No doubt, Chinese items are cheaper and are readily available.
This is why every year, thousands of Canadians buy items from China for their personal use and some for business.
So if you are among these thousands and are planning to ship to Canada, this guide is for you.
It contains information that’ll help make your experience in cargo shipping to Canada smooth sailing.
Without wasting much time, let’s find out what this guide entails.

Chapter 1: HSD shipping to Canada

I understand that shipping from China to Canada presents some unique challenges.
Well, here is the good news:
With HSD, you don’t have to worry about any challenges or problems that are synonymous with shipping from China.
HSD offers you competitive shipping rates, world-class services, timely deliveries and need I say, professionalism in everything.
Being in the industry for over 10 years, we have garnered the experience and ability to take care of all of your concerns.
We will tackle all the challenges as they come to ensure that we deliver your cargo to Canada in the best possible way.
Our priority as a customer-driven entity is to provide reliable, affordable and timely deliveries to your specific destination.

With this, HSD is hopeful that you can channel your time and energy on other things that matter.
Partnering with HSD means that you say goodbye to shipping risks and challenges that may bring you losses and regret.
It doesn’t matter what kind of shipping you want: we have a solution for every one of them.
Our service package includes:

· Sea Freight

We provide affordable sea freight shipping from China to Canada where you can ship FCL or LCL depending on your needs.
I’ll tell you more about FCL and LCL shipping later in this guide.

· Air Freight

We also offer reliable air freight shipping that will cater for your urgent shipping needs.
Note that our air freight service comes with multiple delivery options including door to port, door to door, and pick and delivery.

· Customs Clearance

Our customs agents will seamlessly manage your shipment, help determine and pay duty fees and clear your shipment.

· Shipping to Amazon FBA

HSD can also help ship your items from China to any Amazon FBA warehouse of your choice.
This service I promise is the most reliable you can get as it ensures your store has enough stock at all times.

· Other Services

Other services in our list include warehousing and distribution, cargo insurance, and pick up and delivery.
What’s the bottom line?
Canada is a long way from China.
Because of this, I know it can be hard to trust a stranger with your consignment all the way especially without your presence.
Nonetheless, HSD promises to deliver your cargo from China safely, reliably and as I’ve said multiple times, affordably.
So don’t hesitate to contact us anytime you need help shipping items from China to Canada.
Moving on, let’s find out what rules and regulations apply to imports from China to Canada.

Chapter 2: Canada Import Rules and Regulations

If you want to ship goods to Canada successfully, you will do well to pay attention to following Canada’s import rules and regulations.

· Import Requirement

Something about importing into Canada is that you can’t do so without registering.
As a business, you will need to acquire a business license from the Canadian Revenue Agency.

Otherwise, a basic import license will also authorise you to bring in items from China to Canada.

· Prohibited and Restricted Items

Another thing is that regulations are governing the kind of goods you can import into Canada.
Actually, before shipping items to Canada, importers have to identify their goods first.
You need to give an accurate description of the items including details like their country of origin of and place of manufacture.
Some, like the ones I am listing shortly, are prohibited for import into Canada.
These goods include:
i. Explicit materials like pornography
ii. Used cars and aircrafts
iii. Items made by prisoners
iv. Reprints of Copyrighted Canadian work
v. Matches made with white phosphorus
vi. Counterfeit currency
vii. Certain birds
viii. Used mattresses
There are also items that although are not entirely prohibited, they are restricted by law for import into Canada.
To import restricted items, you will have to provide relevant documents authorising you to import these items.
i. Alcoholic products
ii. Some agricultural and steel products
iii. Textile and apparel
iv. Weapons and ammunition
v. Medicines
vi. Endangered species
vii. Explosives
viii. Food and hazardous products
Please, I want you to be aware of the products regulations in Canada.
Don’t go importing items that won’t be admitted into the country or that may bring you losses and regret later.
Plus, you wouldn’t want to run into problems with Canadian customs, it can be messy.
So avoid this by understanding the rules and regulations and follow them as needed.
Also, you should be aware of the stipulated product safety requirement which is what I am tackling next.

· Canadian Product Safety Requirements

Various bodies protect Canada from unsafe products brought in from other countries like China.
Of the many safety rules and regulations, Canada has specificlabelling and marking requirements for product imports.
For instance, authorised agencies like the competition bureau, Canadian food inspection agency and health Canada issue labels that must be appropriately used on products imports into the country.
The agencies require that you label the products correctly before they leave the origin country for import into Canada.
As you do this, remember that you also have to identify the country of origin of the products you are shipping.
The net quantity of the products must also reflect on the label.
You should express the quantity in metric form, i.e. in volume for liquid/gas products and metric weight for solid products.

Importantly, all product import labels have to be bilingual – in English and French.
If you are shipping to Quebec Canada, all your labels must be in French as this is the most spoken language in the province.
Or, give French an equal priority on the labels as other languages for products imports to Quebec.
The Office Québécois de la Langue Française’s (Quebec Office of the French Language) provides more information about this requirement.
· Canada Import Taxes and Duties
Like in every other country, imports to Canada are subject to specificduties and taxes which the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) collects.
You need to be familiar with what these are as different imports will attract different duties and taxes.
So about the duties; imports to Canada attract a duty charge known as the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
The CBSA charges the GST tax at 5% of the total value of the goods.
Note again that like most countries, duty rates in Canada vary depending on the type of import and the origin country.
Also, depending on the type of goods and their value, additional tariffs may apply, i.e. excise tax and duty.
However, goods whose value is below CAD$ 20 are exempt from tariff charges.
That’s it about the Canadian customs import rules and regulations.
But it’s not all you need to know to be ready to ship from China; there’s more.
Chapter 3: How to Get Products to Import from China to Canada
With the knowledge on the Canadian import regulations, it is now easier to identify the right products to import from China.
To give you an idea, here is what most importers bring in from China to Canada:
Electrical machinery and equipment
Furniture
Stuffed furnishings
Plastics and plastic products
Toys, games and sports equipment
Iron and steel articles
Automobiles
Knitted apparel
Footwear
Now, here is where most people will get it wrong:
While this list shows the top products imports to Canada, it doesn’t mean that they are the only products you should import.
My recommendation is that you only import from China a product that you are knowledgeable and passionate about.

Canada Top Imports
That said, here is a simple a step-by-step process on how to get the products.
Step 1: Find a Trustworthy Supplier
Assuming that you’ve already done your research and determined the kind of products you want to sources, the next step would be to finda dependable supplier.
In respect to this, China has one advantage which is that finding suppliers is very easy.
As you know, there is an overwhelmingly large number of suppliers/manufacturers in China.
Due to this, some businesses have taken over the mantle of connecting buyers with suppliers for free.
These businesses are online based, and they include:

Global sources
Made-in-China
Alibaba and many

others.

From this sites, you can find details of thousands of suppliers in China including in China including the large number of items that they offer.
The suppliers offer lots of products so you can narrow down your search to a specific category of products that you want.
Now, when you use the above sites, always check and verify the reliability of potential suppliers.
You don’t want to pay for goods only to realise later that you’ve been scammed.
Apart from the online sites, you can also find suppliers in trade shows.
The upside of trade shows is that you get to meet suppliers up close up close and personal and also observe their items yourself.
There are Chinese exhibitors in Canadian trade fairs, however just very few.
Expos in Hong Kong and mainland China have more noteworthy exhibitors than those in Canada, so you should put resources into that.

Yiwu Market in China
Once more, check the supplier you work with to guarantee that they can meet your supply requests.
Once you find a reliable supplier, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Order Samples
If you want to ascertain the quality of the products you will be getting from your supplier, ask them for a product sample.
Let the supplier send you a product sample that you can check to ensure the quality,
From the sample, you can also check to ensure that the general specifications match your requirements.
Step 3: Negotiate
Chinese suppliers/manufacturers tend to have very high MOQ demands.
This is why I say that you should negotiate to see if they can reduce the minimum order requirement.

You should also take this opportunity to negotiate the unit price of the products you want to buy.
Talking of price, Chinese manufacturers are quite rigid.
It will be a challenge to convince them to lower the MOQ let alone the prices.
Because come on, their prices are already low enough; it is only fair that they sell in bulk to get reasonable profits.
But hey, you shouldn’t give up yet.
Try giving negotiation a try – You could be lucky.
Step 4: Order Goods
Found a good deal? Well great.
It’s time to order.
How many units do you want? In what sizes, colours etc.
You need to be very specific in your order specifications.
Otherwise, the supplier may arrange items that you didn’t want in your shipment.
Step 5: Pay
The payment options available to a new entrepreneur in international shipping are only so many.
This I have to say is quite unfortunate.
A stand out among the options available, however, and the one preferred by larger companies, is a letter of credit.
This letter of credit is anyway hard to get when you are just starting out.
Likewise, it might just be accessible for sums considerably bigger than what is available to you.

Basic procedure in the letter of credit
An alternative, therefore, would be to pay via wire transfer which is also not exactly secure.
To be safe, however, you can make the payment in bits.
Pay a deposit when you make the order and finish payment when the products arrive in Canada.
You can also explore other options like paying via PayPal.
If sourcing from Alibaba, you can deposit your payment on Alibaba’s escrow system which is much secure.
So after paying and as you wait for the supplier to arrange the shipment, you should begin exploring your shipping options.
There are so many ways to ship cargo from China to Canada.
So allow me to take you through these options in the next chapters quickly.
Chapter 4: Sea freight from China to Canada
Sea shipping is quite common among importers from China to Canada.
The reason for this is that sea freight seems more cost-effective when shipping items above 500 Kgs.
It is also reliable and convenient to ship by sea when you are in no hurry to get your goods from China.
Let’s take a look at what sea freight from China entails.
4.1. Main Seaports in China
China has numerous seaports used for international shipping.

For imports to Canada, I recommend you consider the following seaports:
Dalian seaport
Tianjin port
Qingdao seaport
Shanghai seaport
Port of Ningbo
Hong Kong seaport
Xiamen seaport
Port of Guangzhou
Zhou Shan seaport
Zhanjiang seaport
While these are not all the seaports in China, they are the best to use for international shipping to Canada.
Why do I say this?
Simple!
Shipping distance greatly influences the cost of sea freight.
And to be honest, it’s a very long way to Canada from China.
Due to this, it is wise that you choose a seaport with the shortest distance from China to Canada.
Also, you need a seaport with modern facilities and cargo handling equipment that will give you peace of mind regarding the handling of your cargo.
So based on these two facts, any of the above seaports would be great for cargo shipping to Canada.
What about the receiving ports? Find out below.
4.2. Main Seaports in Canada
Like China, Canada also has someseaports receiving goods from China.
Although compared to China, Canada’s ports are relatively small and only a few have container handling terminals.

Well, being the giant economy and world’s number exporter, we expect no less.
Of the many airports that China has, these are the main ones used for international shipping:
i. Beijing Capital International Airport
ii. Shanghai Pudong International Airport
iii. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
iv. Hong Kong International Airport
v. Xian Xianyang International Airport
vi. Kunming Changshui International Airport
vii. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
viii. Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport
ix. Hangzhou Xiao Shan International Airport
x. Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
xi. Changsha Huanghua International Airport
xii. Qingdao Liuting International Airport
xiii. Wuhan Tianhe International Airport
xiv. Haikou Meilan International Airport
xv. ÜrümqiDiwopu International Airport
xvi. Tianjin Binhai International Airport
xvii. Phoenix International Airport
xviii. Harbin Taiping International Airport
xix. Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport
xx. Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport
xxi. Taiyuan Wusu International Airport
xxii. Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport
xxiii. Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport
xxiv. Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport
When shipping from China to Canada by air, any of the listed airports can serve as your origin airport.
So choose wisely.
5.2. Main Airports in Canada
Knowing the airports that your cargo will be landing to in Canada is equally essential.
Airports In Canada Map canada international airports map my blog 615 X 425 pixels – Printable Map HD
Canada major airports
In Canada, these are the main airports that your cargo can land in from China:
· Toronto Pearson International Airport
The Toronto Pearson international airport is Canada largest and busiest airport both regardingfreight and passenger throughput.
The airport is situated close to downtown Toronto and is easily accessible via some of the country’s well-integrated transport systems.
Thousands of airlines service this airport including AeroLogic, FedEx Express, Cathay Pacific, Korean air cargo, Lufthansa and UPS.
The airlines services over 180 cities across America, Europe, and Asia.
· Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport
When shipping to Canada, there is no larger gateway than shipping through the Montreal-Pierre Trudeau International airport.
The airport which you can find not far from downtown Montreal provides a secure and reliable air shipping experience.
With services throughout America, Asia and Africa, this airport is ideal for many shippers from China.
This airport note is a non-profit corporation that is owned and operated by Transport Canada,
It is also the largest and busiest airport serving the province of Quebec and its environs.
· Vancouver International Airport
The Vancouver international airport is a prestigious airport found in Canada’s downtown British Colombia.
The airport is often referred to as the best airport in the world and has even won an award for best North American airport.
Vancouver airport serves several destinations across North America, the Caribbean, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
By employing over 26,000 workers and using the latest equipment, this airport can provide you with hassle-free shipping to Canada.
· Calgary International Airport
If you are looking to have smooth and stress-free shipping, Calgary international airport should be your choice airport.
The airport has many cargo facilities all built and maintained to international standards.
It employs over 25,000 employs who work day and night to ensure customers enjoy the best airport services.
This airport is larger what most imagine.
It covers an area of about 8.25 square miles with four active runways.
The airport has two terminals.
For its cargo operations, Calgary airport has allotted over 3,000,000 square ft. of warehouse space.
· Other Airports in Canada
Other airports in Canada that you can consider for international shipping from China include:
Edmonton international airport
Ottawa MacDonald Cartier international airport
Winnipeg James Armstrong international airport
Halifax Stanfield international airport
Billy Bishop Toronto city international airports
5.3. Cheapest Air Freight to Canada
Air freight as I’ve said to you before is quite expensive.
Therefore, it is not surprising that you as an importer will be on the lookout for a cheaper air shipping option.
Well, here is the truth about international freight:
Shipping companies are always out to make money.
This is why you’ll sometimes find that shipping rates are obnoxious and sometimes low.

The good news, however, is that you’ll always find the cheapest shipping solution, if you need and look for one.
The trick is to know your options.
Otherwise, you will have to shell out additional cash to get your cargo to Canada.
So unless and mark my words UNLESS your cargo needs to get to Canada yesterday – there are ways of cutting down your shipping costs.
You just need to apply the following tips correctly and not pay attention to what shipping companies tell you.
· Choose the most Cost-effective Carrier
As I said, shipping companies are often out to make money.
This is why you’ll find rates differing significantly from one company to the next.
If you need to ship but have a limited budget, it is best to stay away from expensive freight carriers.
Just do your research on the possible carriers, compare their rates and choose the one that offers reasonable prices.
· Choose an Indirect Route
One thing that most shippers fail to remember is that direct routes often cost more.
It is just like booking a direct flight – it will cost you more than it would if you book a connecting flight.
Similar to passenger flights, the more the connecting stops in cargo flights, the cheaper the flight.
The problem with this is that it will take longer for your cargo to reach Canada which doesn’t matter, right?
What matters is that in the end, you be able to save some money.
· Choose an Open Pallet
If you choose a closed pallet, you are paying more than you would for an openpallet.
Naturally in air freight, having your closed pallet/s will provide your cargo with the greatest safety there is.
However, you pay for that.
If you want to mitigate costs, therefore, choose an open pallet – it is the cheapest option.
· Avoid Heavy Packaging
The more packaging material you use for your items, the more weight and volume you add to them.
Therefore, this will account for the total chargeable weight of your cargo.
The best thing to do in this case is to avoid using heavy packaging material.
Use lighter materials like bubble wraps whose weight is trifling.
· Book your Shipping Space in Advance
Want to save on air freight cost? Well, then this one way to do it.
Shipping companies want to fill their spaces early, and they will give massive discounts to allot those spaces.
It is critical for them to utilise the aeroplane to close to its full capacity to avoid wasted spaces.
So don’t let this pass you.
Now, it is no doubt that air freight always cost a lot, but luckily, there are ways of mitigating the costs.

What I have listed above is just some of the ways that you can lower your air freight costs.
You can learn more by talking to an expert freight forwarder and experimenting with these tips alongside others that you find.
Now, you’ve read about sea freight and air freight, but you are not sure if either of those is right for your shipping needs.
Well, you might want to consider this next option.
Chapter 6: Courier shipping from China to Canada
There are times when cargo requires more than just a basic delivery service.
If you need to ship items from China to Canada fast and economically, try using an international courier shipping service.
Courier shipping can get your packages safely from a pickup point in China to a delivery point in Canada.
Through the air, couriers companies like FedEx, DHL, UPS, and EMS can offer you fast and cost-effective delivery.

Although best recommended for smaller packages, you can still courier ship large, heavy or awkwardly shaped items.
This, however, will be very costly.
Now to benefit from this shipping option, you need to choose the right courier company.
You can look out for the following elements when choosing a company:
Professional staff
Adequate facilities
Reliable shipping schedules
Competitive rates
Knowledge of pacing and customs procedures
If you can find a company that meets these criteria, you can rest easy knowing that your package will be handled correctly
So shop around to find a company that befits your needs nicely – one that will provide you with hassle-free shipping to Canada.
Chapter 7: Shipping to Canada Amazon FBA
Amazon FBA is an excellent way to ensure that your products are sold and shipped directly to customers.
This way, you don’t have to worry about the shipping and handling procedure.
The Amazon FBA program is also beneficial if you do not have ample storage space for goods, as your products are stored on site.

Basically, with this, you can handle an increase in volume while managing your inventory and spending your time to source products.
It is a great way to reduce the competitive advantage of bigger sellers and enables you to make real income and scale your business.
Think about it.
You just need access to your products of choice, and where else than from China.
Here is the thing, most Amazon sellers source their products from China.
And as I said to you earlier, this is because products in China are cheaper, and are readily available in large volumes.
With that being said, if you are thinking of shipping products to Amazon FBA, then sourcing products from China is the best you can do.
The process of shipping from China is not as complicated as most of you imagine. Just work with an Amazon FBA shipping agent, then they will handle all things.
It is easy – learn more from this video.

You just need to do everything right, from sourcing, choosing a freight forwarder, booking shipping space etc.
For shipping from China to Amazon FBA, you can ship by the sea which is quite popular among Amazon FBA sellers.
Here, you have the option of shipping FCL or LCL depending on the volume of your goods.
For urgent deliveries, you can choose airfreight which offers pretty fast shipping from China to Amazon FBA.
The good thing with direct shipping from China to Amazon FBA is that there are no delivery delays.
This is because customs clearance processes are expedited to clear goods fast and minimise delays.
The process of shipping to Amazon FBA centres can be daunting.
However, it is easier if you hire an expert freight forwarding company.

HSD, for instance, can help ease the stresses that accompany shipping to Amazon fulfilment centres.
With HSD, you can rest easy knowing your goods will be handled and shipped safely and reliably from China.
By hiring us (HSD), you won’t even have to worry about anything.
We will ensure that your goods meet all of Amazon’s stringent quality, packaging and labelling rules.
So contact us at any time if you need help shipping products from China to Canada Amazon FBA.
Chapter 8: Shipping Options from China to Canada
Product safety is an issue that most international shippers have to deal with.
There is the issue of goods getting damaged in transit, getting stolen etc.
In this regard, I often recommend that when shipping products internationally, you use the correct mode of shipping.
There are many options that you can explore in the case of shipping from China to Canada.
Allow me to discuss some of these options briefly.
· LCL Shipping
I understand that shipping small volume items from China to Canada can be hectic.
However, it doesn’t have to be.
With LCL shipping, you can conveniently ship your cargo from China to Canada no matter how small.

You just need to find shippers headed to Canada and have them ship their cargo together with yours in one container.
· FCL Shipping
If you are lucky to be shipping a larger volume of goods, one that can fill up a standard shipping container then book FCL.
Full container load shipping gives you exclusive ownership of a container for a shipping period.

This mode of shipping helps to avoid damages and cases of stolen goods as seen with LCL shipping.
The good thing with FCL shipping is that you don’t even have to fill up a container.
You just need to be able to pay for the entire shipping space.
OOG shipping
Awkwardly shaped or oversized cargo can be a hassle to transport over long distances.
OOG shipping, therefore, provides an easier shipping solution for OOG goods such as heavy machinery, plant equipment etc.

OOG Shipping from China to Canada
It ensures the safe and reliable transportation of these items internationally.
· RoRo Shipping
RoRo is ideal when shipping wheeled cargo such as cars, trucks, buses etc.
The RoRo vessels make it easy to load and unload the cargo as it is just driven on and off the vessels as needed.

To ensure the safety of the goods when shipping, the cargo is strongly secured underdeck.
This is done to prevent the cargo from moving during transportation as this could damage other cargo on board.
· Reefer Shipping
Perishables and temperature sensitive items like medicines, fruits, vegetables and dairy products require special shipping conditions.
Reefer shipping allows you to ship such items safely from origin to destination.

However, before shipping, you need to preheat or cool the items to the required temperatures.
This will help to ensure maximum safety and durability of goods during shipping,
As from there, the reefer container will maintain that temperature throughout the shipping journey.
· Door to Door Shipping from China to Canada
The door to door shipping is an excellent alternative if you are a busy person or just don’t want to be involved in the shipping process.
With this, you need to identify a reliable supplier in China and order the goods.
After this, you’ll find a freight forwarder who will handle their delivery from China to your final destination in Canada.

The forwarder, in this case, will pick the goods from the supplier and ship them to you.
He/she will handle everything including local transportation, customs clearance, loading and offloading of the cargo.
As you can see, each of these modes of shipping is preferable for different types of cargo, product nature and shipping distance.
So choose wisely.
Chapter 9: FAQs on shipping from China to Canada
At this point, I know you have numerous burning questions that you’d like to ask.
Well, don’t worry.
In this chapter, I will try to answer some of the commonly asked questions about shipping from China to Canada.
So stay with me.
1. How long does it take to ship from China to Canada?
It takes about 5-8 weeks by sea, 3-7 days by air and less than 3 days by courier service.
Delivery time, note, will depend on the distance from origin port to destination.
The longer the distance,the longer it will take to receive the goods in Canada.
Also as you can see the means of transportation matters as well as the shipping company you use.
2. What paperwork do you need to ship from China to Canada?
Typically, you will need a bill of lading/airway bill, a commercial invoice, packing list and if required, a certificate of origin.
Also, you will need an import license if shipping a restricted item.
3. Can I track shipments from China to Canada?
Yes, you can.
4. How can I track the shipment?
Shipping companies today provide a software where users can track their shipments 24/7 via their mobile phones or PC.
You just need your bill of lading number and shipment details to be able to use the service to monitor your shipment’s progress.
5. What is a bill of lading?
A BOL is a logistics document that evidences a shipping agreement between a carrier and shipper.
It includes important information like the goods description, freight class, addresses, special shipping instruction etc.
6. Where do I get the bill of lading?
The shipping carrier will issue you or your freight forwarder with the bill of lading.
7. Do I need insurance when shipping from China to Canada?
Mostly, there is never a guarantee of safety when shipping items internationally.
Plus, where a shipping company admits liability of goods, they give very little compensation for the loss or damage of goods.
So while insurance is not mandatory, it is essential that you do get one, especially when shipping high-value goods.
8. Where do I get the best insurance cover for goods?
It depends.
Your shipping agent is best placed to advice you on the best insurance for your goods.
He/she will also link you with their trusted insurance broker who will acquire the insurance for you.
9. When booking for shipments, how much information should I give?
As much information as possible.
This will help ensure the correct booking for your shipment.
Conclusion
The bottom line to efficiently shipping from China to Canada is to do it the right way.
That is the only trick.
Doing it any other way is at best risky and at worst very costly.
Of importance is to hang on your shipping agent for guidance and assistance throughout the shipping process.
Otherwise, I believe that the information I’ve given herein will be helpful in your shipping from China to Canada quest.
If you feel that I’ve left out anything significant, please let me know in the comments section below.
Please, bookmark these two guides (they are very important when importing from China):
Incoterms 2010: The Definitive Guide
Importing from China: The Definitive Guide