Category: Shipping

Just what is an HS Code? The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is an international classification system by which any physical product can be assigned an identification number. The purpose of the HTS is to standardize the classification of goods across national boundaries, and the system has been adopted by almost

Canada to Ban the Import of Single-Use Plastic Items In a news release on June 20, the Canadian government announced a ban on six kinds of single-use plastic. Banned single-use plastic items will include: Checkout bags; Cutlery; Food service ware made from or containing specified plastics that are difficult to recycle; Ring carriers; Stir sticks;

Your Guide to the Safe Foods for Canadian Licence On January 15, 2019, the Safe Foods for Canadian Regulations came into force. Intended to guarantee foods safety as the proportion of imported food in Canada increases and supply chains become more complex, the SFCRs govern the import, export and inter-provincial

It’s Happening: Time to Register for the Luxury Tax After several years of negotiations and delays, the Canadian Luxury Tax will come into force on September 1, 2022. If you sell or import goods that will be subject to the luxury tax for your business, you will be required to

Luxury Tax Update Last year we posted a guide to the proposed luxury tax that was introduced by the federal Liberal government in the 2021 budget. The original date of implementation was set to be January 1, 2022. As you may have noticed, January 1 has come and gone and the new

Canadian Government Cracks Down on Import of Goods Produced by Forced Labour In 2021, CBSA took steps to curb the flow of goods made by forced labour into Canada. At an undisclosed time between March and November of this year, the Canadian government seized a shipment of Chinese-manufactured clothing that it

What is SIMA? If you were listening to the news this May, you might have heard about an increase in duty on furniture from China and Vietnam. The announcement kicked off a storm of controversy and panic from retailers and purchasers concerned about rising costs. That additional duty was SIMA,

US Legislation Threatens Victoria Cruise Industry Tourism industry professionals in Victoria are concerned by news that several Alaskan senators and congressmen are seeking to pass legislation that could seriously impact the cruise ship industry in BC. Currently, the US Passenger Vessel Services Act prohibits foreign-flagged vessels from travelling directly between

Your Guide to the Proposed Canadian Luxury Tax In April, the Trudeau administration unveiled the 2021 federal budget. Among 288 proposals aimed at combating COVID-19 and rebuilding the economy is the proposed Luxury Tax. With the administration’s re-election on September 20, the Luxury Tax is very likely to be passed into

Importing Electric Bicycles Electric bicycles are growing in popularity with commuters, tourists and businesses in Canada. Because e-bikes and e-trikes are considered vehicles, there can be additional customs requirements when importing them. Depending on their specifications, some power assisted bicycles may be considered regulated vehicles by Transport Canada, in which