{"id":4356,"date":"2018-11-22T10:16:39","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T15:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/?p=4356"},"modified":"2018-11-22T10:16:39","modified_gmt":"2018-11-22T15:16:39","slug":"importing-and-invoicing-what-paperwork-do-you-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/importing-and-invoicing-what-paperwork-do-you-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Importing and Invoicing: What Paperwork Do You Need?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s fair to say that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nobody<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> enjoys filling out and keeping track of multiple sets of paperwork, but when it comes to importation, it\u2019s necessary to keep track and be aware of your paperwork at every stage in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s nothing more frustrating than having your shipment come to a screeching halt because of a missing document, or worse, a simple unchecked box or a blank space. That\u2019s why having the mandatory forms in order, as well as checking (and double-checking) that they contain accurate information and are complete will quite literally save you time, money \u2014 and one giant headache!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there are special circumstances that may require extra documentation, there are a few standard articles of paperwork across the board that are needed to ensure a smooth process. Let\u2019s take a closer look&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canada Customs Invoice \/ Commercial Invoice<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Invoicing is the final key piece to ensuring your imports successfully cross the border. When it goes awry, it can result in delays from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) or, possibly worse, make for tense relations with vendors as you leave them in limbo over payment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For goods coming into Canada, the most important form to include for the CBSA with your shipment is the CI1, otherwise known as a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca\/publications\/forms-formulaires\/ci1-eng.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canada Customs Invoice<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The document outlines 25 sections filled in with information relevant to any commercial shipment valued over $2,500 CDN, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The names and addresses of both purchaser and vendor<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The countries of origin and destination<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The size, weight, quantity, and unit price of the shipment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specific details regarding the goods in question (as per the CBSA: \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kind of packages, marks and numbers, general description and characteristics, i.e., grade, quality\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The calculated invoice total<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given the vendor is the one collecting payment, it seems logical that they would supply the invoice \u2014\u00a0however, as the purchaser, you also have the option of completing the form on both parties\u2019 behalf, or, more securely, entrusting it to a customs broker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of the critical nature of this form to determine the fate of a shipment, it\u2019s important to communicate and establish up front which party is responsible for completing the CI1 and, at the very least, ensure the responsible party is in possession of the correct information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, if an official Canada Customs Invoice is not used, the purchaser has the option to complete a standard Commercial Invoice \u2014\u00a0however, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca\/publications\/dm-md\/d1\/d1-4-1-eng.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one of two conditions must be met<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your Commercial Invoice must contain the exact same information outlined in the CI1;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your Commercial Invoice must indicate the buyer and seller, price payable, and a specific description of the goods, along with a CI1 detailing the remainder of the required info.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bill of Lading<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your imported items are being shipped by any mode of transportation (truck, train, airplane, etc.), a <\/span><b>Bill of Lading<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is required by the CBSA to ensure that what you say is inside your transport vessel is, in fact, what\u2019s inside your transport vessel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In layman\u2019s terms, the Bill is, first and foremost, a legal contract between importer and exporter, upheld in Canada by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/laws-lois.justice.gc.ca\/eng\/acts\/B-5\/page-1.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bills of Lading Act<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is intended to provide a detailed, itemized list not dissimilar to that of Canada Customs Invoice, featuring:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Origin and destination<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specific products included<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Size, weight and quantity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shipping details<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s the responsibility of the vendor to ensure that everything on the list is \u201con the truck\u201d before the shipment goes out, the Bill of Lading gives importers and their customs broker partners an airtight checklist of items to look out for once the shipment arrives, in order to guarantee exactly what is arriving in case any problems arise.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other Possible Requirements<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to the required forms, depending on the goods being shipped to Canada, you may also require CBSA to be in possession of specific <\/span><b>import permits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to allow final border clearance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be certain about which items, the Government of Canada keeps an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/laws-lois.justice.gc.ca\/eng\/regulations\/C.R.C.,_c._604\/page-1.html#h-1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Import Control List<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on its website, updated as necessary, to indicate which items \u2014 such as anything requiring a permit or license to use, anything sanctioned from another country, or any prohibited goods \u2014\u00a0may be subject to further tariffs or scrutiny from border officials.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/importing-a-car-into-canada-the-customs-broker-guideline\/\"><b>importing vehicles to Canada<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has its very own set of particulars, with different rules applying to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tc.gc.ca\/en\/services\/road\/importing-vehicle\/purchased-united-states.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">imports from the U.S.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tc.gc.ca\/en\/services\/road\/importing-vehicle\/countries-other-united-states.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">those from all other countries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Individuals important a car from the States, for example, require \u2014 in addition to a Canada Customs Invoice and Bill of Lading \u2014 a special e-form to be filled out from the Canadian Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV), <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.riv.ca\/BeforeYouImport.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provided your vehicle is considered admissible to begin with<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do You Have All of the Necessary Paperwork For Your Import in Order? <\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you in possession of a Canada Customs Invoice and a Bill of Lading? Does your shipment requires special forms on top of the standard paperwork?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re unclear about the answers to either question, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact a customs broker today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and we\u2019ll ensure your forms check all the necessary boxes to complete your transaction!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s fair to say that nobody enjoys filling out and keeping track of multiple sets of paperwork, but when it comes to importation, it\u2019s necessary to keep track and be aware of your paperwork at every stage in the process. There\u2019s nothing more frustrating than having your shipment come to a screeching halt because of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":4357,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4356"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4356"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4359,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4356\/revisions\/4359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}