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www.snowbirds.org
CSA TRAVEL INFORMATION GUIDE
Shipments by Courier
Packages sent to the United States via a private courier company – in contract to the regular mail or
parcel post service – will generally be cleared through CBP customs inspection on your behalf by the
courier company. A fee will be charged for this service in addition to the regular delivery charges.
When deciding to ship something – especially a gift – to the United States, it is important to
ascertain what the total fees will be for both regular mail/parcel post and a courier company. In some
cases, the shipping, brokerage and duty payment may be more than the value of the item being sent.
What Household Items Can I Bring?
Canada Customs
Canadians who are planning to take household items (i.e. furniture, carpeting, etc.) to the United
States to furnish a winter residence are encouraged to stop at a Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA)
office, before crossing the border, to declare the items so as to facilitate their future duty-free return
to Canada.
Ideally, photographs as well as an itemized inventory list should be prepared, including each item’s
make, model, serial number (if applicable), accurate description and best estimated (if not known)
value. In the absence of clear proof that the item was purchased (and taxes paid in Canada), should
you decide to bring the item back to Canada in the future, it will most likely be subject to import
taxes and duty on the assumption it was purchased abroad.
Before taking or shipping household items outside Canada, it is advisable to speak with a CBSA
official to ascertain what documentation will be required to facilitate their ease of re-importation to
Canada.
Typical personal and household effects include (but are not limited to):
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Antiques
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Appliances
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Books
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Clothing and linen
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Family heirlooms
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Furnishings
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Furniture
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Hobby tools and other hobby items
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Jewellery
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Musical instruments
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Personal computers
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Private collections of coins, stamps, or art
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Silverware
General questions can be referred to the Border Information Service (BIS) at 1-800-461-9999.
U.S. Customs
In the case of U.S. Customs, household effects include furniture, carpets, paintings, tableware,
stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings. Tools of trade, professional books, implements,
and instruments that you have taken out of the U.S. will be duty-free when you return.