Importing commercial goods
Make importing easier by taking advantage of the programs and services offered by Canada Border Services Agency.
Notice: Safe Food for Canadians Regulations
The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) are in effect. As of January 2019, commercial importers of certain foods require a valid Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence to import food into Canada. As of July 15, 2020, the SFCR will come fully into force for the manufactured food sector and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) will be updated accordingly. However, as announced on April 7, 2020, the CFIA will not prioritize compliance activities related to these requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, including SFCR timelines and guidance, please refer to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.
Most requested
Services and information
Step-by-step guide to importing
Preparing to import, classifying your goods, determining duties and taxes, shipping, examining, reporting, getting your goods released
Importing checklist
Importing requirements, quick reference
The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement: What importers need to know
Customs changes, certifying origins and other key changes affecting imports
Commercial importing reporting requirements
Regulatory requirements, D-Memoranda, customs notices, forms, resources
Features and benefits: CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management
Preparing the importing industry for the transition to CARM
Other government department reference list
Commodities, areas of responsibility, websites, phone numbers
Commercial payments and accounts
Daily notice, statement of account, payments, disbursements, off-setting, support offices, third-party service providers
Customs tariff
HS codes, duty rates, current customs tariff, past customs tariffs
Advance rulings for tariff classification
Benefits, who can request, how to request, disputes
Valuation
Legislation, methods, interpretations
Origin of goods
Legislation, interpretations, requirements, proof of origin, record keeping
Marine container examination
Process map, responsibilities, frequently asked questions
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and portal clients
Become a client, resources, outages, contacts, stay informed
Importing goods through the Courier Low Value Shipment (CLVS) Program
Processing goods by Courier
High-volume e-commerce shipments
Plan ahead, transmit data and meet CBSA importing requirements
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