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Video: Shipping to Canada & Tips for Avoiding Delays with Canada Customs Clearance

Accurately completed Canada Customs documentation will help your shipment reach its destination on time and reduce the risk of being held up by Canada Customs.

In this video you will learn:

  • What documents are required to ship to Canada
  • Information required on a Canada Customs Invoice
  • How to clear Customs in Canada
  • How to avoid delays at Canada Customs
  • Consequences of noncompliance with Canada Customs’ regulations

 

 

Do you have tips or questions on shipping to Canada? Drop us a comment or question below or email  Ask Your Broker.

 

Posted on May 21st, 2013 by Cherie Storms
Tags: ,
Posted in Canada Customs, Forms, Your Broker Knows

Canada Customs Invoice: 7 Mandatory Fields

Filling out a customs formA Canada Customs Invoice (CCI) is required for all shipments entering Canada that are valued over $2500.00 CAD. Do not take the chance of delaying your shipment at the border due to an incomplete or inaccurate Canada Customs Invoice (CCI).  Customs brokers see this happen often.

The following fields on a Canada Customs Invoice are mandatory for Customs clearance, and must be provided at the time of release:

1. Date of Direct Shipment – this is the date of the goods leaving the place of direct shipment. This is used to obtain the exchange rate which will be used to convert the value for duty into Canadian dollars. Exchange rates vary day to day, which makes it very important to indicate the correct date of shipment on your invoice.

2. Country of Origin – this field must indicate the country where the products originated from or were manufactured. This will not necessarily be where the products were exported from. The country of origin will help determine if we can apply a free trade agreement to avoid paying duties on the products being imported.

3. Currency of sale – this should indicate which funds were used to purchase the goods. This should never be left blank or assumed. Your customs broker must convert funds to Canadian dollars in order to file an entry with Canada Customs; this makes it very important to know which funds we are working with.

4. Quantity – this field should indicate the total number of pieces being shipped. If Customs examines a shipment, they will want to ensure that the number of pieces declared matches what is loaded on a truck. This makes it very important to ensure accuracy.

5. Value – this field should indicate the fair market value of the goods. This is required for all goods being imported – even if a sale has not occurred. Valuation of the items being imported should be based on one of the six valuation methods: transaction value of the goods, transaction value of identical goods, transaction value of similar goods, deductive method, computed method, or residual method.

6. Weight – this must indicate the weight of the goods. This should match up with the carrier’s bill of lading weight. This can also be used to verify accuracy in the case of a Customs examination.

7. Purchaser/Importer of Record – this field should indicate which party has purchased the goods. It will identify which party is responsible for handling the Customs Clearance, any duty, and taxes that are owing on the items being imported.

Snapshot - Sample Canada Customs Invoice

 

Here is an example of a properly completed Canada Customs Invoice. Click the link or the thumbnail image for a detailed view.

Sample Canada Customs Invoice Form

 

 

 

 

Interested in learning more about about documentation for importing into Canada? Pacific Customs Brokers hosts a series of Trade Compliance Seminars throughout the year. To learn more on this topic, we recommend attending a Canadian Customs Compliance Seminar.

Do you need additional assistance with your Customs documentation, contact Pacific Customs Brokers.

Have questions on filling out a Canada Customs Invoice?  Ask us in our comments section below.

 

 

Posted on February 25th, 2013 by Crystal Higgs
Tags: , ,
Posted in Canada Customs, Forms, Transportation, Your Broker Knows

Full Appraisal Quality is a Mandatory CBSA Requirement

Electronic Data InterchangePacific Customs Brokers submits the majority of their shipments to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) through an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). The purpose of an EDI release is to provide customs brokers with the ability to transmit release and invoice data electronically, thereby removing the requirement to prepare and present hard copy release packages. To be compliant, Pacific Customs Brokers must ensure that we submit Full Appraisal Quality information to CBSA. This means we must transmit complete and accurate descriptions to Canada Customs as if we were taking a “snap shot” image of the physical invoice. Customs relies on our EDI details for both release decisions and post audit re-appraisals.

Lack of Full Appraisal Quality details on invoices can:

To avoid complications such as these requires a significant amount of co-ordination between the exporter, transporter, customs broker, and importer.

Full Appraisal Quality includes the following major aspects:

1. Complete Product Descriptions

The description of the goods should be in layman’s terms. Your customs broker has to know what they are classifying to Customs. The description should also include the material that the goods are made of (plastic, metal, etc.) A full appraisal description should look as follows:

“12x12 Glazed Ceramic Floor Tile”

2. Fair Market Value

Even if the shipper is giving you free samples, brochures, or whatever else the case may be, Customs requires that a value for the goods must be shown.

Please note: The term “fair market” means the value must be an accurate depiction of the goods being shipped, typically the Blue Book value of goods.

3. Quantities:

The amount of product must be put into a unit of measure, typically how the goods are sold. For example:  Per pound, package, piece, etc.

4. Ship Date:

Ship date refers to the date the goods began their journey to Canada. This is important since GST will be calculated according to this date.

5. Currency:

This is defining the currency that the goods were sold. For example: USD or CAD

6. Weight:

This is often computed on the bill of lading. It is acceptable to estimate the approximate weight of a shipment on the invoice.

 

*Remember: Full Appraisal Quality is not an option, it is the mandatory minimum information required by CBSA.

Snapshot - Canada Customs Invoice - Full Appraisal Quality

Here is an example of a properly completed Canada Customs Invoice that meets the requirements of Full Appraisal Quality. Click the link or the thumbnail image for a detailed view.

Canada Customs Invoice – Full Appraisal Quality. pdf

 

 

 

 

If you require further clarification, Pacific Customs Brokers would be happy to consult with you.

Do you have questions about Full Appraisal Quality, leave them in our comments section below or email Ask Your Broker.

 

 

Posted on February 5th, 2013 by Mandy Watters
Tags: , ,
Posted in Canada Customs, Forms, Your Broker Knows

The Importance of a Bill of Lading

What is a Bill of Lading (BOL):

A bill of lading is a legal document between the shipper of particular goods and the carrier detailing the type, quantity, date of direct shipment and destination of the goods being carried. The bill of lading also serves as a receipt of shipment when the goods are delivered to the predetermined destination. This document must accompany the shipped goods, no matter the form of transportation, and must be signed by an authorized representative from the carrier, shipper and receiver. The carrier or the shipper can complete it, but the driver of the transport company is to sign and date it once the goods are on-board.

What does Customs look for on a Bill of Lading?

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) requires to know:

  • the number of pieces
  • total weight and
  • date of direct shipment for each shipment on board

The number of pieces, total weight and date of direct shipment is a requirement for the declaration made by the importer of record/customs broker. It is highly recommended that you provide a copy of the bill of lading to the importer of record/customs broker so that the information can be confirmed against the corresponding invoice(s) being declared. If a bill of lading is not provided to the customs broker, the carrier must still advise by other means, the number of pieces, total weight and date if direct shipment.

A carrier must always make the bill of lading available to a CBSA officer in the event it is requested.

 

Do you have questions on a Bill of Lading? Please share yours in the comments section below or contact Pacific Customs Brokers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on December 27th, 2012 by Cherie Storms
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Canada Customs, Carrier, Forms, Transportation, Your Broker Knows

Bill of Lading: Top 4 Reasons You Need One

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) needs and wants to know exactly what”s on your truck. To help make sure all goods on your truck are accounted for and declared, you must supply a bill of lading or pick up receipt when faxing your Pre-Arrival Review System (PARS) entry to your customs broker.

Why is a Bill of Lading used?

1. The main purpose of the standard straight bill of lading is that it is a contract of carriage.

Other useful purposes include:

2. It may incorporate the full terms of the contract between the consignor and the carrier by reference.
3. It is a receipt signed by the carrier confirming whether goods matching the contract description have been received in good condition.
4. When completed in full, it helps the customs broker match up commercial clearance paperwork to ensure they are able to make a complete declaration for all goods aboard that truck.

The carrier or the shipper can complete it, but the driver of the transport company is to sign and date it once the goods are onboard his/her truck.

Important information on a bill of lading:

For Customs purposes, some of the most important details on the bill of lading are:

  1. Piece count (total skids, boxes, pallets)
  2. Weight (total weight of the goods listed)
  3. Description of goods
  4. Date (the date of pick up/export is used to establish the date for exchange rate)

If there is only one (1) location you have picked up goods from, then only one (1) bill of lading or pick up receipt is required. If you are picking up from multiple locations, then you need to have a bill of lading or pick up receipt for each location you’ve picked up from.

Commercial Documents

When picking up freight from the shipper, they may give commercial documents to you. If they do, please send them to the customs broker with the bill of lading or pick up receipt. It is important that you send the customs broker all documents you have. It helps ensure that all required documents are in place to declare those goods to Customs.

If the shipper does not supply you with commercial documents, please let the customs broker know as soon as you know, so that they can work on getting the documents in order.

Other Documents

Often, a commercial invoice and bill of lading are sufficient for the customs broker and CBSA to process your load. There are many instances where special documentation will be required. Some examples of goods that need additional documents are:

  • CFIA regulated goods (fresh fruits & vegetables, fresh cut flowers)
  • Transport Canada regulated goods (vehicles) – which require another government agency (in addition to CBSA) to review the import

When faxing your PARS to the customs broker (at least five hours in advance), simply affix your barcode label to the bill of lading, making sure you are not covering up any important information. Be sure to clearly indicate which port you’re crossing at and on what date and time. Please also include your phone number so that you can be contacted in the case there are any documentation issues.

Remember to ALWAYS confirm that your load has been set up before you get to the border.

Be accountable for the goods you are transporting and your cross border experience. Providing all the appropriate paperwork and allowing the customs broker time to do their part, will truly ease your journey.

 

Do you have questions on a Bill of Lading? Share them in our comments section below.

 

 

Posted on November 21st, 2012 by Sonia Stanton
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Carrier, Forms, Transportation, Your Broker Knows

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