Quebec to New York trucking
A full truck or a few pallets from Quebec to New York, U.S. 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 Quebec going to New York (excluding works of art and energy products): CAD 5.1 billion in the 12 months to September 2026 (-36.7% on the year before). Largest group: Base metals: steel, aluminum and others, 16.3%. Usual crossing: Lacolle–Champlain. Montreal–New York City: about 600 km. Statistics Canada figures; page checked November 11, 2026.
- Montreal
- A-15 · I-87
- Lacolle–Champlain
- New York City
- Goods from Quebec going to New York (excluding works of art and energy products)
- CAD 5.1 billion-36.7% vs. the 12 months before
- Goods from New York cleared in Quebec (excluding works of art and energy products)
- CAD 1.5 billion-5.4% vs. the 12 months before
Top goods Quebec ships to New York
- Base metals: steel, aluminum and others16.3%
- Machinery and electrical equipment14.3%
- Vehicles and transport equipment10.7%
- Food, beverages and tobacco10.6%
- Pulp, paper and paperboard10.1%
What Quebec ships to New York is spread across many goods: base metals lead with 16.3%, then machinery, transport equipment, food and paper. Steel and aluminum among them can owe U.S. Section 232 duties despite CUSMA origin. Energy products are left out of these figures.
- Usual border crossings
- Lacolle (QC)–Champlain (NY), Autoroute 15 / I-87
- Saint-Armand/Philipsburg (QC)–Highgate Springs (VT), Route 133 / I-89
- Typical road distance
- Montreal–New York City: about 600 km
- Montreal–Lacolle: about 60 km
- Main highways
- Autoroute 15 to Lacolle, then I-87 (the Adirondack Northway and the Thruway) south to Albany and New York City.
- 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) and mineral products such as fuels and electricity (HS section V). See the table
How a Quebec-to-New York truck shipment works
Describe the shipment
Tell us the pickup city in Quebec, the delivery address in New York, what the goods are and roughly how many pallets. One request covers the truck and the U.S. customs clearance.
Invoice and receiving details
You prepare the commercial invoice and, for goods that qualify, a CUSMA certification of origin. For a store, a distributor or a warehouse in the city, note the receiving hours and whether the site needs a liftgate: in New York those details shape the booking as much as the paperwork.
U.S. customs filed before the border
Before the truck reaches the border, the carrier sends its advance manifest to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and a U.S. customs broker from our network files the U.S. entry ahead of the truck, for your U.S. customer as importer of record.
Champlain, then the Northway
Most trucks clear U.S. customs at Champlain, about 60 km south of Montreal, then run the Adirondack Northway (I-87) to Albany and the Thruway down the Hudson valley.
Upstate or city delivery
Upstate deliveries are usually straightforward; in New York City the truck often needs a booked slot and a route open to trucks. As for duties, goods that qualify under CUSMA can enter duty-free unless a U.S. measure such as the Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum and certain derivative products applies; the U.S. customs broker confirms the rate before the truck leaves.
What the price depends on
Montreal to New York is one of the shortest cross-border runs, so what happens at the delivery end weighs heavily in the price: tolls, appointments, waiting time and access in the city. Ask for a quote that keeps the freight, the U.S. brokerage fee and any U.S. duties apart.
- Delivery point: upstate or New York City
- City deliveries: appointments, tolls and waiting time
- Full truckload or shared LTL space
- Weight, pallet count and dimensions
- Fuel surcharge
- U.S. customs brokerage, billed separately
Popular lanes into Ontario
Popular lanes from Quebec to the U.S.
Quebec to New York: questions
Which border crossing does a truck from Montreal to New York use?
Most take Autoroute 15 to Lacolle and cross into Champlain, New York, then follow I-87 south. The CBSA is modernizing the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing, with new traveller booths expected by winter 2027, and has encouraged commercial clients to use Saint-Armand/Philipsburg when possible during the work. That matters most for trucks coming back north.
Upstate or New York City: how long does it take?
Plattsburgh and Albany are a few hours from Montreal; New York City is about 600 km, usually 1 to 2 business days for a full truck, plus customs. The longer part is often the delivery itself in the city. Our partner gives you an estimate for your address with the quote.
Delivering in Manhattan or the boroughs: what should I know?
Many receivers only take trucks at booked times, some streets and parkways are closed to trucks, and a large trailer may not fit the dock. Give the full address and the receiver's instructions in the request, and say if a smaller truck or a liftgate is needed.
Aluminum or steel to New York: do U.S. tariffs apply?
They can. Base metals are the largest group Quebec ships to New York, and Section 232 duties on steel, aluminum and certain derivative products apply regardless of CUSMA origin. The U.S. entry also has to report where the metal was melted and poured or smelted and cast. The U.S. customs broker confirms both before the truck leaves.
Do I need to report the export to the CBSA?
Usually not: goods going to the U.S. for use there are exempt from Canadian export reporting. You must report in CERS if the goods need an export permit or are otherwise controlled. See CERS export reporting.
- 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 D20-1-1: Exporter Reporting (CBSA)
- Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) (Global Affairs Canada)
- ACE import manifest documentation, including the truck manifest (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
- Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum: frequently asked questions (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
- CBSA launches new phase in the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing modernization project (CBSA, October 2025)
Ready to move your freight?
One request covers the truck and the U.S. customs clearance. We usually reply within 1 business day.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Exporting
What you need in place before shipping commercial goods out of Canada.
Read →Export to the USA
Canada to the United States: CERS exemptions, CUSMA origin, entry on the US side.
Read →CERS declaration
When a CERS export declaration is required, and the deadline for each mode.
Read →Export readiness
Check your export readiness: export account, CERS reporting, permits, origin.
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