Shipping from China to Canada

Chinese exports to Canada have been increasing every year. Many physical and ecommerce businesses are shipping from China to Canada. Main products include vehicles, furniture items, steel, iron, lightning signs and some food items.

If you also want to ship goods from China to Canada, continue reading this helpful guide. You will know everything like documents, costs, time, shipping options, seaports, airports and steps to import from China to Canada.

Process of Shipping From China To Canada

You can follow the steps given below to ship your products to Canada from China. 

1. Find a Trusted Supplier in China

For the supply of your products in Canada, you need to find a reliable supplier in China. You can find various suppliers on Alibaba or Aliexpress. They will provide business-to-business or business-to-customer services. In order to find a good one, you have to negotiate with various suppliers and order sample pieces from 4-5 of them. 

After thoroughly checking the sample and if it satisfies you then go for it. Now you can order your product in bulk quantities to any Canadian location.

2. Find Your Chinese Shipping Agent

The first and foremost thing to consider to export goods is an experienced freight forwarder. In China, you will find various shipping agents but not all are good for your business. The main thing you should keep in mind is their credibility and experience. 

So, if you find one, he will do the process of shipping to Canada quickly. He will handle your goods at the exporting site in China. He will guide you about the packaging and labeling standards. Moreover, a freight forwarder will also handle every hurdle that happens during the shipping from China to Canada.

3. Warehousing, Loading, & Unloading

A freight forwarder like Bansar also provides you with a free warehousing facility. Before transporting your goods to Canada, a space is required for storing goods. After that, your agent also offers packaging and labeling services if you need them. 

Then they will load your goods on the Chinese ship or plane. When your cargo reaches Canada, they will also unload it from the vessel.

4. Understand Shipping Charges

In the shipping process, dealing with customs is an important step. You can’t do exports and imports without their permission. So, at the exporting site in China, you need to pay customs duties which is 4% of your goods transport charges. Other fees included in your shipping charges include:

• Goods and Services Tax (5%)
• Value Added Tax (VAT) 
• Port handling fees
• Fuel Surcharge
• Goods insurance fees

You also have to pay customs duties at the importing site of Canada. Otherwise, you will not be able to receive your goods there. These authorities also require some documents. These include:

• Packing List: It enlists all the information related to your goods.
• Cargo Declaration Form: It includes the documents that declare the import from  China to Canada.
• Airway Bill or Bill of Lading: It is the receipt of shipping goods from China to Canada. 
• Commercial Invoice: It has the details about the value of goods being shipped.
• Certificate of Origin: It certifies that the goods are from China.
• Import License: It is usually required in Canada for the import of some restricted items. The importers of items related to medicine, food, and weapons have to submit this license to import these goods from China.

Shipping Methods For Importing From China To Canada

Below are the shipping means to import your goods to Canada from China.

1. Ocean Shipping – Economical Way

It is the most budget-friendly option for shipping your goods to Canada from Chinese cities. If you don’t have an emergency to receive your goods then you can opt for it. Sea freight is usually for large and heavy shipments. So, if your shipment is of this type and you can wait for 14 to 30 days, ocean shipping is best for you.

There are two types of ocean freight; Less than Container Load (LCL) and Full Container Load (FCL). In LCL, your goods are placed in containers with other people’s goods. However, in FCL, your whole cargo is packed in one container. There is no space for other people’s cargo. Therefore, FCL costs more than LCL.

2. Air Freight – Expensive Option

Air freight is usually for lighter shipments to transport to Canada from China. It is costly due to its speed and efficiency. If your product is fragile, perishable, time-sensitive, or temperature-dependent, air shipping is an ideal way for you.

In this process, your products are first transported from a Chinese manufacturer factory to an airport in China and then they are sent to your desired city in Canada through a plane. You can finally receive your air cargo from the Canadian airport.

3. Express Shipping – Fastest Method

Express shipping is still expensive but the quickest means to import from China to Canada. It takes 1 to 2 days to get your product in your hands. There are many courier service providers for express delivery. The following are some of these:

• UPS
• Canada Post
• Purolator
• DHL
• Canpar Express
• FedEx
• USPS

You can get the following services:

1. Port to Port: Your goods are carried from a Chinese port and dropped off at a Canadian port. 
2. Port-to-Door: The cargo is picked up from the port of China and put down at your chosen Canadian location.
3. Door-to-Port: Your cargo is taken from your door in China and delivered to the port of Canada.
4. Door-to-Door: Your consignment is picked up from your given Chinese location and dropped off at your selected point in any city of Canada.

Shipping Cost & Time From China To Canada

The shipping cost and time are different for different methods of shipping. The following is the general estimate of time and cost for shipping from China to Canada.

The cost depends on the distance between the ports of China and Canada. Moreover, some products need great attention due to their delicate nature. So, the freight charges may increase due to an increase in handling fees for them.

The transit time depends on port congestion, weather, and the efficiency of your logistic partner. Sometimes Canadian and Chinese custom departments also cause delays in your shipment.

If you choose us to ship your products from China to Canada, you can expect to receive your cargo in Canadian cities as per the following timeline.

What is a Harmonized System Of Codes?

It is the system of categorizing goods based on their value. The customs in China and Canada will decide their tax according to the value of goods. The HS codes help them in this matter. A code is given to each type of item to assist in calculating the tax. 

For example, the code for furniture is 9403.60, 8504.40 for electronics, and 1006.30 for food items, etc. The following are the applied customs duties for some types of goods. 

1. The VAT rate for garments is 5% and the duty charge for them is 18%.
2. For food products, the duty rate is 15% and VAT is 5%.
3. In the case of electronics, VAT is 5% and the duty fee is zero. 
4. The duty charge for furniture is 9.5% and the VAT rate is 5%.

Best Shipping Routes From China To Canada

China has various routes to Canada for shipping purposes. Sometimes, shipping occurs by ocean, and sometimes by air. For the sea, the route depends on the origin and destination ports. And for air, the length of the path depends on the airports of both countries used for shipping.

Seaports Of China

The ports of China used for shipping towards Canada are:

• The Port of Shanghai is the major port of China. It is a deep port with a handling capacity of 514 million tons of cargo. 
• The Port of Shenzhen is the busiest container seaport in the country. It is formed by the collection of a number of small ports in that region.
• The Port of Ningbo can accommodate 888.96 million tons of goods annually. It is present at the shore of the East China Sea.

Some other ports include:

• Port of Qingdao
• Port of Tianjin
• Port of Xiamen

Seaports Of Canada 

The Canadian ports used for importing goods from China are:

• Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada covering 17,000 ha area. It can handle 141 million metric tons of goods.
• The Port of Montreal is mostly used as a transshipment facility. It deals with 36 million metric tons of goods every year.
• Port of Toronto covers 21 hectares area. It has seven berths that can handle 2.1 million tons of goods.

The other major ports include:

• Port of Prince Rupert
• Port of Halifax
• Port of Quebec

Airports of China

These are the airports of China from where export for Canada takes place:

• Guangzhou Baiyun Airport 
• Beijing International Airport 
• Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport 
• Hong Kong International Airport 
• Shanghai International Airport

Airports of Canada

The following airports in Canada are used for importing cargo from China:

• Lester B. Pearson International Airport
• Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (Montreal)
• Edmonton International Airport
• Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
• Calgary International Airport
• Stanfield International Airport (Halifax)
• Vancouver International Airport
• James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (Winnipeg )
• Quebec Jean Lesage International Airport

Restricted Items To Ship From China To Canada

The following items are not allowed to be imported to Canada from China.

• Live animals, their body parts, organs, skin, and their dead bodies.
• Bullions
• Explosive materials like firearms, gunpowder, ammunition, flares, etc.
• Weapons
• Drugs like tobacco, Marijuana, Narcotics, etc.
• Poisonous substances
• Human remains and organs
• Currency
• Corrosive substances like oxidizing substances.
• Radioactive materials
• Precious metals like gold and diamond
• Alcoholic beverages
• Plants, flowers, and certain seeds
• Perfumes
• Lithium batteries
• Aerosol spray 

Alibaba & Amazon FBA Shipping From China To Canada

As we have mentioned earlier, you can find a Chinese manufacturer of your products from Alibaba. Basically, Alibaba is a platform that links buyers or businesses to manufacturers. They also ship from China to Canada. So, place your order there for bulk products and they will deliver your shipment to your specified city in Canada.

Amazon FBA is known as fulfillment by Amazon. In this e-commerce model, your role is to deliver your products to the warehouse of Amazon in Canada. You can direct Alibaba suppliers to ship your goods directly to the Amazon FBA warehouse. After that, all the supply chain management is done by Amazon.

They will store your items, pack them, and deliver them to your Canadian citizens. This will make your business more simple yet efficient.

Conclusion

Bansarship is a reputable freight forwarder with over 12 years of experience in transporting goods from China to all corners of the planet. 

We can help you ship your products from China to Canada whether you want to import to Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or any other Canadian city. Let’s talk now for the best quote and service!