Commercial reporting requirements
Detailed commodity descriptions

A detailed cargo description is a clear and concise description of an item. The description should be in plain language and detailed enough to allow the CBSA to identify the size, shape and characteristics of the cargo. Information not relevant to the cargo description (e.g. quantity, type of packaging, carrier disclaimers, etc.), should not be transmitted in the cargo description field. If the cargo is 'used', specify 'used' in front of the description, otherwise cargo is assumed to be new.

If the shipment is consolidated (where house bills and/or a Supplementary Cargo Report are expected to follow), the following descriptions may be accepted: Freight of All Kinds (FAK); shipper load and count (SLC); consolidated; general merchandise; and other similarly vague descriptions.

The following list is a guide to acceptable and unacceptable descriptions. This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change as acceptable descriptions are further refined.

Important:

Examples of acceptable and not acceptable cargo descriptions
Not Acceptable Acceptable
"Brand" or "Trade Mark" names by themselves
i.e., "Bubbles Brand"
"Bubbles Brand" Laundry Detergent
Laundry Detergent
Animals Horse
Poultry
Bovine
Apparel/Clothing/Garments
Wearing Apparel
Ladies' Apparel
Men's Apparel
Shoes, Footwear
Women's Dresses
Men's Shirts
Boy's Jackets
Appliances Refrigerator
Stove
Microwave Oven
Coffee Machines
Accessories Hair Elastics
Sunglasses
Socks
Auto Parts Air Filters
Automobile Brakes
Automotive Windshield
Caps Baseball Caps
Blasting Caps
Bottle Caps
Hub Caps
Chemicals, hazardous
Chemicals, non-hazardous
Actual Chemical Name (not brand name):
Aluminum Potassium Sulfate
Methyl Alcohol
Cleaning Products Detergents
Mops
Window Cleaner
Consolidated (if the load is not consolidated and house bills are not expected to follow) Consolidated (where house bills are expected to follow)
Consumer Goods A clear and concise description of the item is required
Crafts/Craft Supplies
Handicrafts
Pipe Cleaners
Construction Paper
Pompoms
Decorative objects made by hand
Electronic Goods
Electronics
Computers, Monitors, Televisions, Mobile Telephones, DVD players, Electronic Toys, Video Game Consoles, Electronic Dolls
Equipment
Industrial Equipment
Oil Well Equipment
Poultry Equipment
Automotive Equipment
Film Camera Film
Polyethylene Film
Polyester Film
Flooring Wood Flooring
Carpet
Ceramic Tile
Marble Flooring
Foodstuffs
Food preparations
Food
Meat
Fish
Produce/Assorted Produce/Mixed produce/Mix Veg
Pet food
Cases of Food
Snacks
Packaged Rice, Bulk Rice
Fresh Beef, Frozen Chicken
Live Trout, Frozen Salmon, Canned Tuna
Fresh Oranges, Frozen Broccoli, Canned Peaches
Canned Dog Food, Dry Cat Food, Juice, Olive Oil, Soda
Gifts/
Novelty Items
Dolls
Remote Control Cars
Picture Frames
Household Goods/
Personal Effects
Acceptable only when goods are Personal / Used Household Effects transported by a commercial carrier (Goods accounted under a Personal Effects Accounting Document)
Indecipherable descriptions ex. "RED SMOOTH MODULAR", "CDRE", "D6T PARTS", "RIPE A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples
Iron Iron Pipes
Iron Plates
Leather Articles Saddles
Leather Handbags
Leather Jackets
Shoes
Machines Sewing Machines
Printing Machines
Machine Parts Oil Pumps
Seals
Engines
Medical Supplies
Biologicals
Laboratory Goods
Medical Gloves
Syringes
Dialysis Machine
Blood, plasma, tissue, semen
Glass vials for laboratory use
Medication/Pharmaceuticals Insulin
Allergy Medication
Metal Ingots of metal (precious or otherwise)
Round bars of steel or other metal
Deformed bars/rebars (of metal)
Plates (of metal)
Billets (of metal)
Slabs (of metal)
Pipes (of metal)
Beams (of metal)
Tubes/Tubing (of metal)
Angles, shapes and sections (of metal)
Sheets (of metal)
Expanded metal
Flat bars (of metal)
Strand wire (of metal)
Oil Mineral Oil
Motor Oil
Olive Oil
Online Retailer
Online Retailer Shipment
A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples
Ore Iron Ore
Copper Ore
Packaging
Boxes
Cartons
Corrugated Cardboard Boxes
Mailing Envelopes
Plastic Bubble Wrap
Palletized Shipment A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples
Paper Paper Rolls
Wrapping Paper
Paper Pulp
Paper Towel
Printing Paper
Pipes Plastic Pipes
PVC Pipes
Steel Pipes
Plants/Flowers
Cuttings
Tulips
Cedar Saplings
Tomato Plants
Plastic Goods
Industrial Plastics
Plastic Kitchenware
Plastic Toys
Plastic Sheets
Plastic Tubes
Polyurethane Polyurethane Threads
Polyurethane Medical Gloves
Powder Flea Powder
Baby Powder
Corn Starch
Promotional Items A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples
Pump Oil Pump
Water Pump
Bicycle Pump
Rubber Articles Rubber Hoses
Tires
Rubber Toys
Rubber Conveyor Belts
Rods Welding Rods
Rebar
Aluminum Rods
Reactor Rods
Sample Shampoo Sample
Conditioner Sample
Makeup Sample
Scrap Plastic Scrap
Aluminum Scrap
Iron Scrap
Serial Number only ("SN HAFR997MJ02041010") A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples
Shingles Asphalt Shingles
Steel Shingles
Wood Shingles
Spare Parts Cellphone Replacement Screen
New Automobile Breaks
Sporting Goods Hockey Sticks
Soccer Balls
Goal Nets
STC (Said to Contain)
General Cargo
FAK (Freight of All Kinds)
"No Description"
'Misc/Miscellaneous'
Various
General
Unknown
UNK
XX
NOI (Not Otherwise Indicated)
NES (Note Elsewhere Specified)
123456789
If the shipment is consolidated, (where house bills are expected to follow), the following descriptions may be accepted:
Freight of All Kinds (FAK), Shipper load and count (SLC) and Consolidated
Steel Steel Plates
Steel Coils
Supplements Vitamins
Protein Powder
Supplies A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples
Taxable Groceries Ice Cream
Potato Chips
Textiles Carpets/Rugs
Silk
Finished Fabric Rolls
Tiles Ceramic Tiles
Marble Tiles
Toiletries/Bathroom Products Towels
Toothbrushes
Shampoo
Tools Hand Tools
Power Tools
Industrial Tools
Toys/Games Wooden Children's Toys
Plastic Children's Toys
Board Games
Console Games
Vehicles Cars, Trucks, Buses
Tractors, Combines
Bicycles
Boats
Wires Steel Wire
Copper Wire
Auto Harness
Coiled Wire (Industrial)
Wood Hemlock logs with bark
Empty Wood Pallets
Cut Lumber
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