Border Crossing
Canada and Mexico are the largest purchasers of American-made goods among all countries across the globe. The North American free trade agreement (NAFTA) was created with the intention of simplifying cross-border shipping between these countries and the U.S. although the agreement has had great benefit for American trade, there are still restrictions and procedures in place that your freight forwarder should be aware of.
Nearly all shipping from the U.S. to Mexico and Canada is done by Truckload, but all freight still needs to be cleared through Customs. Because procedures between those two countries are vastly different, the forwarder you choose not only needs to be familiar with that country’s clearance procedures, but also needs to be prepared to deal with any bumps in the road.
In this circumstance, choosing a full-service forwarder versus one that strictly provides domestic transportation is a great option and is extremely convenient for the customer. A full-service forwarder specializes in both domestic and international transportation meaning that they are familiar with the most common (and uncommon) practices in cross-border customs clearance across the globe, enabling them to ensure your shipment is handled correctly and delivered on time.
Mexico
Required documents:
1. Bill of Lading
2. Commercial Invoice
3. NAFTA Certificate or Origin (for NAFTA eligible goods)
4. Customs Declaration
Canada
Required documents:
1. Bill of Lading
2. Manifest or Cargo Control Document
3. Canada Customs Invoice or Commercial Invoice
4. Import Permits
(if goods fall under Canadian OGD categories)
5. Shipper's Export Declaration (for controlled exports)