How To Become A Non-Resident Importer Into Canada
Your how to guide on Non-Resident Importing
What Is A Non-Resident Importer?
A Non-Resident Importer (NRI) is a company or individual who does not reside in Canada, but elects to act as the Importer of Record (IOR) for shipments imported into Canada. Keep reading to find your guide on how to become a NRI into Canada.
Should You Become A Non-Resident Importer?
- Do you currently or would you like to sell your goods to buyers in Canada?
- Would you like to appear as a domestic supplier without having a physical presence in Canada?
- Would you like to use Canadian warehouses and distribution services rather than set up your own?
- Would you like to simplify potential sales to your buyers by offering a purchase price that includes delivery, duty and tax, and therefore eliminating extra cost surprises?
- Would you like to have control over all costs for transport, customs brokerage and duty, and therefore effectively eliminating supply chain markups?
- Would you like to relieve your customers from the burden of declaring your goods at the Canadian border?
- Would you like to offer samples and warranty shipments free of charge to your customers?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you would benefit from being a Non-Resident Importer.
- To be a successful NRI you must take on the responsibility of creating the customs documentation, pay the import duties and taxes, and act as the Importer of Record (IOR) to make it convenient for Canadian consumers to purchase your products.
- The IOR is the party ultimately responsible for:
- The accuracy and completeness of the import declaration
- The payment of all applicable duties and taxes into Canada
- The compliance of all Participating Government Agency (PGA) rules and regulations
Note: The last point is important because many Non-Resident Importers assume that customs compliance falls under the buyer’s (their customer’s) responsibility; however, by becoming a NRI, you take on the role of the Importer of Record and thus you are the party ultimately responsible for compliance of all rules and regulations.
Parties Involved:
- Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
- Participating Government Agencies (PGA)
- Customs Broker
- Carrier
- Warehouse
Import Fundamentals:
- The Non-Resident Importer (NRI) program is a great opportunity for you to act as the Importer of Record (IOR) as a non-resident of Canada. This allows you to act as the importer when selling your products on Canadian ecommerce websites like Amazon.ca and Ebay.ca.
- Duty and tax must be paid upon importation into Canada for all goods valued at $20.00 and greater. If your goods are valued at less than $20.00, they can be imported into Canada under the De Minimis rule without paying duty or tax. Learn more about this rule in our blog Attn Online Shoppers, A De Minimis Increase Means More Duty-Free Importing.
- The rate of duty is determined by the tariff of the commodity being imported, the value of the goods and, the origin of the goods.
- Certain import documentation is required to be presented to the border services officer at the port of entry.
- Your import may be subject to a customs review, inspection or audit prior to, or after the importation. Additional fees may be levied by the Government of Canada for these services.
- You are required to keep your import records for six years following the date of import and can be audited by Customs at any point during this time.
Become A Non-Resident Importer
Are you looking to sell your products to Canadian buyers?
Fill out the form below and a member of our Client Services team will contact you to get started.
FAQ: Non-Resident Imports
First, you will need to become a Non-Resident Importer. Becoming a Non-Resident Importer allows you to act as the Importer of Record into Canada while not having an actual physical business presence, like a storefront, in Canada. Being a Non-Resident Importer will make it easier for your customers to purchase your products online through any ecommerce platform like Amazon, Ebay, Etsy and Alibaba.
Have you ever ordered something online and had to pay duties and taxes when the delivery arrived at your doorstep? It is a nuisance as a customer. This issue can be avoided if the business selling the product is a Non-Resident Importer. As a Non-Resident Importer you can include the costs of duties and taxes at the point of purchase so your customer is not surprised by unexpected costs at their doorstep.
As a Non-Resident Importer you will take care of the import through Canada Customs and any applicable Participating Government Agencies (or hire a customs broker who can do so on your behalf), as well as the payment of duties and taxes. You will be in charge of collecting the federal and provincial sales tax from your customers and submitting it to the Government of Canada. If this sounds difficult, you can always contact Pacific Customs Brokers for assistance on how it is done, or if you want another set of hands to help handle the import process for you.
To become a Non-Resident Importer you will need to register for doing business in Canada, determine your landed costs, and prepare your shipment for entry into Canada. You can see the steps to becoming a Non-Resident Importer in our Non-Resident Importer Guide.
A second option is to speak with us directly about becoming a Non-Resident Importer. Please feel free to call us directly at 888.538.1566 or fill out the form on this page and our Non-Resident Importer concierge desk will be able to contact you.
With a little help from us you can organize your tax requirements, legal business structure, immigration and transportation moves from all over the world. You have the advantage of using our business volume to secure better shipping rates. You have access to expert Trade Advisors who can review where you are sourcing your raw materials from and they can determine if a preferential tariff treatment could be used to reduce your importing costs associated with duties and tariffs. Contact one of our experienced Trade Advisors today to find out how you can reduce your transportation and material sourcing costs.
In order to determine your product’s selling price in Canada you must first determine the costs associated with shipping and storing them in Canada. This can be a tricky concept, but our latest video will help you learn about the main costs you need to be concerned with when becoming a Non-Resident Importer.
Top costs include but are not limited to:
- Import Duty
- Tax
- Shipping
Import Duty
Import duty is calculated using three pieces of information you provide on your commercial invoice:
- The H.S. tariff code of the goods
- The value of the goods
- The country of origin of the goods
If you have these three key components, you can calculate your rate of duty. If you do not have these components, you can only estimate your rate of duty. If you need assistance determining your rate of duty we can help you by verifying your tariff code, determining the correct value of your goods and the accurate country of origin.
Tax
When importing into Canada the Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) is paid at the border. GST is also charged at the point of sale as an additional 5% charge on the sale of your goods in Canada.
For example, if you are selling shoes in your online store, this is how your tax would be calculated:
GST at the point of sale:
- Price of shoes: $50.00
- GST on sale: $2.50 (You do not keep this, it is remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency)
- Total amount of money collected from buyer: $52.50
GST at the border:
- Customs valuation of goods: $25.00
- GST payable to Customs $1.25
You need to be aware of two government bodies when importing into Canada:
- Canada Border Services Agency:
Also known as Canada Customs is looking for an accurate and complete description of the goods being imported on a properly formatted commercial invoice or equivalent document that contains all of the required information. For a full list of the information required check out our Document Requirements for Canadian Imports Guide. If you are using a Canada Customs Invoice, please use our Canada Customs Invoice Information Guide to make sure you are accurately completing your Canada Customs Invoice. - Participating Government Agencies:
These are other regulatory government agencies who regulate specific goods. A majority of commodities are subject to Participating Government Agency review. For you to determine if your goods are subject to Participating Government Agency review upon importation into Canada, check out our educational guide What Does My Commodity Need?
Before you make an ecommerce sale in a foreign country you should:
- Know if any Participating Government Agencies will need to review your goods.
- Know what the Participating Government Agencies will need to review your goods.
- Determine what your H.S. tariff code, valuation and country of origin will be so you can calculate your duty and tax costs.
- Calculate how much GST you will need to collect on the sale of your good and later remit the GST to the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Understand any labelling requirements for your goods.
- Obtain quotes for shipping the goods from your distribution site to your buyers in Canada.
- Register your company for doing business in Canada.
- Open an import account.
