Clearit.ca's Blog on Customs Brokerage and News Updates

Kitchenware and cookware are among the most commonly imported retail products into Canada. From stainless steel pots and non-stick frying pans to ceramic dinnerware, glass bakeware, and silicone utensils, demand remains steady across e-commerce, wholesale, and brick-and-mortar retail. While these products may seem straightforward, importing kitchenware and cookware into Canada involves tariff classification, material composition rules, valuati...

Renewable energy equipment is becoming a major import category in Canada. From commercial solar farms and wind turbine projects to residential battery storage and EV charging infrastructure, demand is growing across provinces. But importing renewable energy equipment into Canada is not just a logistics exercise. It involves tariff classification, valuation, trade agreement eligibility, regulatory approvals, and documentation accuracy. Many shi...

Packaging materials are often treated as secondary products. However, from a customs perspective, they are standalone imports with distinct classification rules, duty rates, valuation requirements, and regulatory obligations. Whether you’re importing retail packaging, industrial pallets, corrugated boxes, plastic wrapping, labels, or branded containers, packaging materials can trigger customs scrutiny if not declared properly. This guide ...

Tools and hardware are among the most widely imported product categories in Canada. They include everything from precision hand tools and power-driven equipment to fasteners and industrial components. These items are central to manufacturing, construction, retail, and specialty trades. This guide explains everything an importer needs to know: duties and tariffs, classification challenges, and best practices to avoid enforcement issues. Why To...

Jewelry and watches are among the most frequently imported luxury goods into Canada, but they are also some of the most misunderstood from a compliance perspective. Many importers assume these products clear like standard retail items, only to encounter unexpected duties, valuation scrutiny, or CBSA holds. In 2026, enforcement around valuation accuracy, country-of-origin claims, and product classification has intensified. Whether you are launc...

Importing health and wellness supplements into Canada is not like importing regular consumer goods. Vitamins, herbal products, probiotics, sports nutrition, and natural health products (NHPs) are heavily regulated, and even small documentation mistakes can result in CBSA holds, Health Canada refusals, or forced re-exports. In 2025, enforcement is tighter than ever. With increased data sharing between CBSA and Health Canada, shipments that once...

Most importers assume CBSA only reviews shipments when something goes wrong. In reality, CBSA doesn’t wait for mistakes to surface. Each year, it proactively selects specific products, industries, and compliance areas for targeted review. These are known as Trade Verification Priorities, and if your imports fall within them, scrutiny is not optional. With stronger enforcement, deeper data analytics, and the rollout of CARM, trade verifica...

Most importers don’t get into trouble with CBSA because they meant to do something wrong. They get into trouble because something was classified incorrectly, valued incorrectly, or declared incorrectly, and it wasn’t fixed fast enough. In 2025, with stronger enforcement, deeper data analytics, and increased post-import verification through programs like CARM, CBSA is finding more errors than ever before. When they do, you’re faced wit...

Trade shows move fast. You have limited time, strict deadlines, and a lot riding on your booth, visibility, leads, sales conversations, and brand credibility. But for many exhibitors, the biggest challenge isn’t booth design, shipping logistics, or staffing. It’s getting products into Canada smoothly, without unexpected duties, delays, or compliance issues. Whether you’re a Canadian company bringing in foreign-sourced displays or a...

For many Canadian importers, customs compliance feels straightforward: submit the paperwork, pay duties and taxes, and move on. But the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) doesn’t see it that way. Under the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS), even small mistakes can lead to financial penalties, repeated enforcement actions, and increased scrutiny, often long after the goods have cleared. As enforcement tightens and data rev...