Entry portsVancouver · Prince Rupert · Montreal · Toronto (rail)
AirportsToronto Pearson · Vancouver
Modes we runSea Freight (FCL), Multimodal
Main leg, indicativeSea 15–21 days
Documented routes2 lanes
Customs authorityCanada Border Services Agency
China-side support for Canadian importers
We are not just here to quote freight. We help you coordinate your suppliers, arrange factory pickup, manage export customs clearance, consolidate cargo, book ocean or air freight, and solve origin-side issues before they delay your shipment.
Canada is served two ways from China. The Pacific gateways at Vancouver and Prince Rupert take the mainline services in around 15 to 21 days from South China and hand the container to rail for Ontario and Quebec, which adds roughly a week to twelve days. Montreal and Halifax take all-water services that run considerably longer on the main leg but avoid the transcontinental rail move. Which is right depends on where the goods are consumed and on how the rail network is performing that season.
The Canada Border Services Agency runs the entry, and since the CARM system became the system of record importers have to be registered in the CARM Client Portal with their own financial security in place before goods can be released. An importer who has not completed that registration finds out at the first shipment, on the quay. Your broker handles the entry itself; the documents it is made on come from China.
Duty on Chinese-origin goods is the most-favoured-nation rate for the tariff classification, and surtaxes apply to certain Chinese-origin goods including steel, aluminium and electric vehicles. GST is charged at import on the duty-inclusive value. Electrical products need certification recognised in Canada, consumer goods need bilingual labelling, and wood packaging needs the ISPM 15 mark. The labels, in particular, are a factory job.
The Advance Commercial Information rules require marine cargo data 24 hours before loading at the Chinese port, and the carrier lodges it from what the forwarder supplies. Winter reliability on the rail network and the short free time at the ports both argue for having the entry ready before arrival, which means having the commodity codes, the invoice and the packing list settled before the container is stuffed. That is the China side, and it is what we run.
What changes for Canada
The rules an importer has to satisfy in Canada, and where each one is decided. Your customs broker at destination makes the entry; the evidence it is made on comes from China.
- CARM registration
- Importers must be registered in the CARM Client Portal with financial security posted before goods can be released. Complete it before the first shipment, not during it.
- Pacific gateway plus rail, or all-water
- Vancouver and Prince Rupert with rail to Toronto and Montreal is usually faster; all-water to Montreal avoids the rail leg. We price both door to door.
- Surtaxes on certain Chinese goods
- Steel, aluminium and electric vehicles of Chinese origin carry surtaxes on top of the normal rate. Confirm the classification before ordering.
- Bilingual labelling
- Consumer products need English and French labelling. It is applied at the factory, which means the artwork is approved before production ends.
- Used equipment and soil
- Used machinery must be free of soil and plant material. Cleaning and photographs at origin avoid an inspection hold at destination.
- Advance cargo data
- Marine cargo information is due 24 hours before loading in China. The data comes from the supplier, the forwarder and the packing list; we supply it on time.
