Your guide to cross-border shipping from Canada. Built from real client questions and carrier conversations.
Important Disclaimer
Part n Parcel is a shipping optimization brokerage, not a customs brokerage, licensed customs broker, or legal advisor. This guide is based on our experience working with Canadian e-commerce businesses shipping to the U.S. and reflects our current understanding of carrier processes and customs requirements. Regulations, tariffs, and carrier practices change without notice. For anything specific to your products, HS codes, duty rates, or customs classifications, work directly with your carrier's brokerage team or a licensed customs broker.
Why has everything changed?
The U.S. eliminated the de minimis exemption, which used to let shipments under $800 USD skip formal customs clearance. Now every single shipment crossing the border needs full customs documentation, regardless of value. That means paperwork, duties, and brokerage fees that didn't exist before.
On top of that, tariff rates on Canadian goods continue to shift as US trade policy evolves. CUSMA-qualifying goods remain exempt from these tariffs at 0% duty, but non-CUSMA goods face significant tariff rates that change with new legislation. The bottom line: getting your CUSMA certificate in order is more important than ever.
For the latest on current tariff rates and what's changed, visit our blog at partnparcel.com, which we keep updated as regulations change.
How can we help?
Pick whichever fits where you are right now.
Walk me through everything
Step-by-step guide covering product type, carrier selection, duties, costs, paperwork, and setup checklists. About 5 minutes.
Start the guide →
Just give me contacts and resources
UPS and FedEx brokerage contacts, support numbers, rate discounts, key links, and what to do if something goes wrong.
CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement) lets Canadian-made goods enter the US at 0% duty. But it only works if your carrier's brokerage team has a valid Certificate of Origin on file. Without it, US Customs charges full duty rates on every shipment, even though your goods qualify for zero.
How to do it: Download a fillable CUSMA certificate from your carrier (UPS fillable form | FedEx fillable form), then contact your carrier's brokerage team (listed below) to help you complete it. They do this every day and will walk you through the fields. Once it's filled out, submit it to them and ask about a blanket certificate, which covers all shipments of the same goods for up to 12 months.
Upload customs documents proactively. Halfway down the page, click the yellow "Upload Documents" button. Select "One Time NAFTA/CO" as the document type (that's UPS's label for CUSMA/USMCA certificates).
Published rates for entry preparation, disbursement, and other clearance services.
Your Discounts
Part n Parcel UPS Brokerage Discounts
Fee Type
Export to USA
Import to Canada
Entry Preparation
✓ Discounted (Ground only. All Air/Express is FREE)
Standard rates
Disbursement Fees
✓ Discounted
✓ Discounted
Additional Tariff Lines
✓ Discounted
✓ Discounted
FDA Clearance Fees
✓ Discounted
Standard rates
These discounts are applied automatically through your Part n Parcel account.
UPS Express includes brokerage
Just like FedEx Express, UPS Express Air services include brokerage in the shipping rate. No separate brokerage charge. The discounts above on entry preparation only apply to UPS Ground, since Air/Express entry prep is already free.
Uploading documents to UPS
Use the International Forms & Certificates page to upload your CUSMA certificate and other customs paperwork electronically. Click the yellow "Upload Documents" button and select "One Time NAFTA/CO" for CUSMA certificates. You can also email certificates directly to usmca@ups.com.
FedEx
FedEx Logistics (Trade Networks) - US Customer Service
Published rates for entry preparation, disbursement, and other clearance services.
Your Discounts
FedEx Brokerage Discounts
FedEx Ground already includes brokerage in the shipping process at their published broker-inclusive rates. These rates are already competitive for standard e-commerce volumes.
For high-volume shippers (500+ customs entries per year), FedEx offers additional brokerage discounts through a separate intake and approval process. Contact FedEx US Customer Service to discuss:
Each company is approved individually. Your Part n Parcel account manager can help walk you through the process and determine if your volume qualifies.
FedEx Express includes brokerage
FedEx Express shipping rates already include brokerage. No separate brokerage fee on your invoice. FedEx Ground charges brokerage separately. FedEx also requires a credit application as part of the brokerage setup (UPS does not).
Uploading documents to FedExBefore shipping (proactive): Use the Electronic Trade Documents portal to upload customs paperwork in advance. This attaches documents to the shipment electronically so they're ready when the package arrives at customs.
After shipping (reactive): If a customs case is already open and documents are needed, email them to paperwork@fedex.com. This only works once FedEx has the package and a case number is generated. You can also use the Electronic Trade Documents portal as a backup if pouch-attached documents aren't getting scanned.
Using a different platform?
If you use Shopify Shipping or another shipping tool, contact their support team for help with customs fields and DDP/DDU configuration. The same customs information is required regardless of platform.
Something went wrong?
Shipments get held, duties get overcharged, paperwork gets lost. Here's who to call depending on the problem. Not sure which carrier? Check the tracking number on your label. UPS tracking starts with "1Z". FedEx tracking is 12 to 14 digits.
Shipment held at customs or missing paperwork
Contact your carrier's brokerage team. They handle customs clearance and can tell you exactly what's missing.
Carrier rate questions, carrier recommendations, account optimization, and anything not covered here. We're your first call.
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What are you shipping?
This helps us flag any extra requirements. Some products (like food or skincare) need additional government filings before they can enter the US.
Heads up: FDA requirements
Your product type may require extra steps before shipping.
Choose your carrier
Both UPS and FedEx can clear your goods through US Customs. Here's how they compare for cross-border shipping.
UPS
FedEx
Brokerage included?
Express: Yes, included in shipping rate. Ground: No, charged separately.
Express: Yes, included in shipping rate. Ground: No, charged separately.
Best for
Heavier shipments, consistent volume
Time-sensitive, lighter parcels
Brokerage arm
UPS Supply Chain Solutions
FedEx Logistics (FedEx Trade Networks)
Setup needed
Brokerage account + Power of Attorney (POA)
Brokerage account + Power of Attorney (POA) + credit application
What is a Power of Attorney (POA)?
A POA is a form you sign that gives your carrier's brokerage team legal permission to clear your goods through US Customs on your behalf. Without it, they can't act as your customs broker. Both UPS and FedEx require one.
FedEx requires a credit application
In addition to the POA, FedEx requires you to complete a credit application as part of brokerage setup. This allows them to advance duty and tax payments on your behalf and bill you after. UPS does not require this step.
Who pays the duties?
This is the single biggest decision you'll make for cross-border shipping. It affects your customer experience, your costs, and your risk.
DDPRecommended
Delivered Duty Paid
You (the shipper) pay all duties, taxes, and brokerage fees upfront. Your US customer sees zero extra charges at delivery. Clean checkout experience.
DDUUse with caution
Delivered Duty Unpaid
Your US customer gets billed for duties and taxes on delivery. Many customers refuse to pay, and when they do, those charges come back to you.
Know The Risk
DDU charges come back to you
When a US customer doesn't pay the duties, the carrier bills it back to the shipper (your company). As the account holder, you are legally responsible for unpaid customs charges. We've seen clients get hit with thousands in unexpected rebilling because of this.
Our Pick
Ship DDP
You'll need to account for duty and brokerage costs in your US pricing strategy. Your customers get a clean checkout with no surprises, and you avoid the risk of chargebacks and unpaid duties landing on your account. Talk to your Part n Parcel account manager about how to approach this for your business.
Three types of costs
Every cross-border shipment to the US can have up to three layers of cost on top of your shipping rate. Here's what they are and where they come from.
Duties
Government charge based on product type
Taxes
US state/local sales tax
Brokerage
Fee for clearing customs
Duties
Set by US Customs based on what the product is (determined by its HS code, which is a standardized product classification number). Canadian-made goods can qualify for 0% duty under the CUSMA trade agreement, but only if a Certificate of Origin is on file with your carrier's brokerage team. Without it, full duty rates apply.
Taxes
US state and local sales tax. This varies by which state the package is going to. It's separate from duties and applies to most goods. You don't control this rate.
Need exact rates?
Check your carrier's published rate card or contact their brokerage team directly. Your Part n Parcel discounts are applied on top of the published rates.
Your cross-border checklist
Here's everything you need based on your selections.
Start Here
Get your CUSMA certificate on file
This is the single most important step. Without a valid CUSMA/USMCA Certificate of Origin on file with your carrier's brokerage team, US Customs will charge full duty rates on your goods, even if they're 100% Canadian-made and qualify for 0% duty.
Download a fillable CUSMA certificate
Your carrier has a ready-to-fill PDF you can download and complete. Their brokerage team will help you fill it out — they do this every day and know exactly what goes in each field.
✓ Download the fillable CUSMA/USMCA Certificate of Origin from your carrier (links above)
✓ Contact your carrier's brokerage team to help you fill it out (they'll walk you through it)
✓ Submit the completed certificate to your carrier's brokerage team (they apply it automatically to future shipments)
✓ Ask about a blanket certificate, which covers all shipments of the same goods for up to 12 months (instead of filing per shipment)
✓ Check with your carrier about renewal requirements (certificates can expire or need updating when product details change)
Real Example
What happens without this
A Part n Parcel client shipped to the US without a completed certificate. US Customs couldn't confirm Canadian origin, assigned an unknown country code, and charged full duty rates on every shipment. The certificate was blank. That was the entire problem.
2. Set up brokerage
3. FDA requirements
Your products require FDA compliance
Food, beverages, dietary supplements, and certain cosmetics have FDA requirements including facility registration and Prior Notice filings. These requirements are product-specific and the process has several steps that need to be done correctly.
What to do
Contact your carrier's brokerage team to discuss the specific FDA requirements for your product type. They handle this regularly and will walk you through what's needed. Your Part n Parcel account manager can also help connect you with the right contacts.
FDA clearance fee
Carriers charge a clearance fee per shipment to present FDA-regulated goods to the FDA. Fees vary by carrier and service type. Check your carrier's published brokerage rate card for current pricing: UPS rate card | FedEx rate card. UPS FDA clearance fees are discounted through your Part n Parcel account.
Don't Skip This
Shipments can be returned without proper FDA documentation
If your FDA paperwork isn't in order, carriers can and will return your shipments. This has happened to Part n Parcel clients shipping food products. The carrier can't clear FDA-regulated goods without the right filings, and the result is returned packages, wasted shipping costs, and unhappy customers. Get your FDA requirements sorted with your carrier's brokerage team before your first shipment.
3. Shipping platform setup
When creating a US-bound shipment in your shipping platform (ShipStation, Shopify Shipping, or whichever tool you use), you need to fill in the customs section. The field names may vary slightly, but every platform asks for the same core information:
✓Description of goods: Plain English, be specific (e.g., "men's 100% cotton t-shirt, size L" not just "clothing")
✓HS Code: A standardized product classification number that US Customs uses to determine your duty rate. Every product has one. Ask your carrier's brokerage team to help you find yours, or look it up yourself at hts.usitc.gov.
✓Country of Origin: CA (Canada). This must match what's on your CUSMA certificate.
✓Declared value: Per item, in the currency shown. Must match your commercial invoice.
✓Incoterm (shipping terms): This setting controls who pays duties and taxes. "Incoterm" is just the industry word for shipping terms. You have two options: DDP (you pay all duties and taxes, your customer sees no extra charges) or DDU (your customer pays duties on delivery). We recommend DDP.
Double Check This
DDP vs DDU: get this right
The incoterm setting in your shipping platform controls who gets billed for duties. If you intend to ship DDP but the setting says DDU, your customer gets a surprise bill at delivery. If they refuse to pay, those charges come back to you. We've seen clients get billed thousands because of a checkbox misconfiguration. Double-check this on every shipment, especially if you're switching from DDU to DDP.
Need help with your shipping platform?
Contact your platform's support team for help with customs tab setup and DDP/DDU configuration. For questions about HS Codes or what to declare, contact your carrier's brokerage team instead. If you use ShipStation: 1-512-975-3001 or support@shipstation.com.
4. Paperwork for every shipment
✓Commercial invoice: Product description, quantity, value, HS Code, country of origin. This is the core document customs reviews.
✓CUSMA Certificate of Origin: On file with your carrier's brokerage team (not attached to every shipment, just on file).
✓Shipping label: Accurate sender and recipient details, matching the commercial invoice.
✓FDA Prior Notice confirmation number: Must be on the commercial invoice for every FDA-regulated shipment.
5. Who to call
6. Common mistakes to avoid
!No CUSMA Certificate on file: You'll be charged full duties on goods that should clear at 0%. This is the number one mistake we see.
!Country of Origin left blank: Customs assigns an unknown country code and applies maximum duty rates automatically.
!Shipping DDU without understanding the risk: Unpaid duties get billed back to you as the shipper. Your customer walks away, you pay.
!Declared value doesn't match invoice: Triggers customs holds, delays, and potential penalties.
!HS Code missing or wrong: Wrong product classification means wrong duty rate. Get this right the first time.
!No FDA Prior Notice filed: Shipment gets held at the border, plus clearance fees and delays.
!DDP/DDU misconfigured in your shipping platform: One wrong checkbox means your customer gets billed when you intended to pay, or vice versa. Verify the incoterm on every shipment.
7. If you get charged incorrectly
Incorrect duty or tariff charges happen more often than they should. Here's where to go:
Keep your documentation
When disputing charges, you'll need your commercial invoice, CUSMA certificate, and the carrier's invoice showing the charges in question. The more documentation you have, the faster the resolution.
Reminder
Part n Parcel is a shipping optimization brokerage. We are not a customs brokerage, licensed customs broker, or legal advisor. Regulations, tariffs, and carrier practices change without notice. For anything specific to your products, classifications, or regulatory requirements, work directly with your carrier's brokerage team or a licensed customs broker. Questions? Email us at hello@partnparcel.com.
