When sending your parcel from Canada to the U.S., it may have to pass through customs. There are no lengthy customs declarations to complete when using Sendle, just a few quick fields to fill out online.
This article will cover the different delivery duties, charges and customs involved with sending your parcel.
Cross-Border Shipments (Canada to U.S.)
Good news! When sending parcels from Canada to the U.S. all Sendle parcels are counted as ‘Delivery Duties Paid’ (or DDP) which means that the receiver will not have to pay any potential duties or charges associated with the parcel. To ensure this, we cap the maximum allowed merchandise total value to $800 USD per shipment. This helps you avoid any unexpected charges and ensures a smooth customs process.
To facilitate this, you, as the sender, must provide detailed information about your shipment on the label. This includes:
- A description of the item(s)
- The value of the content (or combined value if there are multiple items)
- The country of manufacture
All this information needs to be clearly displayed on the label. Don't worry, we’ll make it easy for you to provide these details when booking your shipment.
For higher-value parcels, consider purchasing external insurance for added protection.
Entering HS codes
- Under Parcel Contents, take extra care to provide a complete and accurate Item description and HS code (Harmonized System code) for each item in your parcel. HS codes are required, and adding them will help ensure a speedier clearance at customs.
- Look up your HS code by typing in the category of your parcel contents in the HS code field (this will match up with our database), or you can use the Census Bureau site to look up HS codes, and find the right code for each product.
- If the HS code is invalid (or if it’s something on our list of things you can’t Sendle), you’ll see a red error message.
For more detailed info on HS codes and why Sendle uses them, go to our article on HS codes.
Shipping food from Canada to the U.S
Shipping food (or other consumable) products across the border from Canada to the U.S.? No worries.
When shipping food products from Canada to the US, you need to comply with the regulations of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who make sure these products are safe for consumers.
There’s a few things you need to do to make sure it’s a smooth (and safe) journey for your parcel:
- Submit a Prior Notice of Imported Foods to the FDA.
- Get the confirmation number back from the FDA (before shipping).
- Include the confirmation number on the customs declaration attached to your parcel.
For a full breakdown on shipping food from Canada to the U.S check out this article.