How much does it cost to ship from Canada to the USA?

How much does it cost to ship from Canada to the USA?

Shipping costs from Canada to the USA are dependent on a range of factors – weight and size of the parcel; level of service (how soon the package must arrive at its destination and which courier you choose); and the nature of the goods (documents, personal effects, gifts, etc.). There are also other smaller but important expenses that will add to the overall cost of shipping. For instance, you may wish to insure the parcel, and the goods may incur storage fees, and then there are duties and taxes.

This blog outlines the major and minor factors that affect the cost of a shipment from Canada to the USA, but the principles are similar for any foreign destination. The article also introduces you to Secureship, whose many years of experience will ensure that you choose the best shipping options for your budget.

Table of Contents

• Major Cost Factors to Shipping from Canada to USA
• Other Shipping Costs
• How Secureship Can Help You
• Conclusion

Major Cost Factors to Shipping from Canada to USA

Weight and size

It stands to reason that a heavier and larger package will cost more to ship, and this is one of the major factors that dictates a parcel’s shipping charge. Anything that can be done to reduce extraneous weight and box size, while still making the contents secure against the rigours of manhandling in transit, will save you or your firm money.

Level of service

The level of service selected will determine the parcel’s arrival time as does the courier responsible for transporting it. And both have an impact on your costs. The price can go up substantially if you want the goods to arrive the next day, but you can save money if it is a non-urgent delivery. Some popular couriers available to Canadian shippers include Canpar, UPS, Purolator, FedEx, and Canada Post.

Nature of the goods

The range of goods sent by Canadians and Canadian firms to the USA is quite remarkable – foodstuffs and sweets, commercial samples, and permanent/sold goods, to name a few. While the USMC Agreement allows for much duty-free trade between Canada and the USA, the nature of the goods affect if goods incur a duty or not.

And when shipping from Canada to the USA, duties are variable and may also require accompaniment by extra forms. A few examples are shown below:

• Documents: duty free and no commercial invoice required
• Personal effects: duty free; Form CBP 3299 required
• Alcohol and tobacco products, including as gifts: duties apply
• Electronics: 0 or 35%

Other Shipping Costs

Courier fees are largely determined by the distance the parcel travels and its size. However, other smaller fees may apply to your shipment.

Insurance

While insurance is not obligatory, it does cover parcel loss or damage during its transit. But be advised that some goods are uninsurable (personal belongings, liquids, jewellery, as examples). In order to qualify for valid insurance, the goods must be packaged as per the ISTA 3A packaging standard.

Fuel surcharge

Unfortunately, nothing can be done to avoid the fuel surcharge. It is a fluctuating fee that varies with world oil prices.

Saturday services

Avoiding Saturday parcel pick-up or delivery service will eliminate this charge. And it is a good choice if it will not interfere with your business’s efficiency or your personal convenience.

Oversize fee

Particularly large parcels, i.e. those heavier than 68 kilograms or longer than 2.74 metres, will incur a $1,100 CAD surcharge if shipped with UPS (see page 139). And during heavy shipping times, think Christmas, that fee could be as high as $1,550 CAD.

Residential delivery

Some carriers will charge if a parcel is delivered to a personal address. To eliminate this, you could arrange for delivery to the recipient’s office or to the carrier’s business outlet.

Secureship

Secureship is a Canadian shipping broker whose online platform is simple and easy to use. More than that, our bulk buying power allows you to save upwards of 50% on your shipping fees. And using Secureship comes with timely tracking information, so you will always know where the parcel is and whether it is on time. We bring many years of experience to your service, so that the time and hassles of shipping parcels is reduced, and you can spend more time building your business, or relaxing.

Conclusion

The cost of shipping parcels, whether domestically or internationally, depends largely on their size and weight and when they need to arrive at their destination. But there are other costs, while smaller but not trivial, that could add to the overall shipping charge. Some you can avoid, but others, such as duties, you cannot.

Finally, thankfully for you there is Secureship, whose experience and connections to a selection of couriers can save you up to half of your shipping costs, and loads of time.