Canadian businesses are increasingly looking for delivery solutions to the United States for business development. There has never been a better time to ship to the USA. The low cost Canadian dollar (versus the US dollar) makes Canadian goods more competitive and new import regulations make duty free import for most items.
Trade between the USA and Canada, measured in billions of dollars per day, is dominated by large commodities (automotive and energy). There is also growing e-commerce opportunity for small and medium sized (SME's) Canadian companies to export to the USA.
Disclaimer: The information in Jet Worldwide online content, including this post, is for general information only.
Shipping to theåUSA Via Canada
International online sellers can find best in class shipping solutions to the USA via Canada. Contact Jet's team for details.
While there can be issues for specific processes, parcel import processes are available to help you serve the US market. Here are a few factors to consider when shipping to the USA from Canada:
1. Importing individual orders under $800 (for most items) is often the preferred way to import to the USA from Canada.
Items not requiring approval from "other government agencies" that are under $800 can be imported duty free! This is referred to as section 321 entries. Furthermore, US Customs CBP is expected to make a new entry type (Section 321 type 86) available that will allow for even greater access to duty free entry for online orders imported to the USA.
2. For shipments valued over $800, familiarize yourself with the harmonized code!
Duty and NAFTA free-trade benefit eligibility are determined by a product’s "HS Code." Each harmonized tariff number is assigned a duty rate and, with often hundreds of codes available for a specific product, finding the right code can be difficult - even for experienced professionals! Read our blog on HS tariff classification code.
3. Consider potential USMCA benefits.
Essentially, all goods produced in Canada can be sent to the USA and Canada without duty. There are many nuances when it comes to USMCA CUSMA, such if your goods qualify as being manufactured in Canada.
CUSMA/USMCA Shipping to USA from Canada
The key provisions of USMCA/CUSMA (i.e. new NAFTA) include:
- Duty free and tax free entry for most Canada origin parcels valued under US$800
- Simplified "Certification of Origin" for shipments valued under US$2,500
For low value shipments (under CAD $2,500 to the USA) a certifying statement added to the commercial invoice or any shipping document. Here is a sample statement:
“I hereby certify that the goods covered by this shipment qualifies as an originating good for the purposes of preferential tariff treatment under USMCA/T-MEC/CUSMA.”
This statement can be included on the commercial invoice or other shipping document.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is for general information only. Producers, shippers, exporters, importers should confirm their processes with their customs brokers, carriers and regulating authorities.
4. Establish convenient returns process.
Returns for e-retailers average from 5 to 10 percent of sales. Jet can help you establish a returns process (often referred to as "reverse logistics").
Jet Worldwide can provide reverse logistics from Canada and USA with a Canadian and American address and processes defined by the merchant.
5. Carrier options.
There are a couple options for shipping to the USA from Canada. Get rates for shipping your Canadian parcel to the USA.
- Delivery to the USA via Canada Post: Lowest cost for small parcels
- Delivery via Fedex/ UPS: FedEx and UPS are the dominant carriers in North America and their ground service is the most common option.
- Delivery via Purolator: Although Purolator is a leading carrier in Canada, they rely on other carriers (UPS) for their USA deliveries.
- Delivery via Jet: Jet offers low cost express shipping for heavier parcels to the USA. Our service partner is amongthe world's leading express carriers.
- Get a quote for shipping to the USA from Canada
Jet offers service to send direct to New York via LGA and ECCF processes.
6. Cross border break bulk.
For higher volume, most Canadian shippers clear in bulk at the US border and then forward via FedEx, UPS or USPS. Jet can provide cross border solutions including warehousing and distribution from the northeast, Midwest and west.
Our team of parcel logistics experts helps Canadian small and medium-sized (SME) businesses to expand to the USA and around the world!
- Parcel shipping solutions from Canada for delivery to the USA
- International shipping from Canada
- Parcel logistics consulting and support for high volume e-commerce processes
Getting quote for shipping between the USA and Canada.
Jet Worldwide gives access to all companies seeking shipping quotes between Canada and the USA for parcels pallets, and LTL shipments. For a quote, please provide:
- Your company name and contact details
- Ship from Address
- Ship To Address
- Weight and dimensions of each piece
- Item(s) being sent
- Value
Contact Jet: For a quote for shipping online orders, regular volumes and logistics support; provide details including shipping volume, item(s) being shipped, average value and weight of each parcel. The more details the better :).
