Importing clothing and footwear into Canada: labels and duty
Clothing and footwear carry some of the highest duty rates in Canada’s tariff, and clothing must be labelled before it is sold. A free-trade origin can cut the duty to zero. Here is what to check.
- Duty18% on many items
- Labelfibre content + dealer ID
- Savingsfree-trade origin
Customs rules change — confirm with the official sources on this page or with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
Two ways to get this done
Do it yourself
Everything you need is on this page, step by step, from official government sources.
Read the guideLet a broker handle it
A licensed customs broker can classify each style, check your free-trade claims and clear every shipment. Free quote, no commitment.
Get a free quoteIn short
What applies to clothing and footwear
Consumer textile articles, clothing included, must carry a label with the fibre content and the dealer’s identity. The label must be bilingual, and the dealer can be identified by name and full address or by a CA identification number.
Read the details
Many clothing and footwear tariff items carry 18% duty at the general rate. Goods that qualify under a free-trade agreement such as CUSMA, CPTPP or CETA can enter with less or no duty — but only if they meet that agreement’s rules of origin and you have the proof.
Children’s sleepwear up to size 14X must meet the flammability rules of the Children’s Sleepwear Regulations; loose-fitting styles made of natural fibres usually fail them.
Importing clothing, step by step
Classify each style
Find the 10-digit tariff classification for each style: fibre, knit or woven, and who it’s for all change the code and the rate.
Check the origin
Find where each item was made. If it qualifies under a free-trade agreement, get the origin proof before the goods ship — without it, you pay the general rate.
Label before sale
Make sure every item has a bilingual label with the fibre content by generic name and percentage, plus the dealer identity. Goods can be relabelled in Canada only if the Competition Bureau is told in advance.
Consider a CA number
A Canadian importer can register a CA identification number with the Competition Bureau (a one-time $100 fee) and use it on labels instead of a name and address.
Check children’s sleepwear
For children’s sleepwear, confirm it meets the Children’s Sleepwear Regulations before you order.
Declare and keep proof
Claim the free-trade treatment on the entry, and keep the origin proof and your labelling records.
What applies
From the Competition Bureau, Health Canada and the Customs Tariff.
- Clothing and other consumer textiles
- Bilingual fibre-content label + dealer identity (Textile Labelling Act)
- Children’s sleepwear up to 14X
- Children’s Sleepwear Regulations (flammability)
- Clothing and footwear duty
- 18% on many items at the general rate; less or none with valid free-trade origin
- Goods arriving incompletely labelled
- Relabel in Canada only after notifying the Competition Bureau
No origin proof, no free-trade rate
A supplier saying “it’s made in Mexico” isn’t enough. Without valid origin proof when you claim the preference, the CBSA can reassess the duty — and many clothing items are at 18%.
Common questions
Do I need a CA number?
No, it’s optional. A Canadian importer can use it on labels instead of a name and address. Only Canadian businesses can register one.
Can I relabel clothing after it arrives?
Yes, if you tell the Competition Bureau before import: what and how much, the date and port of entry, and where the relabelling will be done.
Is clothing from China duty-free?
No. Canada has no free-trade agreement with China, so the general rate applies — 18% on many clothing items.
Can a broker help me pay less duty?
A customs broker can check your classification and free-trade claims before you ship. Get a broker quote.
Check where you stand
See which import requirements apply to your shipments.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Importing
The whole path to importing commercial goods into Canada, in order.
Read →Do I need a customs broker?
No law requires one. What a licensed broker does, and what importing on your own involves.
Read →Import readiness
Check your import readiness: CARM, RPP security, classification, permits.
Read →Get a quote
Describe your shipments and we will connect you with a licensed customs broker.
Read →