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Canada – additional information

Information about transport to Canada

Embassy Freight Services Europe N.V. offers the following services for all your shipments (export, import, cross trades and the preparation of customs documents):

  • Sea Freight – LCL shipments
  • Sea Freight – FCL shipments
  • Air Freight

In Canada we work together closely with reliable agents.

Our Canadian agents have offices in the following cities:

The major seaports are:

  • Montreal
  • Toronto
  • Halifax
  • Vancouver
  • Calgary

Would you like to know where our offices are located? Visit www.embassyfreight.com.

Required transport documents for export and import Canada.

  • Commercial invoice: For shipments above 2,500 CAD, a Canadian Customs Invoice is required. This document may, however, be replaced by the Commercial Invoice if the latter contains all relevant information. Customs clearance of goods requires an invoice in duplicate. The invoice is to be prepared in English or French. When the FOB value is less than 2500, – CAD, simplified procedures apply.
  • Certificates of origin: Certificates of origin are not required unless specifically requested by the importer. A certificate of origin can be requested at the Chamber of Commerce.
  • Transport documents: Bill of Lading or Air Waybill
  • Packing lists: A packing list should provide an accurate overview of the individual packages, including brand, numbers, gross and net weight and content.
  • Other documents: there are separate requirements for each product. In particular in the textiles, liquor and other excise goods groups.

PLEASE NOTE: The required documents may be subject to change. We recommend that you contact your representative prior to shipping in order to check the required documentation.

Trade agreement CETA

The Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement, CETA, is a new trade agreement between the EU and Canada. This came into effect on September 21, 2017.

This trade agreement allows for a reduction, and in some cases complete cancellation of import duties in Canada. In order to be eligible for these reductions, the exporting party needs to provide proof of the preferential EU-origin of the cargo. For any shipment with a total cargo value of up to €6.000.-, shippers may issue their own declaration on the commercial invoice. However, for shipments with a higher cargo value, the shipper needs to enroll as registered exporter (REX).

ACI Filing Canada and eManifest

For security reasons, Canadian customs demand to know the ship’s manifest, including all commodities, 24 hours prior to vessel departure from the port of Loading. This filing is called ACI filing, which stands for Advance Commercial Information.

The ACI requires carriers to electronically transmit marine cargo data to the CBSA, 2 days prior to loading the cargo at a foreign port. The data has to be supplied by the shipper.

The ACI- initiative was implemented by the CBSA, Canada Border Services Agency, in April 2004.

Besides the ACI Filing Canada, another filing is required. eManifest or Electronic Manifest, requires Canadian freight forwarders, importers or their brokers to electronically transmit the cargo data to the CBSA prior to arrival of the shipment. This applies to all modes of transportation: sea, air, road and rail transport. For every modality, the CBSA prescribed a specific time frame within which the declaration has to be done.

This will be mandatory as per January 1, 2018 but was already implemented in November 2016.

We can take care of the filing and / or assist you with the correct flow of information so that the recipient can handle the filing properly.

Be aware of the fact that Canada’s legislation is regularly changed; contact your contact person for the most up-to-date information.

Facts & figures Canada

The capital city of Canada is Ottawa. Canada is divided into 10 provinces and 3 territories. Canada is officially bilingual; French and English are spoken.

  • Population 35.362.905 (2016)
  • Size: 9.984.670 km2
  • Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD)

(source: Wikipedia)

LWS in Montreal

The port of Montreal is only accessible via the St Lawrence river and due to the possible low water level, ships have a limited loading capacity.
This means that fewer containers can be loaded on board.  Shipping companies compensate for this by introducing a low water surcharge.Read our most recent newsarticle about Low Water Surcharge.

More information about airfreight and seafreight

Take a look at our activities page on airfreight or visit our activities page on seafreight.
Don’t hesitate to contact us at embassy@embassy-freight.be