How to Import Custom Clothing to Canada: Step-by-Step Guide

How to import custom clothing to Canada: get a business number with an import-export account, register in the CBSA CARM portal, classify each style, and plan bilingual fibre labels before bulk. Most garments made in China carry MFN duty of roughly 16–18% plus GST/HST, and ocean transit usually takes 25–40 days.

Canada is a straightforward market for imported apparel once the setup is right, but most delays on a first order come from missing registrations or labels that were designed for the US market. This guide walks through the process in the order you actually need it, from the account you open before you place a purchase order to the documents you check when the container lands. It is general guidance, not legal or customs advice; confirm rates and rules with a licensed customs broker and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Step 1: Which accounts do you need before you order?

You need two things before goods can be released in your name:

1. A business number (BN) with an RM import-export program account from the Canada Revenue Agency. The RM account is what CBSA uses to identify you as the importer of record.
2. Access to the CARM Client Portal. CARM (CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management) is the system CBSA uses to assess and collect duties and taxes. Importers register, link their broker and manage payments or financial security there.

If you use a customs broker, you delegate access to the broker inside the portal. Do this early: a broker cannot clear your goods smoothly if the delegation is missing.

Step 2: How do you classify each garment?

Canada uses the Harmonized System, so the first six digits of a code match the US and EU, but the full Canadian tariff item is 10 digits and the rates are Canadian. Classification depends on:

• Knit or woven (chapter 61 or 62).
• Garment type, such as T-shirt, sweatshirt, trousers or jacket.
• Fibre content by weight, which usually decides the subheading.
• Gender and construction for some headings.

Ask your broker to confirm the code for each style during development, not after shipping. A blend change from cotton to polyester can move a style to a different line.

Step 3: What duty and tax will you pay?

Garments made in China receive the most-favoured-nation (MFN) rate in the Canadian Customs Tariff. China does not receive preferential treatment, so many apparel lines land at roughly 16–18% of the value for duty. On top of duty, you pay 5% GST, plus provincial sales tax or the harmonized sales tax depending on the province, calculated on the duty-paid value.

Illustrative only: on a value for duty of CAD 10.00 per hoodie, an 18% duty would be CAD 1.80. GST at 5% would then apply to CAD 11.80. Use your real values and codes for planning.

If you compare sourcing countries, check whether the origin country has a free trade agreement with Canada, such as CPTPP partners. Preference requires genuine origin under the agreement's rules and proper proof; it is not a label you can add later.

Step 4: Which labeling rules apply to clothing in Canada?

This is the step US-focused brands most often miss. Under the Textile Labelling Act and its regulations, consumer textile articles generally need:

• Fibre content using generic fibre names and percentages.
• English and French for the required information.
• A dealer identity: the name and postal address of the dealer, or a CA identification number issued by the Competition Bureau.

Care labeling is voluntary in Canada, but if you use care symbols, follow the Canadian care labeling standard. Make sure any "Made in" claim is accurate. For product-safety topics, such as children's drawstrings or sleepwear flammability, check Health Canada guidance under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act. Our care label compliance guide covers label content in more detail.

Step 5: How should you ship: ocean, air or courier?

West coast shipments usually enter through Vancouver or Prince Rupert; eastern deliveries often use Montreal or rail from the west coast. Our air vs ocean freight guide explains how to split a launch between modes.

Planning imported tees and hoodies? Send your tech pack or reference photos, target fabric weight and quantities through our quote request form, and see what we produce on the apparel importer programs page.

Step 6: Which documents should travel with the shipment?

• Commercial invoice with full fibre content, garment description, unit value and country of origin.
• Packing list that matches carton counts and marks.
• Bill of lading or air waybill.
• Any proof of origin if you claim a preference.

Check that invoice descriptions are detailed enough for classification; "T-shirts" alone often triggers questions. See our packing list checklist for field-by-field guidance.

Customs broker vs self-filing: which option fits?

Most first-time importers use a licensed customs broker. Larger importers sometimes file their own entries once they have systems and staff. The trade-offs are cost against control and risk.

Step 7: What compliance checks should you plan for?

Canada's Customs Tariff prohibits the import of goods mined, manufactured or produced wholly or in part by forced labour. Keep supplier and fibre traceability documents on file, especially for cotton. Larger entities may also have annual supply chain reporting duties under Canada's forced labour and child labour reporting law, so confirm whether your company meets the thresholds.

Step 8: How do you calculate landed cost?

Add together: the FOB price, freight and insurance, duty, brokerage, GST/HST (often recoverable for registered businesses, but a cash-flow cost), and domestic delivery. Compare suppliers on the same basis; our FOB vs DDP guide explains who carries which costs under each term.

Common mistakes on a first Canadian order

• Printing English-only fibre labels for the whole run.
• Leaving the dealer name or CA number off the label.
• Waiting until the goods ship to register in CARM.
• Using a vague invoice description.
• Assuming US de minimis or tariff rules apply in Canada.

How to import custom clothing to Canada: typical specs and key numbers

These are typical industry estimate ranges, not quotes; confirm actual figures with your supplier for your fabric, quantity and destination.

Key takeaways

• Open a business number with an RM import-export account and register in CARM first.
• Classify every style with a broker during development.
• Plan for MFN duty of roughly 16–18% on many China-made garments, plus GST/HST.
• Print bilingual fibre content and a dealer identity or CA number on every label.
• Keep traceability documents for forced-labour compliance.

Plan your first Canadian shipment

Weavnora can prepare bilingual label artwork, detailed commercial invoices and carton marks for Canadian importers. Browse our cost and pricing hub for landed cost planning, read our UK import guide if you also sell overseas, or contact us with your styles, quantities and destination province.

Have a tech pack ready? Upload it through our quote request form for a costed reply on imported tees and hoodies. Our apparel importer programs page shows what we make.