Customs broker cost in Canada, and when you need one

Three ways to clear, three prices

Goods from China reach a Canadian importer through one of three clearances. The courier's own brokerage clears parcels and bills a fee on the duty and tax it pays; the four carriers' published fees are compared in brokerage fees in Canada. A licensed customs broker clears any shipment for the fee it sets. Or the importer files its own declarations in the CARM Client Portal and pays CBSA directly, at no cost beyond the duty and tax.

CBSA does not regulate what brokers charge; it calls their fees a private transaction. It does license them, and the list of licensed customs brokers is the place to confirm a broker before you sign its agency agreement.

What three brokers publish

• Clearit: C$85 per commercial entry by truck, courier or hand carry, C$105 by ocean or air, and from C$35 for a courier low-value shipment, each with 3 tariff codes and 1 invoice. Extra codes cost C$5 each, an extra invoice C$10, a government agency declaration C$15, and the disbursement fee is 5% of duty, taxes and other payables.
• Ambassador Customs: C$30 flat for a courier low-value shipment up to C$2,000 by UPS, DHL or FedEx; 1.5% of the shipment value for larger commercial entries, between C$50 and C$300. Five tariff lines are included, then C$2 each; a government agency filing adds C$10.
• ARGO Customs: C$20, C$30 or C$35 for low-value entries under C$2,500, by value band; 2.25% of value from C$2,500 to C$10,000 and 1.75% above, between C$50 and C$350. RPP security costs C$250 plus a C$50 service fee.

On a C$10,000 ocean shipment of coffee makers, the percentages come to C$150 at Ambassador and C$225 at ARGO. Clearit's flat C$105 becomes C$177.25 when Clearit also pays the C$1,445 duty and GST for you, at its 5% disbursement fee. Prices were read on the brokers' own pages on October 20, 2026, before tax.

When a broker earns the fee

A broker is never required: CBSA lets any importer prepare and submit its own declarations. A broker pays for itself when shipments arrive by ocean or air freight every month and each needs a commercial accounting declaration within five business days; when goods need a permit or a filing with another agency such as Health Canada or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; and when a product is caught by an anti-dumping case or the China surtax, where the tariff number decides a large amount.

A courier's brokerage is enough for occasional parcels with routine goods. Self-filing in CARM suits an importer with a few shipments a year and the time to learn the portal; the CARM step-by-step guide shows the work involved.

What the broker does not take off you

A broker prepares and transmits the declarations; the importer of record remains responsible for the tariff number, the value and the origin. The importer must correct a wrong declaration within 90 days of having reason to believe it is wrong, for up to four years after the goods were accounted for, and pays any duty owed with interest. Ask a broker who will check its classifications, and keep your own copy of every declaration.