Cross-Border Shipping for Canadians: What Can Be Shipped?

Cross-border shopping is at an all-time high, with over 4.7 million trips to the US by Canadians as of December 2012. That said, wait times at the border are increasing and are only expected to get longer.

Canadians can avoid the border wait times and the costs of gas by shopping online and having your goods sent to Canada with a US address through MyUSaddress.ca and our Push It North^SM service.

Package Options

Presently, myUSAddress.ca accepts the following types of packages:

General Courier Shipments – Boxes and Mailers Weight Range: 0-150lbs General packages represent the most common type of retail packaging and include shipping boxes, mailing boxes, moving boxes, book boxes, other types of cardboard boxes, wooden crates and occasionally pallets or skids. Mailers represent larger type envelopes such as padded envelopes, Tyvek envelopes, bubble mailers, corrugated mailers, and other types of larger envelopes. Other items that fall into this category do not always come in boxes and mailers. Such items include: tires, rims, books, shoes, sporting equipment, and other items that weigh up to 70 pounds.

Oversized Shipments – Skids/Pallets/Crates Weight Range: over 150lbs Large freight shipments can be packaged on a pallet (sometimes called a skid). A pallet is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking device. A crate represents a fairly large container made of wood or wickerwork. Other items that fall into this category do not always come on pallets or crates. Such items include: larger televisions, heavy furniture and appliances and other items that weigh over 150 pounds.

Customers shipping items that exceed 150lbs should contact us prior to shipping.

At this point in time, myUSAddress.ca does not accept the following types of packages:

Along with the above list of prohibited items, we encourage Canadian consumers to review the Health Canada website for information regarding further products that are regulated and prohibited.

If you have a question regarding packages, please contact us for more information.

Bringing Consumer Products into Canada

Every day, many consumer products cross the borders into Canada. Some are brought home by residents of Canada travelling outside of the country. Others have been bought by Canadian consumers over the Internet. Be aware that some consumer products are not allowed into Canada by law.

Protecting and promoting the health and safety of Canadians is of the utmost importance to the Government of Canada. The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) is the law that helps protect consumers from unsafe products.

Under the CCPSA, some products are banned and subject to be detained at the Canadian border. Others may need to meet Canadian regulatory requirements to be allowed into Canada. Many of these regulatory requirements are stricter in Canada than in other countries.

Be aware of consumer products that have safety requirements. Prepare yourself BEFORE you bring consumer products into Canada.

The following products are regulated by Health Canada:

• Baby Gates
• Car Seats
• Cribs, Cradles and Bassinets
• Hockey Helmets and Face Protectors
• Lighters
• Playpens
• Strollers

Please review the regulations on the above products before placing your order.

The following products are prohibited by Health Canada:

• Baby Walkers
• Balloon Blowing Kits
• Infant Self-Feeding Devices
• Jequirity Beans
• Lawn Darts with Elongated Tips
• Relight Candles
• Yo-Yo Balls with long cords

Please review the prohibitations on the above products before placing your order.

Click here to review a partial list of prohibited products listed with Health Canada: Consumer Product Safety

For a complete list of regulated items, see the Canadian Border Services Agency’s Step-By-Step Guide to Importing.

If in doubt, contact us here and discover why we are the most popular choice when it comes to shipping to Canada from the U.S,