Importing goods to a country requires adherence to the norms of that country as well as the local norms that govern the import and export within the local region. Not only is there an enormous amount of documentation, but it also involves numerous steps, stages and requirements that must be fulfilled. This is why, a lot of people, wanting to import or export goods to and from one country to another, hire agents who help them traverse through such intricacies.
Importing goods into Canada can be quite a task, considering all the stages and requirements one has to abide by, during the customs process.
Let us, therefore, delve into how one can import commercial goods into Canada.
- Obtaining the import number
The foremost step is to get your hands on the import number other than the business number. You can find common information regarding obtaining the import number on the internet or specific government websites as well.
- Learn about the laws applicable
The next step is to understand what laws apply to the commercial goods you intend to import to Canada as you may be required to come up with licenses and permits to abide by the regulations.
- Negotiation with suppliers
Once you have shortlisted potential suppliers, it’s time to negotiate with them. For this purpose, you can ask for their catalog, price lists and so on.
- CBSA requirements
Before your commercial goods enter the borders of Canada, they’ll be subjected to a thorough inspection by the Canada Border Services Agency. The CBSA will make sure that all the requisites are fulfilled and rules and laws are abided by. These requirements are for the business as well as the commercial goods you want to import. You can also contact the CBSA for a complete list of requirements.
- Duties
If there are any import duties on the commercial products, you can determine the HS code, which is a 10-digit code that identifies your product. You can also try to find out where such products were manufactured.
- See if you need a broker
Given the complexities involved in the process, a lot of people hire agents and brokers to import their products. A customs broker, licensed by the CBSA can be quite helpful. In this regard, Clearit.ca offers help throughout the customs process, with reliability as the prime feature.
Since there are numerous aspects to importing or exporting products, you may want to hire a customs agency that can provide assistance at every stage.
