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Certify and Test your Products before they come to Canada
Courtesy of The Business Link, Alberta’s Business Information Service

When Canadian companies bring foreign products to Canada, quality control is often one of the primary concerns and issues. If you are importing or outsourcing products for use in Canada, have you considered having the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) certify and test your products before you pay and transport the goods?

The CSA has offices all around the world that can test and certify your products in the country where they were created to ensure they meet regulations and the quality you expected. Additionally, your products will not need to be tested or approved once they arrive in Canada as they are ready to hit the Canadian marketplace. Qualified goods will be issued the CSA Mark in their home country saving you time, money and peace of mind. They can even test your products to meet European or other national standards.

This method of testing and evaluation may increase your time to market and help you avoid concerns over quality. In many cases, the service can be provided in our time zone, language and currency.

For more information, please contact the Canadian Standards Association or call the Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre at 1-888-576-4444.

Canada Border Services Agency
Christine Theriault, Information Officer, Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) provides individuals and businesses with information on importing goods and services to Canada. The Web site includes useful tools such as a simplified step-by-step guide to importing for small businesses or new importers. The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) Centre helps you navigate the importing process to ensure you are able to meet all of the requirements associated with importing goods into Canada.

The SME Centre links to other resources such as:

• Checklist for Importing Commercial Goods
• Customs Tariff
• Information Workshops and Seminars
• Forms and Publications for Importers
• SME Toolkit
• Importers Program
• Border Information Service
• Canadian Importers Database
• Canada Business
• Export and Import Controls Bureau

CBSA makes it easy for you to access import regulations by offering these tools:

• Accounting for your shipment - invoices, import permits, Certificate of Origin, Duty Deferral Program, international trade agreements
• Carrier programs
• Customs interest calculation
• Duty-free shops – information on the licensing process
• Examining your shipment
• Importer programs
• Licensed customs brokers – information on hiring an agent and the licensing process
• Reporting your shipment

Learn more about the tools and resources available for importers through the CBSA.

I would like to start importing products into Canada. How can a Customs Broker help me with the process, and where can I find one?
By Jaime Wombolt, Business Information Officer

Customs Brokers are licensed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to facilitate the importing process for clients by carrying out responsibilities relating to customs on your behalf. Customs Brokers are not employed by CBSA or any other federal department, and there is a fee associated with all of the services they provide.

Services provided by a Customs Broker include:

• Obtaining release of imported goods;
• Paying applicable duties;
• Preparing and submitting required paperwork;
• Keeping importer records; and
• Dealing with any concerns CBSA may have after the transaction.

Essentially, to hire a Customs Broker is to authorize someone else to deal with CBSA on your behalf. However, it is important to remember that regardless of whether you have a broker or are dealing with CBSA yourself, you are ultimately responsible for the payment of duties and taxes, for having the appropriate documentation accompanying your shipments, and for any other customs-related responsibilities.

Because of this, it is necessary for you to provide written authorization to your chosen Customs Broker for him or her to complete the customs transactions on your behalf.

To locate a Customs Broker, visit the Web site of the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers (CSCB). In the CSCB member directory, you can access member lists or search for a broker by city, province or company name. Refer to the fact sheet on selecting a Customs Broker to find useful questions to ask.

CBSA also offers a listing of Customs Brokers. If you decide to proceed without a Customs Broker, all of the information you need is available in the Importers section of the CBSA Web site.

The following books are available from the Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre Library. These books may also be available in our resource centres, located throughout the province - please contact us to find the copy nearest you.

Import/Export Services Terry Adams; Rob Adams

This guide is divided into two parts. The first is a detailed, step-by-step guide to starting an import/export services business. All information is industry-specific, from marketing techniques and employees who are best for this business, to the type of location and equipment you need. The second, called Startup Basics, offers guidance on finding and interviewing job candidates, market research, and to finally opening the doors to your new venture. The book contains several forms, work sheets and checklists you can actually use in your business.

Contents:

• International Trade: Passport to Success
• Import/Export 101
• Trade Routes: Daily Operations
• Trade Routes Part 2
• Charting Your Trade Route
• The Trader's Trunk
• Trade Dollars - Figuring Your Finances
• The Stationary Suitcase: Your Business Location
• Employees, Insurance and Other Facts of Life
• Inside the Cargo Hull - Your Basic Equipment
• The Trader's Trumpet: Advertising and Marketing
• More Trade Dollars - Effectively Controlling Your Finances
• Fair Winds or Foul Seas
• Glossary
• International Trade Resources

Importing into Canada: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Start an Import Business Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters

This publication is designed to provide the reader with an overview of importing. The following sections are discussed:

• Knowing your Market
• Introduction to Importing
• International Trade in the Canadian Marketplace
• Establishing a Business Structure
• Business Structure Options
• Levels of Trade
• Evaluating Feasibility
• Market Evaluation
• Product Sourcing
• Supplier Evaluation
• Customs Tariff Implications,
• Commercial Feasibility
• Closing the Deal
• International Financing
• Marketing Strategy
• Contract Negotiations
• Importing Regulations
• Import Documentation.

International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace Charles W.L. Hill

This publication focuses on the following sections:

• Country Factors
• Global Trade and Investment Environment
• Global Monetary System
• Strategy and Structure of International Business
• Business Operations.

Success for the New Global Manager: How to Work across Distances, Countries, and Cultures Maxine Dalton; Chris Ernst; Jennifer Deal; Jean Leslie

As globalization has evolved from being the latest corporate buzzword to a basic economic reality, more and more organizations are realizing that they need managers with skills that translate well to the international arena. But unfortunately many organizations do not know how to identify and develop people for such complex responsibilities. This book explains what new global managers – those who manage across distance, countries, and cultures – look like and presents four key skills they must have to succeed in this new reality.

Les recherches en politique commerciale 2006 Affaires étrangères et Commerce international Canada

Le présent volume regroupe les résultats des analyses et des recherches sur la politique réalisées l’an dernier par le ministère des Affaires étrangères et du Commerce international. Il y a trois parties :

• Enjeux du commerce multilatéral
• Une conférence sur le commerce intégratif
• Enjeux du commerce régional

Looking for more publications? Search our Library Collection.