{"id":4701,"date":"2020-02-02T11:40:57","date_gmt":"2020-02-02T16:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/?p=4701"},"modified":"2020-02-02T11:41:26","modified_gmt":"2020-02-02T16:41:26","slug":"importing-cosmetics-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/importing-cosmetics-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"The Breakdown: Importing Cosmetics Into Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting into the business of importing cosmetics can be extremely profitable, as the margins are quite generous. Like with any other type of product imports, there are certain specifications for imports that must be complied with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per a study by retail tech company, <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vendhq.com\/blog\/increase-profit-margins\/\">Vend HQ<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beverage manufacturers, jewelry stores, and cosmetics had some of the highest profit margins, with 65.74%, 62.53%, and <strong>58.14%<\/strong>, respectively.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>So, it\u2019s certainly worthwhile to learn more about how you can successfully move cosmetics into Canada and sell them without issue.<\/p>\n<p>We would be remiss not to warn you up front about hopping into any type of import business: failure to comply can be disastrous &#8212; extra fines, huge delays, and even seizures of the shipment are possible. Which can potentially result in huge setbacks for your business goals.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>\u201cCompliance is a subset of governance, not the other way around.\u201d &#8211; Pearl Zhu.<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><b>Firstly, what is considered to be a \u201ccosmetic\u201d?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>As stipulated by the Food &amp; Drugs Act of Canada, cosmetics are substances or mixtures that are manufactured, sold, and\/or represented for cleansing, improving complexion, skin, hair, teeth &#8212; including items like deodorant and perfume.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the instance that you\u2019re unsure as to whether or not your desired imported goods falls into a \u201ccosmetic\u201d, you can refer directly to the <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/consumer-product-safety\/cosmetics\/cosmetic-drug-interface.html\">Government of Canada\u2019s Cosmetic-Drug Interface<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They also cover the full regulatory criteria.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4704\" src=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-02-at-11.39.11-AM-1024x1022.png\" alt=\"imported cosmetics\" width=\"500\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-02-at-11.39.11-AM-1024x1022.png 1024w, https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-02-at-11.39.11-AM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-02-at-11.39.11-AM-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-02-at-11.39.11-AM.png 1220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>What does Health Canada need to know before selling in Canada?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>As you may have noted within the regulations for cosmetics as stated by the Food and Drug Act, you must report that this new product is intended for sale within 10 days. Okay, how do you do this exactly?<\/p>\n<p>The handy, dandy: Cosmetics Notification Form (CNF)! Yay! &#8212; Alright, it\u2019s not that exciting. But it is essential for your success as a cosmetics business. And that\u2019s kind of exciting, right?<\/p>\n<p>If your cosmetic product is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A new product<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modified formula<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Change of product name<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Change of company name, address, or contact info<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discontinuation of a product<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you may have guessed, the Cosmetics Notification Form must be submitted before any imported goods arrive in Canada. The bad news? Simply just filing the CNF does not actually guarantee that your product will be approved for sale in Canada.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Compliance with the Food and Drug Act and the Cosmetic Regulations is critical for your product\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4705\" src=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2020\/02\/bee-naturalles-IRM9qgZdlW0-unsplash-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"cosmetics product development\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/bee-naturalles-IRM9qgZdlW0-unsplash-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/bee-naturalles-IRM9qgZdlW0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Next, let\u2019s make sure we\u2019re being thoughtful about Cosmetic Labeling!<\/b><\/p>\n<p>We recently published a piece that covers the difference between Labeling and Marking, two very important elements for the import of commercial goods.<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can take a look at that piece here: <\/span><\/i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/labeling-marking-imports\/\"><i>The difference between labeling and marking for imported goods<\/i><\/a><\/strong><\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>Specifically for cosmetics, here are a few things to think about. The cosmetic\u2019s product labeling needs to include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Information about the manufacturer (name and address)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The name and purpose of the product<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ingredient list (must be accurate!)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any other relevant product information<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applicable hazards and cautions\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not sure if you need to include something? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/health-canada\/services\/consumer-product-safety\/reports-publications\/industry-professionals\/labelling-cosmetics.html\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>You can check out Canada\u2019s guide for the labeling of cosmetics.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cosmetics is quite an exciting industry to do business in! Beyond the profit margins, there\u2019s a lot of room for creativity in terms of marketing, packaging, supplying, etc. The important thing to remember is that cutting corners in terms of importing and compliance can really hurt your business!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re unsure about certain elements of the regulations, it is ideal to partner with a customs broker that can guide you through the process. And in many cases act on your behalf! (Read: more time to get back to the fun parts of your business)!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re interested in starting a no-commitment conversation, <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/clearance_step2\">click here<\/a><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting into the business of importing cosmetics can be extremely profitable, as the margins are quite generous. Like with any other type of product imports, there are certain specifications for imports that must be complied with.\u00a0 As per a study by retail tech company, Vend HQ: \u201cBeverage manufacturers, jewelry stores, and cosmetics had some of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":4702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9,142,244,198],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4701"}],"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=4701"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4706,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4701\/revisions\/4706"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}