Quebec to Pennsylvania trucking
A full truck or a few pallets from Quebec to Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania (excluding works of art): CAD 5.2 billion in the 12 months to September 2026 (-6.5% on the year before). Largest group: Base metals: steel, aluminum and others, 29.2%. Usual crossing: Lacolle–Champlain. Montreal–Philadelphia: about 750 km. Statistics Canada figures; page checked November 11, 2026.
- Montreal
- A-15 · I-87 · I-81
- Lacolle–Champlain
- Philadelphia
- Goods from Quebec going to Pennsylvania (excluding works of art)
- CAD 5.2 billion-6.5% vs. the 12 months before
- Goods from Pennsylvania cleared in Quebec (excluding works of art)
- CAD 1.3 billion-13.6% vs. the 12 months before
Top goods Quebec ships to Pennsylvania
- Base metals: steel, aluminum and others29.2%
- Food, beverages and tobacco16.4%
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals9.9%
- Pulp, paper and paperboard8.4%
- Machinery and electrical equipment8.3%
Base metals lead what Quebec ships to Pennsylvania, with 29.2%, ahead of food, chemicals and paper. Steel and aluminum can owe U.S. Section 232 duties whatever their CUSMA origin, so ask your U.S. customer or broker for the rate before you price the sale.
- Usual border crossings
- Lacolle (QC)–Champlain (NY), Autoroute 15 / I-87
- Thousand Islands Bridge (Lansdowne–Alexandria Bay), by Highway 401 / I-81
- Typical road distance
- Montreal–Philadelphia: about 750 km
- Montreal–Pittsburgh: about 1,000 km
- Main highways
- Autoroute 15 and I-87, then I-88 or I-90 and I-81; or Highway 401 and I-81 through 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 Quebec-to-Pennsylvania truck shipment works
Describe the shipment
Tell us the pickup city in Quebec, the delivery address in Pennsylvania, what the goods are and roughly how many pallets. One request covers the truck and the U.S. customs clearance.
Invoice and mill papers
You prepare the commercial invoice with the metal's alloy, grade and form described exactly, and a CUSMA certification of origin if the goods qualify. Most U.S. buyers of steel and aluminum also expect the mill test certificate to travel with the load.
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 or Alexandria Bay
The driver reports at Champlain on I-87 or, by way of Ontario, at Alexandria Bay on I-81, where U.S. officers release the goods or hold them for an examination. From Alexandria Bay, I-81 runs straight down to Scranton and Harrisburg.
Delivery and U.S. duties
The truck delivers to your customer's dock. 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
A Quebec-to-Pennsylvania load is priced on the distance first: eastern Pennsylvania is a long day from Montreal, Pittsburgh closer to two. Metal loads add weight limits and securing. Ask for a quote that keeps the freight, the U.S. brokerage fee and any U.S. duties apart.
- Delivery point: Philadelphia area or Pittsburgh
- Heavy metal loads: weight limits and securing
- 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 Pennsylvania: questions
Which border crossing does a truck from Quebec to Pennsylvania use?
Two routes are common. South from Montreal on Autoroute 15 to Lacolle–Champlain, then I-87 and the interstates into Pennsylvania; or west on Highway 401 to the Thousand Islands Bridge and I-81 straight down to Scranton and Harrisburg. The carrier picks the one that fits the pickup and delivery points.
Philadelphia or Pittsburgh: does the delivery point change much?
Yes. Philadelphia is about 750 km from Montreal, usually 1 to 2 business days for a full truck plus customs. Pittsburgh is about 1,000 km, and trucks often go through Ontario and Buffalo rather than Lacolle. Our partner gives you an estimate for your delivery point with the quote.
Steel or aluminum for Pennsylvania: what does the U.S. entry need?
An exact description and tariff classification, and, for goods subject to Section 232, the country where the steel was melted and poured or the aluminum smelted and cast. That information usually comes from the mill test certificate, so send it with the request. Section 232 duties can apply even to goods that qualify under CUSMA.
Food for Pennsylvania buyers: anything to plan?
Food is the second-largest group on this lane. Say in the request whether it needs temperature control and give the U.S. buyer's receiving hours: food warehouses often work by appointment, and a refrigerated trailer changes the price.
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)
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.
Read →