Importing Goods to Canada: A Guide for Manufacturers

Before a manufacturer can bring goods into Canada, the business needs a CRA business number with an import/export (RM) account, and a registered account in the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) Client Portal. CARM has shifted more of the duty and tax accounting responsibility directly onto the importer of record rather than leaving it entirely with a customs broker, so this registration step now happens before the first shipment, not after.

Most recurring importers also set up a Release Prior to Payment (RPP) bond through CARM, which lets CBSA release cargo before duties and taxes are formally paid. Without an RPP bond in place, shipments can be held at the border pending payment even when every other document is correct.

Every product entering Canada needs an HS (Harmonized System) tariff classification, which determines the duty rate and whether any additional permits or restrictions apply. Manufacturers importing components or finished goods should confirm classification with a customs broker before the first shipment ships, since a misclassified HS code is one of the most common reasons a CBSA entry is rejected or delayed.

Canada has preferential tariff treatment under trade agreements like CUSMA (the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement), which can reduce or eliminate duty on qualifying goods. Manufacturers sourcing from the US or Mexico should check whether their products qualify and keep the supporting certification of origin on file, since CBSA can request it during a post-entry verification.

Advance Commercial Information (ACI) must be transmitted to CBSA before a shipment arrives at a Canadian port of entry, whether by truck, rail, or vessel. Carriers and freight forwarders typically handle this filing, but the importer is responsible for making sure the underlying commercial invoice, HS codes, and shipment details are accurate and available in time.

For manufacturers running recurring Canada–US truck lanes, enrolling drivers and carriers in the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program is worth doing early: a compliant shipment on a non-FAST-enrolled truck still gets routed into the standard inspection lane rather than the expedited one.

Most manufacturing imports into Ontario clear through a land border crossing (Windsor–Detroit or Fort Erie–Buffalo for US-origin freight) or arrive by ocean at the Port of Vancouver or Port of Montreal before moving inland by rail or truck. CargoLogin's Mississauga brokerage desk pre-validates ACI and CARM documentation before a shipment leaves origin, so customs review at the crossing or terminal doesn't become the reason a load sits longer than planned.

Once cleared, inland drayage or trucking moves the shipment to its final Ontario destination. Manufacturers running recurring import programs typically set up a standing arrangement with their broker and carrier so each new shipment follows the same pre-validated documentation flow instead of starting from scratch.