Your guide to shipping from India to Canada

Shipping goods from India is a popular choice for Canadian businesses. However, shipping can be a complicated process – and it’s important to look into all the necessary regulations before you get started.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about international shipping from India to Canada. We’ll also look at how Wise could save your business money, with convenient cross-border payments for businesses across the world!

We shall be looking at

Essential know-how on importing goods from India to Canada Requirements for shipping goods from India to Canada Restrictions on shipping goods from India to Canada Typical costs of shipping goods from India to Canada? How to reduce costs on transactions between India and Canada Some of the most well-known shipping companies for importing from India to Canada DHL Blue Dart Express Ltd Atlantic Courier DTDC FedEx Essential local know-how when shipping from India to Canada Conclusion

What is the essential know-how on importing goods from India to Canada?

If your business regularly imports goods from India to Canada, there are a few things to keep in mind.

You’ll need to determine the applicable tariff treatment for your goods, as this can help you work out the rate of duty. You can do this by clarifying your tariff classification number before importation.

There are also a few duties and taxes you may need to pay, including:

• Goods and Services Tax (GST)
• Excise Tax
• Excise Duty

GST is charged at 5% and it’s payable on most imported goods – but some goods may be non-taxable, such as medical devices. Goods like vehicles are subject to excise tax and you’ll need to pay excise duty for many alcohol products.

You can work out your taxes and duties via the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)® estimator tool.¹⁷

You may want to use a customs broker for your business, particularly if you regularly import goods to Canada. A broker can help you meet all compliance requirements for imports and exports.

What are the essential requirements for shipping goods from India to Canada?

You’ll need to identify your goods and make sure they comply with import regulations. It’s also important to look into any export policies or restrictions in India before sending your shipment.

Classifying and valuing your goods is essential for tax purposes, as well as importation compliance. As part of your shipment, you’ll also need to choose the right CBSA office for your goods to be released in Canada.¹

Make sure to report your goods to the CBSA with all the correct documentation, including:

• Canadian Commerical Invoice (CCI) - this tells Canadian customs what you’re shipping and any duties for your goods
• Bill of Lading - this is a contract between you and the carrier, including shipping details
• Certificate of Origin - this identifies where your goods came from
• any additional invoices or documents²

You may also need to provide certain pieces of information, including:

• import or export business number – you can get this from the Canada Revenue Agency®
• tariff classification number and rate of duty – you can get this using the Canadian Customs Tariff®
• type and value of goods
• shipping method
• country of origin³

Are there any restrictions on shipping goods from India to Canada?

There are a few restrictions to understand before shipping your goods. You can’t import second-hand cars or cash, for example.⁴

Products like alcohol may need additional checks before importation, and foods require a Safe Foods for Canadians (SFC) licence.⁵

Your delivery service may also have restrictions. For example, DHL® doesn’t let customers send live animals from India.⁶

What are the typical costs of shipping goods from India to Canada?

You’ll need to cover some key costs if you want to ship goods from India to Canada.

Factors that typically influence shipping costs include:

• weight of goods
• size and shape of goods
• air or sea freight
• cargo insurance

There are a few different options for sending your shipment. General cargo covers consumer products, such as food. However, you’ll need express or special cargo for items that require handling in a particular way, like animals.

Depending on the political or economic situation around the world, your shipment may need to alter its route to Canada – and this can affect your fees.

It’s important to consider currency conversion costs when making payments for your shipping in Indian rupees (INR). Many banks add a markup to the standard mid-market exchange rate – increasing the cost of shipping.

You may also need to pay intermediary bank fees for international payments in the SWIFT network. All these costs can start to add up…

How to reduce costs on transactions between India and Canada

Shipping goods to Canada? Reduce transaction costs between CAD and INR with a multi-currency account.

A multi-currency account lets you use local currency details. This saves on currency conversion costs on the recipient’s end and unexpected fees charged by intermediary banks.

You can use your Wise Business Account to make hassle-free international payments across the world – and you can hold CAD, INR, USD, EUR and many other currencies. All in just one account!

Wise always uses the mid-market exchange rate for your business transactions. This is the rate you usually see on Google. Access transparent fees and full peace of mind with Wise. You can even use Wise Business to send automatic invoices and batch payments in security

Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

Some of the most well-known shipping companies for importing from India to Canada

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular global shipping companies, including shipping methods and prices.

DHL

DHL is a well-known shipping company for international businesses. First established in Canada in 1977, you can use DHL to send goods to 220 countries.⁶

There are 3 key DHL export services from India to Canada:

• DHL Express Worldwide: End of business day delivery service
• DHL Express 9:00: Delivery before 9:00 am on the next or second business day
• DHL Express 12:00: Delivery before 12 noon on the next possible business day

You can access your DHL international shipping rates from India on request.

Let’s take a look at some key information for your international DHL shipping.

	DHL Express Worldwide	DHL Express 9:00	DHL Express 12:00
Money-back guarantee	No	Yes	Yes
Delivery attempts	2	2	2
Maximum piece weight	70kg	30kg	70kg
Max. pieces per shipment	N/A	10	10
Max. piece dimensions (L x W x H)	120 x 80 x 80cm	120 x 80 x 80cm	120 x 80 x 80cm
Max. pallet weight	1000kg	Pallets aren’t accepted	Pallets aren’t accepted
Max. shipment weight	3000kg	300kg	300kg
Max. pallet dimensions (L x W x H)	300 x 200 x 160cm	Pallets aren’t accepted	Pallets aren’t accepted⁶

DHL requires a waybill for all shipments from India to Canada, as this document can help you track your delivery through the DHL network.⁶ You’ll need to comply with DHL labelling requirements, too.

Blue Dart Express Ltd

Founded in 1983, Blue Dart Express Ltd.® caters to Indian and international shipments. Blue Dart Express delivery is available in more than 220 countries, with a range of shipping methods.⁷

Courier-On-Board Exports (COB) are for:

• documents
• free gifts – up to 25,000 INR
• Samples – up to 50,000 INR
• commercial shipments

For your commercial shipment, you’ll need a GR1 Form Waiver from the Reserve Bank of India before sending your goods.⁸

Blue Dart Express Freight Mode Exports are for items that don’t fall under COB, such as electronics or free gifts worth more than 25,000 INR.⁸

You’ll need to contact Blue Dart Express for more pricing information.

Atlantic Courier

Atlantic Courier® is a delivery service available in over 200 countries, with door-to-door pickup and online tracking systems. The company first opened in 2010, working with Indian and international clients.⁹

There are a few different shipping services, depending on what your business needs, such as express, economy and freight delivery.

Let’s take a closer look at the costs of shipping from India to Canada with Atlantic Courier.

Weight Capacity	Shipping Costs10	Transit Duration11
625kg	From 350 INR	6 to 8 working days
650kg	From 350 INR	6 to 8 working days
850kg	From 350 INR	6 to 8 working days

DTDC

DTDC® is a common option for businesses shipping goods from India to Canada. You can use DTDC to ship within India or across the world. The company was first founded in 1990** **and it provides delivery to over 220 locations.¹²

There are a few different shipping methods with DTDC, including Premium Express, Priority Express, Import Express, E-commerce Solutions and Freight Forwarding.

The cost of your import will depend on surcharges and which service you choose – and you may need to work out the volumetric weight of your shipment. This is the value of your shipment based on the amount of space it takes up, rather than its actual weight.¹³

Full prices for your DTDC shipment are available from the provider on request.

FedEx

Founded in 1971, FedEx® is a well-known international shipping company. Available in more than 220 countries, you can access a selection of different shipping methods.¹⁴

This includes:

• FedEx International Economy: Delivery in 2 to 5 business days
• FedEx International Priority: Delivery in 1 to 3 business days by end of day
• FedEx International Priority Express: Delivery in 1 to 3 business days by midday¹⁵

We’ve put together how much your shipment will cost if you’re shipping 200kg with your own packaging from Mumbai to Ottawa on March 14, 2024.

Delivery Option/Weight	Shipping Costs16
Fedex International Economy	4,13,283.70 INR
Fedex International Priority	4,74,640.20 INR
Fedex International Priority Express	4,97,488.20 INR

However, these rates are only suggestive. There could be added expenses with insurance, FedEx packaging or additional requirements for your shipment.

Essential local know-how when shipping from India to Canada

You’ll need to think about any local restrictions before shipping from India to Canada.

Providers may not deliver your goods on public holidays. This includes nationwide holidays, as well as additional holidays in different provinces. This can differ every month. September and December 2024 have the most public holidays in Canada.

These holidays may cause delays, even if you pay for express delivery – and weekends may also restrict your shipment from being delivered or released from customs.

Conclusion

Shipping from India to Canada could be daunting, especially with customs compliance and shipping restrictions. However, learning about the shipping process and finding the right delivery service can help you take your business global!

To start sending your money to India and beyond, check out Wise.

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Sources

1. CBSA
2. Nimbus Post
3. CBSA
4. Parcel Compare
5. CBSA
6. DHL
7. Blue Dart Express
8. Blue Dart Express
9. Atlantic Courier
10. Atlantic Courier
11. Atlantic Courier
12. DTDC
13. DTDC
14. FedEx
15. FedEx
16. FedEx
17. Estimate duty and taxes - CBSA

Sources verified on 22 March 2024