Export · USA 🇺🇸
Exporting from Canada to the USA
The United States takes the large majority of Canadian exports, governed by CUSMA. You handle the Canadian export side; clearance happens on the U.S. side through a U.S. importer of record or broker.
How exporting to the USA works
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1 · Confirm your goods can leave Canada
Most goods can be exported freely, but first check that your goods are not on the Export Control List and do not need an export permit under the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA) — controlled goods, certain technologies, and certain destinations require one. Permits can take weeks, so check early.
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2 · Register if export reporting applies
Get a Business Number (BN) with an import/export (RM) account if you need to report exports. Most goods exported to the USA for U.S. consumption are exempt from Canadian export reporting (CERS). But permit-controlled goods always require a declaration regardless of destination or value, and goods bound for non-U.S. destinations must be reported when valued at CAD $2,000 or more per shipment.
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3 · Classify and check U.S. import requirements
Classify your goods and confirm how the U.S. treats them — the U.S. HTS classification, U.S. duty rates, and any U.S. agency requirements. Because clearance happens on the U.S. side, U.S. rules govern what your buyer or their broker will face (including filings like the Importer Security Filing for ocean freight).
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4 · Establish CUSMA origin (if it qualifies)
If your goods meet CUSMA rules of origin, they can enter the U.S. duty-free. Those rules are product-specific (a tariff shift, a regional-value-content test, or both) — being made in Canada is not enough on its own. There's no prescribed form: you provide a certification of origin with the 9 required data elements (for example, on the commercial invoice), and one certification can cover multiple shipments for up to 12 months.
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5 · Prepare documents, arrange U.S. clearance, keep records
Prepare the commercial documents — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading — and arrange the U.S. importer of record or a U.S. customs broker to clear the goods into the United States. Keep your general export records for six years; if you issued a CUSMA certification of origin, keep its supporting records for five years from the date of the certification.
Exporter FAQ
Do I need to report my export?
Usually not for goods sold to the U.S. for U.S. consumption (exempt from CERS). You must report if the goods require an export permit, or for non-U.S. destinations valued at CAD $2,000 or more.
Who clears the goods into the U.S.?
A U.S. importer of record or U.S. customs broker, on the U.S. side. As the Canadian exporter you handle the Canadian export side and provide the documents.
What is CUSMA and do my goods qualify?
CUSMA is the Canada–US–Mexico trade agreement. If your goods meet its product-specific rules of origin, they enter the U.S. duty-free — you certify origin with the 9 required data elements (no official form is needed).
Do I need an export permit?
Only if your goods are on the Export Control List or destined for a controlled country. Most commercial goods bound for the U.S. don't, but check before you ship — permits can take weeks.
Your export checklist (Canada → USA)
Got the process? Here's the same path as a checklist you can work through — and email to yourself.
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Indicative guidance only, as of June 2026 — not legal advice. Confirm specifics with a licensed customs broker.