Read the dispatch and transport conditions together.
CBSA’s low-value guidance distinguishes mail from courier shipments. Its published table uses a CAD 20 threshold for mail from any country and for courier imports from countries other than the US and Mexico, subject to exceptions. The higher CAD 40 and CAD 150 courier conditions relate to imports from the US or Mexico; they are not a general China-to-Canada allowance.
Record where your parcel is dispatched and which import arrangement the route uses. A stop or a carrier name is not enough information to establish preferential treatment. Ask the carrier or the agent to explain the route’s actual entry conditions if the quotation relies on a particular threshold.
Check the exact goods against the exclusions and current rules. A purchase sent by a business does not become an eligible personal gift because someone puts “gift” on the label. Keep descriptions and values consistent with the transaction.
Official references: CBSA: low-value thresholds and CUSMA · CBSA: importing by mail or courier
Build the delivered-cost record in CAD.
CBSA explains that duty and taxes depend on the goods and their value in Canadian dollars; GST, PST or HST can be relevant to the destination. Do not assign one combined percentage to every product and province. Keep the assessment and any carrier handling charge as separate items.
Record the currency of each payment. Our product cards show a saved CNY reference and a fixed USD display estimate, not a CAD checkout total. For your budget, note the conversion you actually used and any payment-provider charge instead of treating a displayed estimate as a receipt.
| Entry | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|
| Item and China delivery | Selected option, invoice currency and actual payment. |
| International parcel | Packing values, quote date, route, currency and selected services. |
| Duty and tax | Assessment breakdown, destination and value used. |
| Carrier handling | The named postal or courier fee and its receipt. |
| Conversion | Rate/date used for planning, and the actual billed CAD amount. |
Official references: CBSA: importing by mail or courier
Keep customs and local-delivery events distinct.
Save the international tracking number and any last-mile number. Check the carrier that is actually handling the parcel in Canada. A domestic China delivery event, international dispatch and a Canadian customs event are not interchangeable milestones.
Canada Post’s customs guidance describes the limits of postal intervention while customs is examining an item. A review event is not proof that the parcel is lost, and another buyer’s clearance time does not create a release deadline. Check whether the record contains a request you need to answer before escalating an ordinary tracking gap.
For a courier parcel, use that courier’s instructions and support channel. If a request asks for an invoice or product information, save the request and send the transaction record relevant to the goods. Confirm the official contact route before responding to an unsolicited payment link.
Official references: Canada Post: a package in customs
Read the assessment before disputing a charge.
Canada Post says a detailed postal duty/tax breakdown appears on CBSA’s Postal Import Form E14 accompanying the package. Retain it alongside any payment receipt. For courier shipments, request the equivalent assessment and fee breakdown from the courier.
Compare the item description, quantity, value and currency with your purchase records. If a field differs, ask about that specific discrepancy through the process named by CBSA or the carrier. Do not assume that an unexpected total is entirely tax, or that an agent’s earlier transport payment necessarily covered the assessment.
Before dispatch, confirm coverage for the actual postal code, including any remote-area limitation or extra charge. Keep this answer with the quote; a route being visible for Canada does not establish identical conditions for every address.
Official references: Canada Post: paying duties and taxes
Sources and review date.
Public official references checked . The checklists, message templates and labelled packing example are editorial guidance. We have not placed a test order or observed your account. Use the current terms and records for your own goods and parcel.
- CBSA: importing by mail or courier — Duty, GST/PST/HST, Canadian-dollar value and qualifying gift conditions.
- CBSA: low-value thresholds and CUSMA — Different conditions for mail and courier shipments from the US/Mexico versus other countries.
- Canada Post: paying duties and taxes — Postal Import Form E14 and the breakdown accompanying assessed postal charges.
- Canada Post: a package in customs — Customs processing and the limits of postal intervention.
- Superbuy official shipping estimator — Destination, warehouse, weight, dimensions and route-specific charging inputs.