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What it costs to import from the US to

Forwarder fees, shipping, customs duty and GST/HST for a phone, compared across 6 US package forwarders. Cheapest estimated total first.

Duty
Phones, laptops, tablets, earbuds and smartwatches are duty free. Above CAD 150, clothing and shoes pay 18%, cosmetics 6.5% and most supplements 10.5%.
GST/HST
13% HST in Ontario, used here, on the price plus duty but not on shipping. Other provinces pay from 5% in Alberta to about 15% in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Duty-free limit
By courier from the US: no tax up to CAD 40 (about $28) and no duty up to CAD 150 (about $106).
Batteries
Used devices with lithium batteries cannot go by USPS, so expect DHL, FedEx or UPS.

Checked October 2026

Show totals in

Since 8 September 2026 Canada adds a 50% surtax on some goods made in the US, including cotton T-shirts, lip and eye makeup, smartphones and smartwatches, even under the CAD 40 and CAD 150 limits. Apple devices are made outside the US and do not pay it. This estimate assumes the item was not made in the US.

$600 phone to Canada, 0.3 kg (0.6 lb) Estimated totals include the item, US sales tax, forwarder fees, shipping, duty and GST/HST.
# Forwarder Courier Fees + sales tax Shipping Duty + taxes Total Link
1 MyUS Fedex Intl Connect10-20 days · From a quote CA$0 CA$25 CA$111 Shipping CA$25 · Fees and sales tax CA$0 · Duty and taxes CA$111 CA$988$695 Visit
Florida charges 7% sales tax in Sarasota, but this address is on the state list of certified forwarding agents, so sellers that apply the list do not charge it. A seller that ignores the list will charge 7%. Premium membership is free for 30 days, then $9.99 a month. This estimate assumes the free month.
2 Forwardme DHL Express1-3 days · From a quote CA$0 CA$46 CA$111 Shipping CA$46 · Fees and sales tax CA$0 · Duty and taxes CA$111 CA$1,010+CA$21 Visit
No sales tax in Delaware. Free membership and free package processing. Consolidation is $3.25 per package on the free plan; Premium, $9.50 a month, promises lower shipping rates.
3 Ship To Box DHL Express2-4 days · From a quote CA$24 CA$41 CA$111 Shipping CA$41 · Fees and sales tax CA$24 · Duty and taxes CA$111 CA$1,029+CA$41 Visit
No sales tax in Delaware. Free standard membership, $2 receiving fee per box, plus a $15 lithium battery fee on devices. Free consolidation.
4 Planet Express DHL Express Worldwide1-6 days · From a quote CA$3 CA$89 CA$111 Shipping CA$89 · Fees and sales tax CA$3 · Duty and taxes CA$111 CA$1,055+CA$67 Visit
No sales tax in Oregon. Planet Express also has a tax-free address in Fort Pierce, FL and one in Torrance, CA, where sales tax applies. Free mailbox, $2 mail-out fee per package. Consolidation needs Premium, $10 a month.
5 Shipito DHL Express2-4 days · From a quote CA$17 CA$79 CA$111 Shipping CA$79 · Fees and sales tax CA$17 · Duty and taxes CA$111 CA$1,060+CA$72 Visit
No sales tax in Oregon. Oregon is the default address for Premium members; free accounts default to Torrance, CA, where sales tax applies. Premium membership, $10 a month, for the tax-free Oregon address, plus a $2.25 processing fee per package.
6 Stackry DHL Worldwide Express2-5 days · From a quote CA$21 CA$80 CA$111 Shipping CA$80 · Fees and sales tax CA$21 · Duty and taxes CA$111 CA$1,064+CA$76 Visit
No sales tax in New Hampshire. No membership, $2 receiving fee per package, plus a $12.50 hazmat fee on phones and smartwatches. Consolidation is $3 per package.

Shipping comes from each forwarder's own calculator, quoted at 1 lb and 5 lb and interpolated in between, so it is an estimate, not a live price. Check the forwarder's calculator before you buy. Devices with lithium batteries only go by services that accept them, usually DHL, FedEx or UPS, so most postal and budget services are left out.

Buying a refurbished iPhone? Compare prices from US sellers

Before you buy a phone in the US

  • iPhone 14 and later models sold in the US have no SIM tray and work only with eSIM. Check that your carrier offers eSIM, or pick an iPhone 13 or earlier, which takes both.
  • Pick an unlocked phone. One locked to a US carrier will not work with your local SIM or eSIM.
  • Any charger in the box has a US plug, which fits most sockets in Canada.
  • The warranty and returns are the US seller's. The return window starts when the parcel reaches your forwarder's US address, and a repair or return means paying to ship it back to the US.

How Canada taxes this phone

Duty and taxes for the cheapest option above, in the order customs applies them.

Charge Rate Amount
Customs duty CA$0
HST (Ontario) 13% CA$111
Total duty and taxes CA$111

Importing to Canada: common questions

Do I pay duty on a courier parcel from the US?

Not up to CAD 150. Under CUSMA, courier parcels shipped from the US pay no duty up to CAD 150 and no tax up to CAD 40, wherever the goods were made, as long as they were bought and shipped in the US. Phones, laptops, tablets, earbuds and smartwatches are duty free at any value. Postal parcels only get a CAD 20 limit.

GST or HST: which tax applies?

It depends on where you live. The border collects 13% HST in Ontario, 14% in Nova Scotia and 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. Elsewhere it collects 5% GST plus 7% PST in British Columbia and Manitoba, 6% in Saskatchewan or 9.975% QST in Quebec. Alberta and the territories pay GST only. This estimate uses Ontario.

Is the shipping cost taxed?

No. Canada charges duty on the price of the goods where they leave the US, and GST or HST on that price plus duty. The courier charge from the forwarder to you is not part of either.

Will the courier add a fee?

Often, once tax is due. DHL charges 2.75% of the duty and tax it pays for you, at least CAD 18, if you have no DHL brokerage account. FedEx charges 3.1%, at least CAD 12. This estimate does not include courier fees.

Can I buy refurbished in Canada instead?

Yes. Apple sells Certified Refurbished products at apple.com/ca/shop/refurbished, and RefurbMe compares local refurbishers for the same models. Buying locally means local VAT is already in the price, the warranty is serviced locally and returns stay in the country.

Which forwarder is cheapest to Canada?

For a $600 phone weighing 0.3 kg (0.6 lb), MyUS comes out cheapest in our estimate at $695 delivered, using Fedex Intl Connect. The order changes with weight and item type, and shipping prices are estimates, so check the forwarder's calculator before you buy.

Can I use a forwarder to buy from Apple's online store?

No. Apple's US online store ships only to US addresses and cancels orders sent to freight forwarder addresses. Retailers such as Amazon, Back Market or eBay sellers are the usual route, and their return and warranty terms can change once a parcel leaves the US.

The same phone, shipped elsewhere

Cheapest estimated total for a $600 phone in each country we cover. Each country has its own page.

Sources

Rules checked in October 2026. Exchange rates from 1 Oct 2026, Rates By Exchange Rate API. RefurbMe has no referral deals with these forwarders; the order is always the cheapest estimated total.