Shipping to Canada in 2026: A Guide for Business

Key Takeaways

• Canada is a $68 billion consumer goods e-commerce market growing 13.9% year-on-year, with 30.8 million online shoppers.
• CETA and the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement remove tariffs on qualifying goods when a valid statement on origin is included.
• The courier de minimis sits at CAD 20 for most origins, with the Low Value Shipment stream covering consignments up to CAD 3,300.
• Non-resident importers must complete CARM registration, post financial security, and work with a Canadian customs broker.

Where Canadian Spending Lands

Canada is a leading e-commerce market in North America, with 30.8 million online shoppers projected to spend $68 billion in 2025, according to DataReportal's Digital 2026 Canada report. The market is expanding 13.9% year-on-year, with the highest activity in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta. Fashion leads category spend at $22.5 billion, followed by DIY and hardware at $8.28 billion, furniture at $8.07 billion, and electronics at $6.70 billion.

Free delivery drives 65.9% of purchase decisions, coupons 47.5%, easy returns 43.5%, and loyalty points 42.9%. Cards take 57% of payment value, mobile wallets 31%, A2A 6%, and BNPL 5%. Roughly 83% of Canadians carry a credit card, and Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal are now baseline checkout options. But conversion is decided long before checkout. Customs handling, duty treatment, and the last mile are what move the numbers.

Shipping to Canada From the EU

EU exporters benefit from the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which removes most tariffs on qualifying goods. To claim preferential treatment, add a statement on origin to the commercial invoice and confirm the product meets the rules of origin for its tariff heading. Keep supporting origin documentation on file, as CBSA can request it during a post-clearance audit.

Every shipment needs four things:

• A detailed commercial invoice with goods descriptions, HS codes, country of origin, and the statement on origin for CETA.
• An EU EORI number for the export side.
• A Canadian business number for commercial consignments where your company is the importer of record.
• A packing list that matches the invoice line by line.

Non-resident importers must register in CARM, Canada's customs system of record. CARM requires commercial importers to register in the Client Portal, delegate authority to their customs broker, and post their own financial security to obtain Release Prior to Payment privileges. Our registration guide for non-resident importers walks through the specific steps.

Canada's de minimis for courier shipments from the EU is CAD 20, so duties and taxes apply to almost every commercial parcel. The Low Value Shipment stream covers consignments up to CAD 3,300 and offers simplified release and accounting with CBSA, the standard route for most cross-border e-commerce.

Shipping to Canada From the UK

Post-Brexit, UK exporters operate under the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement, which largely mirrors CETA and preserves tariff preferences for qualifying goods. The documentation logic matches the EU approach, with a GB EORI number replacing the EU equivalent and a statement on origin on the commercial invoice.

UK sellers remain subject to the CAD 20 de minimis, and GST, HST, or PST are applied at the border for most consumer shipments. Federal GST is 5%. Ontario applies a combined 13% HST, and most Atlantic provinces 15% (Nova Scotia dropped to 14% in April 2025). British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba run a separate PST on top of GST. Quebec applies QST in parallel with GST. Tracked shipping with upfront duty billing under DDP is the most effective way to deliver a clean customer experience on higher-value orders.

Airfreight is the primary method for most e-commerce flows, with Toronto Pearson, Montreal, and Vancouver handling the majority of inbound traffic before it is distributed to regional sortation centers.

Delivery, Language, and Customer Expectations

Landmark Global partners with Apple Express, our in-house last-mile carrier for Canada domestic shipping, serving approximately 60% of the Canadian population from its Toronto hub. Integration between customs clearance and delivery removes the standard hand-off gap between broker and carrier, supporting consistent delivery within three to six days from origin.

Remote delivery in Northern Ontario, the Prairies, Atlantic Canada, and the territories relies on partner carriers beyond the core network. Service days and surcharges vary meaningfully outside the major metros, and a realistic service map at checkout helps prevent refund disputes after delivery.

Bilingual product information is mandatory for many categories under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. French descriptions, shipping notifications, and post-sale support for Quebec customers also lift conversion well beyond the strict legal minimum. A French-language checkout reads as local to a Quebec buyer. An English-only one feels like a US site that hasn't bothered to localize, and the conversion difference shows up in the data.

Send Your Parcels to Canada With a Specialist Partner

Landmark Global combines CARM-ready importer services, customs expertise, and Apple Express last-mile coverage to deliver parcels across Canada, reaching both urban centers and remote areas.

Book a 30-minute Canada lane review to map your duty strategy, CARM registration path, and provincial tax setup against your product mix and volumes.