Australia does not have a free Trade Agreement with Canada, so most commodities
are subject to some duties and restrictions – notably wine and spirits and foodstuffs.
Canada has a number of provinces, and there are some trade and language restrictions
from one coast to the other.
Canada is, however, a signature to NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement).
There are many trade concessions between Canada, USA and Mexico that may affect
any goods or services you want to export to Canada.
Some goods cannot cross the border from the USA, so sometimes shipping is not as
easy as first seems.
Canada has high risk controls on all imports, so it is imperative that you follow all
documentation requirements. If these documents are not in order, it is very likely that
they wont be loaded in the first place, but if they were, they certainly would NOT be
allowed entry, and all of the costs for compliance are for the account of the exporter.
Vancouver is the main gateway for cargo into Canada from across the Pacific Ocean.
Several other ports and cities across Canada are serviced for FCL (full container load)
cargoes, but LCL (less than a container load) cargo is consolidated into containers in
Australia and can be shipped to the destination by any number of routes.
There are daily flights from Australia to Canada and cargo can be sent on direct
flights at premium rates, or held for consolidation.
If you are not a regular established exporter to Canada, then you should thoroughly
check all requirements and shipping routes before proceeding.
