If you are a U.S. shipping company and send things by courier to Canada. You are going to want to hear this. A set of helpful courier shipping guidelines has been created by the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers. The reason they felt this list was essential to create was because there are many misconceptions out there of the courier rules that often lead to common errors. Also, they receive a lot of incomplete information. Either way, this list will help you follow the rules and save time for everyone.

 

  1. Name & Address Information – Make sure that on the commercial invoice, the name and address of the purchaser/sold to party are clearly displayed and present. If these routine items are not present, there is a high risk of delays and other errors.
  2. Employee Training – Make sure the courier software that is being used by your company, all employees have been fully trained in on it. This can be a crucial area not to have a mistake made. An error here can affect how the declaration to the CBSA is made and how a courier will direction the information stream.
  3. Billing – As with any other businesses, if you do not properly invoice, a business will have delays in receiving payment from vendors. All invoices that are either uploaded or created from a company software must be the same on the invoices in and out of the packaging.
  4. Proper Description – This is a CBSA requirement. A detailed account of the composition and the end use of the good must be written out. This is so the right clearance and accounting measures, for tax and duty purposes can be assured.
  5. Accurate Rates of Duty – To ensure the correct rate of duty at the time of submission, all goods that fall under the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) of 1993, or other free trade acts, must clearly be labeled on the commercial invoice, and if applicable, on the shipping labels as well.
  6. Seizure of Goods Risks – It is imperative that the total amount, and/or, value of the goods being shipped to Canada, has this amount clearly stated on the commercial invoice. If this is not followed, long delays and accidental undervaluing of goods could take place. Even more importantly, the goods as a whole could be seized.
In conclusion, there are additional steps that one can take to ensure their courier shipments to Canada are not delayed in anyway. For more information, please log onto Canadian Society of Customs Brokers.