Duties and brokerage fees on POD orders shipped from the U.S. to Canada

Duty, tax, and brokerage are different costs

Import duty is based on tariff classification, origin, value, and trade-agreement eligibility. GST/HST or provincial tax may still apply even when duty is zero. Brokerage or clearance is a carrier service charge and is not the same as a government duty.

Do not market an order as duty-free merely because it falls under a courier threshold or a product is printed in the United States. Origin rules, courier versus postal entry, and the declared value matter.

Thresholds are lane-specific

Under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement low-value shipment framework, qualifying courier shipments from the U.S. or Mexico have specified duty and tax thresholds. Mail shipments and goods from other origins can follow different treatment. A carrier may also charge disbursement, advancement, or clearance fees.

For postal imports, Canada Post may collect assessed duties and taxes plus its handling fee. For couriers, review the exact service level and published clearance schedule before promising a landed price.

Build a defensible landed-cost estimate

Use product price, shipping, exchange rate, duty assumption, sales tax, and carrier clearance as separate inputs. Label the result as an estimate and state whether the seller or buyer is expected to pay on delivery.

• Confirm where the exact SKU is produced, not only the supplier’s headquarters.
• Check the country of origin shown on customs documentation.
• Compare postal and courier fee schedules for the chosen service.
• Order a representative sample to your actual destination before scaling paid traffic.