada- larger parcels
- Canada Post International parcel: Surface
- Canada Post Xpresspost service to Belgium: Delivery within 1 week
Shipping to Belgium via FedEx & UPS Canada
FedEx and UPS Canada, along with DHL, offer reliable delivery services to Belgium but they can be very expensive for individuals and medium sized businesses. FedEx and UPS have large operations in Belgium that manage Canadian shipments to Belgium.
FedEx and UPS shipping to Belgium from Canada options include:
- International Priority shipping to Belgium from Canada in 2-3 days
- International Economy shipping to Belgium from Canada in 3-4 days
Shipping to Belgium via Purolator Canada
Purolator is Canada's leading domestic carrier and offers delivery to Belgium via partner carriers - such as UPS.
Shipping to Belgium from Canada via Jet Worldwide
- Jet Worldwide is a trusted brand that has been providing international shipping solutions for over 35 years.
- Jet Worldwide provides options for shipping between Canada and Belgium/ EU for parcels, pallets and online orders.
- Jet Worldwide offers transparency and world class logistics support. We are not shy about recommending alternative solutions as necessary.
Shipping Terms to Consider When Shipping to Belgium:
The default option for shipping internationally from Canada is delivery duty unpaid. Common carriers use the term EXW which essentially assigns all import related costs (duty, taxes, and other fees) to the receiver/ importer. Shippers from Canada can choose to pay the import fees on behalf of the receiver via a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) options that many carriers offer.
See our blog on IncoTerms and shipping terms for packages and online orders.
The disadvantage of paying import fees on behalf of the receiver is that the bulk of the import fees are often from a value added tax that the importing business may otherwise be able to claim back.
Below you will specific guidelines and restrictions for shipping Belgium from Canada, duty guidelines and CETA free trade possibilities.
Goods shipped to Belgium must be accompanied by an invoice for customs or other supporting documents.
Customs clearance of parcels shipped toBelgium from Canada:
Customs clearance requires the consignee to have a Belgian VAT number. This requires residency or representation within the country.
Belgium considers the shipment value to determine the entry type for most non restricted commodities
See section above regarding VAT payment for online orders shipped to Belgium.
Virtually all carriers submit their information to customs electronically (EDI). Required fields necessary for EDI include:
1. The consignee’s VAT/ IBLC number (the lack of this information is a common cause of customs delay)
2. EORI number
An EORI number is assigned to importers and exporters by most European countries and is used in the process of customs entry declarations and customs clearance for both import and export. An EORI number is stored both nationally and on a central EU EORI database primarily for statistical and security purposes.
3. AEO number (if applicable)
AEO is a privilegedstatus granted to qualified entities. European countries grant Authorized Economic Operator/ AEO status to qualified companies who meet common criteria that includes customs compliance, appropriate record-keeping, financial solvency and, where relevant, appropriate security and safety standards.
4. Terms of sale of the shipment/ Inco-terms.
Unless stated otherwise on the customs invoice, the default option for carriers is to assume the duty/ VAT fees will be paid by the consignee (Delivery Duty Unpaid). For information on valuation and Inco-terms, click here.
Summary of Changes of VAT Rules for Imports to Belgium and European Union Countries
1. EU VAT Rule Changes are Effective July 1, 2021
All goods imported to the EU will be subject to VAT on July 1. Currently, goods valued under €22 can be imported duty free and without VAT.
2. Introduction of IOSS Processes and portal
Import One-Stop Shop: E-commerce shipments valued under EUR 150 can be imported via One-Stop Shop (IOSS) processes that allow sellers and online marketplaces to charge VAT at the point of sale and remit it directly to the authorities.
- If the IOSS is not used, the VAT will be charged to ecommerce customers by the importing carrier (plus an administrative/ pre-payment fee).
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The Canadian e-commerce businesses and marketplaces will be able to register for a VAT account in only one EU country. Currently, sellers have to register in each country they sell and ship to.
3. Collection of VAT from point of Sale by marketplaces and online sellers
Online marketplaces or direct to consumer (DTC) individual sellers (who do not use an online marketplace) are the responsible party for collecting VAT for orders up to €150.
- Online merchants using several marketplaces to should keep records of their sales corresponding to the IOSS number/ customs declarant used for the transaction.
4. The IOSS applies to online sales to all EU countries and Northern Ireland
EU countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. EU VAT rules for Northern Ireland are established in the EU-UK Joint Protocol.
5. Canadian companies and ecommerce sellers can access register via the IOSS portal of an EU Member.
Businesses not already established in the EU will likely need to appoint an EU-established intermediary to fulfill the VAT obligations.
For details on IOSS and the otherEU’s VAT rules, visit: Publications Office of the European Union.
Shipping Personal Effects Belgium from Canada
Personal effects to Belgium are eligible for clearance free of duty and taxes. The requirementsfor personal effects include:
- A detailed commercial invoice with a detailed listing of each item.
- A statement “PERSONAL EFFECTS. USED ITEMS NOT FOR RESALE”
Notes on Sending Personal Effects to Belgium
Shipment cannot include restricted items
Articles less than one year old and new items (such as gifts, souvenirs and clothing) are not considered personal effects by customs and not exempt from duty/ VAT.
Personal effects are often subjected to inspection by Belgium customs to ensure compliance.
Shipping of excess baggage to Belgium: Generally, it is simpler and easier to ship your personal effects as excess baggage when you travel. Carrier excess baggage fees for a couple of bags is most often less expensive than shipping separately without having to manage the entry requirements (discussed above).
Shipping a box or several boxes: Jet Worldwide provides solutions shipping of international personal effects Spain from Canada via economy air. Get a shipping quote Belgium from Canada via Jet.
Shipping a household/ container level: For shipping a full household, it is best to contact a moving specialists to arrange for packing and ocean transport.
ShippingBelgium from Canada of product samples:
Some product samples to Belgium can be considered exempt from duty and VAT. However, it is important to check with the consignee to ensure the necessary criteriaare met.
Requirements for duty free importing of sample to Belgium include:
- Only a single item of each sample can be sent (for example, a pair of shoes is considered two items).
- “Mutilated” Items accepted as samples: Mutilation criteria include such things as having a prominent hole on the article, cutting a sleeve off a shirt, a hole in a single shoe
- “Marked” items accepted as samples: The item must be marked with the word "SAMPLE"written in indelible contrasting ink and in such a manner that it can be easily seen upon inspection.
- Invoice Requirements: Parcels to Belgium containing samples must be noted on the invoice for customs. Wording that can be used include:
- Mutilated Samples, Not for Resale
- Marked Sample, Not for Resale
Note: Imported samples owned by individuals abroad also may be granted exemption from customs charges but require a special entry. If you wish to temporarily import a sample item of commercial value to Belgium, the requirements include:
- Security deposit in amount of duty and tax, plus 10%.
- Sample items must be exported from Belgium within one year
- The items cannot be sold and used only for demonstration purposes
Sending Goods for Trade Shows
Being the centre of the EU, Trade Shows in Belgium are common. At Jet Worldwide, we get many inquiries for sending trade show items to Belgium. Most trade shows have arrangements with a dedicated customs broker to facilitate the efficient clearance of trade show items - such as booths and promotional material. We advise our customers to check with the Trade Show organizer and send Jet the instructions. We have local Belgium affiliates that can assist with a full range of support for managing your trade show logistics in Belgium.
Sending Parcels to Belgium containing Gifts
"Unsolicited gifts" sent to individuals in Belgium valued less than €45 can be cleared free of duty/ VAT. Multiple gifts can be consigned in one shipment so long as the individual parcels enclosed are individually marked with the recipient's name, are individually wrapped and the value does not exceed the per person limit of 45 EURO.
Canada post small packet service is often the best solution for individuals shipping small gifts to Belgium.
Gifts sent to companies are not eligible for duty/VAT free status. We recommend to our customers who wish to send a gift to a company that they select our Delivery Duty Paid / DDP Service.
Items otherwise restricted do not qualify for the gift exemption. Belgium customs can be strict on allowing a gift exemption and want to make sure only “bona fide” gifts to individuals are exempt from duty/ VAT.
When sending a gift, be sure to clearly describe the item being sent and value. Also, include the notation that the items are “unsolicited gifts that have no commercial value and not for resale.”
Sending Parcels Duty Free to Belgium:
Many of our customers send their product delivery duty Paid to ensure their customer (or loved one) is not charged customs fees in Belgium.
General Standards for sending parcels to Belgium
Before sending your international parcel, it is best to check with the importer to ensure specific standards are met. As a member of the EU, Belgium enforces all EU directives such as :
- EU safety directives
- “CE” markings
- Electrotechnical Standardization
- Regulated batteries and accumulators (mercury content)
- Eco-label for personal computer
- Telecommunications standards
Duty Free Clearance for Canadian Goods under CETA to Belgium
Many Canadian origin goods sent to Belgium can qualify for duty free entry under the Canadian European Free Trade Agreement (CETA). To be considered for duty free entry, the goods must be accompanied by a certificate of origin and other supporting documents.
Shipping Belgium for Canada duty free via CETA
Simplified Origin Statement for Shipping TO Canada FROM Belgium
The value for duty amount for all of Canada's free trade agreements (including Belgium origin goods under CETA) for which the proof of origin / certificate of origin is waived was changed to $3,300 CAD in July 2020. This change was made to harmonize the regulations with the new NAFTA/ CUSMA.
For imports not exceeding $3,300 to Canada, the requirement for proof of origin is waived. The requirement on the importer to maintain records (for example, commercial invoice and B3) applies even if the CBSA does not require a certification of origin or if a requirement for a certification of origin has been waived.
Getting quote for shipping between Belgium and Canada
Jet Worldwide gives access to all companies seeking shipping quotes between Belgium and Canada for parcels pallets, and online orders. Contact Jet: For a quote for shipping online orders, provide details including shipping volume, item(s) being shipped, average value and weight of each parcel. The more details the better :).
