Pennsylvania to Toronto trucking
A full truck or a few pallets to Toronto or anywhere in Ontario, customs clearance included.
- One request for transport and customs
- Answer usually within 1 business day
- Free, no commitment
Customs rules change — confirm with the official sources on this page or with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
This lane at a glance
Period: October 2025 to September 2026 (12 months), compared with the 12 months before.
In short. Goods from Pennsylvania cleared in Ontario (excluding works of art): CAD 10.2 billion in the 12 months to September 2026 (-2.8% on the year before). Largest group: Base metals: steel, aluminum and others, 17.0%. Usual crossing: Peace Bridge. Pittsburgh–Toronto: about 500 km. Statistics Canada figures; page checked November 11, 2026.
- Philadelphia
- I-476 · I-81 · I-90
- Peace Bridge
- Toronto
- Goods from Pennsylvania cleared in Ontario (excluding works of art)
- CAD 10.2 billion-2.8% vs. the 12 months before
- Goods from Ontario going to Pennsylvania (excluding works of art)
- CAD 8.8 billion+3.6% vs. the 12 months before
Top goods cleared into Ontario
- Base metals: steel, aluminum and others17.0%
- Machinery and electrical equipment15.6%
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals13.1%
- Food, beverages and tobacco11.2%
- Mineral products, including fuels8.8%
Base metals such as steel and aluminum lead what Pennsylvania ships to Ontario, ahead of machinery, chemicals and food. Steel and aluminum can owe Canada's surtaxes and food needs a CFIA licence, so check those goods before they are loaded: see steel and aluminum and food.
- Usual border crossings
- Peace Bridge (Buffalo–Fort Erie)
- Lewiston–Queenston Bridge
- Thousand Islands Bridge (Alexandria Bay–Lansdowne)
- Typical road distance
- Pittsburgh–Toronto: about 500 km
- Philadelphia–Toronto: about 800 km
- Main highways
- From Pittsburgh: I-79 to Erie, then I-90 to Buffalo. From Philadelphia: I-476 and I-81 north, to Buffalo or the Thousand Islands.
- Typical transit time
- Usually 1 to 2 business days for a full truck, plus customs. A typical time, not a guarantee.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 12-10-0099-01, customs basis, in Canadian dollars. Figures and shares exclude works of art and antiques (HS section XXI). See the table
How a Pennsylvania-to-Ontario truck shipment works
Describe the shipment
Tell us the pickup city in Pennsylvania, the delivery address in Ontario, what the goods are and roughly how many pallets. If they are steel, aluminum or food, say so: those goods carry extra checks.
Pickup in Pennsylvania
Your supplier prepares the commercial invoice and, if the goods qualify under CUSMA, a certification of origin. The carrier picks up in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or elsewhere in the state and heads north.
Customs filed before the border
Before the truck reaches the border, the carrier sends its ACI eManifest to the CBSA, at least one hour before arrival (30 minutes for a FAST carrier), and your customs broker sends the release request, linked to the carrier's cargo control number.
At the border
The driver reports at the Peace Bridge, Lewiston–Queenston or the Thousand Islands Bridge, and the CBSA officer releases the goods or refers them for an examination. Then the truck continues to your address in Ontario.
Duties and final accounting
Your broker then files the final accounting in CARM, within 5 business days of release in most cases, and you pay the duties and taxes by the due date on your statement. With RPP security, the goods are released before you pay.
What the price depends on
A Pennsylvania-to-Ontario truck is quoted shipment by shipment: Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are very different distances from the border, and rates move with fuel and how much trailer space carriers have that week. Ask for a quote that keeps the freight, the customs brokerage fee, and the duties and taxes apart.
- Pickup point: western or eastern Pennsylvania
- Delivery point in Ontario
- Full truckload or shared LTL space
- Weight, pallet count and dimensions
- Heavy or long loads, such as steel
- Fuel surcharge
- Customs brokerage, billed separately
- Duties, taxes and any surtax, owed to the CBSA
Popular lanes into Ontario
Popular lanes from Quebec to the U.S.
Pennsylvania to Ontario: questions
Which border crossing does a truck from Pennsylvania use?
From Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania, trucks usually take I-79 to Erie and I-90 to Buffalo, then cross at the Peace Bridge or the Lewiston–Queenston Bridge. From Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania, I-81 north leads either to Buffalo or to the Thousand Islands Bridge for eastern Ontario. The customs release works the same way at each crossing.
How long from Philadelphia or Pittsburgh to Toronto?
Typically 1 to 2 business days for a full truck, plus customs. Pittsburgh is about 500 km from Toronto and Philadelphia about 800 km, so the western run is shorter. LTL takes longer because the pallets go through the carrier's terminals. Our partner gives you an estimate for your pickup point with the quote.
Does steel from Pennsylvania owe a surtax in Canada?
It can. Some U.S. steel and aluminum goods owe Canada's counter-surtaxes on top of any duty, depending on their tariff classification, and the CBSA lists the goods in its customs notices. Check before you order: see importing steel and aluminum and U.S. surtax remission.
Food from Pennsylvania: are there extra rules?
Yes. Food imported for sale also falls under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: in most cases the importer needs a Safe Food for Canadians licence before the shipment reaches the border. See importing food for the steps.
Do goods from Pennsylvania come in duty-free?
Only goods that qualify as originating under CUSMA's rules of origin, and only if you claim it: being shipped from Pennsylvania is not enough. You need a certification of origin, completed by the exporter, the producer or you as the importer, and GST applies either way. Some U.S. goods can also owe Canada's counter-surtaxes; see U.S. surtax remission and proving origin.
Who does what at the border?
The carrier transmits the ACI eManifest (cargo, truck and driver). The customs broker sends the release request and, after release, the final accounting. The importer of record, usually your business, owes the duties and taxes and needs a business number with an RM import/export account. Your supplier provides the commercial invoice.
- Sources:
- Table 12-10-0099-01: Merchandise imports and exports, customs-based, by HS section, provinces and U.S. states (Statistics Canada)
- Border wait times: United States to Canada, busiest land crossings (CBSA)
- Memorandum D3-4-2: Highway Pre-arrival and Reporting Requirements (CBSA)
- Memorandum D17-1-4: Release of Commercial Goods (CBSA)
- Memorandum D17-1-8: Release Prior to Payment Privilege (CBSA)
- Memorandum D17-1-5: Accounting for Commercial Goods (CBSA)
- Memorandum D11-4-2: Proof of Origin of Imported Goods (CBSA)
- Customs Notice 26-23: United States Surtax Order (2026) (CBSA)
- Importing food to Canada: a step-by-step guide (CFIA)
Ready to move your freight?
One request covers the truck and the customs clearance. We usually reply within 1 business day.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Importing
The whole path to importing commercial goods into Canada, in order.
Read →Importing steel and aluminum
Anti-dumping duty, Item 82 permits and surtaxes on steel and aluminum.
Read →Importing food
The CFIA licence and plan you need before food reaches the border.
Read →Duty recovery review
A free review of 12 months of entries to find duty you can still get back.
Read →