Avoid Surprise Customs Fees Shipping to Canada with GlobalPost’s Canada DDP

Published on January 18, 2024
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Filed under Shipping Basics
Read time 6 Minutes

All shipments bound for Canada over $20 CAD (including shipping cost) are subject to duties and taxes. Typically, these fees are collected from the recipient upon delivery. These added costs may come as a surprise to some customers. In some cases, it can lead to negative reviews, in others, the customer may reject the shipment and ask for a refund. If this happens, the sender may have to pay additional costs to have the item returned to them or treat the order as abandoned. Needless to say, this can be a cumbersome and costly experience. Everyone likes avoiding surprise charges and with GlobalPost, you and your Canadian customers can avoid surprise customs fees thanks to GlobalPost’s Canada DDP for USPS. 

What is GlobalPost Canada DDP

Canada DDP eliminates potential hassles and improves your customers’ shipping experience by letting you prepay all Canadian duties and taxes. DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid. Conversely, most services default to Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU). Unpaid duties and taxes rank one of the top reasons why international packages are not delivered. By prepaying these costs, you can help reduce the chances of the package being returned. 

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Canada DDP eliminates potential hassles and improves your customers’ shipping experience by letting you prepay all Canadian duties and taxes for one low flat rate of $9.95 for First-Class Mail International®, Priority Mail International®, and Priority Mail Express International®. If Canadian duties and taxes are assessed by customs and DDP was not included, Canada Post collects the fees upon delivery, plus an additional $9.95 surcharge. That extra surcharge ends up cutting further into the seller’s margin. By using Canada DDP you will not get this surcharge. Furthermore, GlobalPost’s Canada DDP solution streamlines efficiency by eliminating the need for printing of customs forms. When the items arrive at our GlobalPost facility, we add harmonized systems (HS) tariff codes. 

Canada DDP Rates

First-Class Mail International® $9.95
Priority Mail International®$9.95
Priority Mail Express International®$9.95
Note: Shipments sent via First-Class Mail International cannot exceed $400 in value. Shipments sent via Priority Mail International or Priority Mail Express International have a value cap of $2,500.

By prepaying the duties and taxes with one flat rate fee, you don’t have to worry about figuring out the cost of duties, taxes, and other administrative fees and reduces buyer friction at delivery!

How does Canada DDP work?

Canada DDP works with USPS international shipping services and using it is as easy as clicking a button! When preparing a First-Class Mail International®, Priority Mail International®, or Priority Mail Express International® shipment to Canada, open the Duties/Taxes drop down menu and select “Prepay Duties and Taxes.” It doesn’t have to be applied manually either. feature can also be added as a bulk update or be used to create an automated rule.

Restrictions:

  1. Shipment cannot exceed 4 pounds in weight.
  2. Shipments sent via First-Class Mail International cannot exceed $400 in value. Shipments sent via Priority Mail International or Priority Mail Express International have a value cap of $2,500.
  3. Excludes any shipment prohibited by applicable law or our terms and conditions.
  4. Duties and taxes are covered up to $500 per shipment. Any duties and taxes that exceed $500 that are associated with your shipment will be directly billed to your account. We do not control how customs officials assess duties and taxes and we do not control the rates at which items are assessed. The shipper is responsible for resolving any disputes relating to duties and taxes directly with the relevant customs officials.

GlobalPost from ShipStation

GlobalPost is the carrier of choice for growing businesses. It is international shipping redesigned from the ground up to make international delivery simpler. Their partnership allows ShipStation merchants to take advantage of GlobalPost’s discounted international shipping rates (up to 78% off standard carrier rates) directly in their ShipStation accounts thanks to ShipStation Carriers. All you need to do to try GlobalPost for yourself is have a ShipStation account. 

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Written by

James Messer

James Messer is a copywriter specializing in shipping, logistics, and ecommerce.

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