Canada has always been an ideal country where businesses want to ship their goods. This is because it is very easy to trade with them, and no matter how complicated the rules are, once you get a hold of it, things seem to start getting easier. The U.S. Trade Representation has stated some important facts regarding this:
- Canada was the largest goods export market of the United States in 2018
- The U.S. exports of goods to Canada were $298.7 billion the same year
- According to the Department of Commerce, the export services of goods to Canada supported about 1.6 million jobs in 2015
Exporters always like dealing with Canada because of their fairly simple processes. The distance is not large, and the language is not a barrier. The shipments to Canada also do not require any filing through the electronic export information or EEI through the AESDirect platform. However, there are a few important documents that need to be present while carrying this process out. One of these is the Canada Customs Invoice or CCI.
What is it?
According to the CBSA, the Canada Customs Invoice is a special type of invoice which has incorporation of more data elements in it. This information is not readily available in the commercial invoice. This is required for the shipments coming from the U.S. under the following situations:
- The commercial shipment is valued at over $2500 CAD.
- The shipment is not classified under HTUSA Chapter 9810.
- There is a chance that the shipment will be subjected to duties and sales taxes.
The CCI can be easily filed by the importer, the exporter, or any agent that they have hired. All information needs to be provided here and needs to be accurate.
What happens if the CCI is not used?
If you are required to use the CCI, and in case you are not using it or if the form that you have filed is incomplete or inaccurate in any sense, you will face a delay in your shipment. This might happen at the border or the customs clearance, and it will ultimately lead to failure in delivering the package.
The CCI requirements
The CCI must have the following information:
- The exporter as a transferor
- The purchaser as a transferee
- The vendor as the original vendor
With these guidelines, import to Canada will get easier for you.
