Announcements
Effective August 29, 2025, the U.S. has removed the $800 duty-free threshold on imports into the USA.
As a result, all shipments entering the U.S. now require:
- Formal customs entry
- A Commercial Invoice
- Payment of duties and taxes
- Accurate HS codes and Country of origin declarations
Do you have a ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ shipments destined for the U.S.?
All shipments, including repairs, returns, samples etc. will require a formal entry to be admitted into the U.S.A. This may require a payment of duties and taxes upon U.S. entry processing.
. The following information will be required for processing:
- HS Code
- Value of goods
- Detailed description of goods
- Country of Origin / Country of Manufacture (not currency)
- Reason for export (Repair, Return, Sample etc.)
Expect delivery delays throughout the month of September as U.S Customs are initiating the new process.
¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Logistics is working with U.S Broker to develop a process, more information coming soon
Please contact logistics@queensu.ca for assistance with shipments destined for the U.S.
News
US tariffs and Canadian counter-tariffs are now in effect on a wide variety of goods crossing the border between Canada and US.
This includes products delivering to and shipping from Queen’s University (if applicable).
More Information and a list of affected products can be reviewed ,
Information to assist in the
General Tariff Information
Goods originating in the US and being imported into Canada may be subject to the Canadian counter-tariffs based on their Harmonized System (HS) classification. In addition to goods being shipped from Queen’s to the US may be subject to US tariffs.
Queen’s Strategic Procurement Services’ (SPS) Logistics team are working closely with the university’s customs broker to apply any applicable exemptions for imports. At this time, the US CBP are not extending exemptions, therefore 25% tariffs upon US Import will be charged, if applicable.
Despite and tariff relief, the tariffs and counter-tariffs on numerous HS Codes could potentially cost you an extra 25% of the shipment value.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind departments of the Ontario government’s Building Ontario Businesses Initiatives Act (BOBIA), where Queen’s is to buy Ontario goods whenever possible for purchases under $121,200 CAD. It is always best to consider buying Ontario/Canada whenever possible to minimize, duty and tariff implications.
The Strategic Procurement Services (SPS) team is reviewing purchases within acQuire and the credit card system and reaching out to departments where there are potential tariff implications. If you have any concerns or have questions regarding certain purchases or information noted on quotes regarding tariffs, we encourage you to reach out to the Business Services & Logistics team at logistics@queensu.ca.
If you have questions on whether exemptions or tariffs apply to your shipments, please contact logistics@queensu.ca with questions.
General Shipping and Export Information
¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Logistics Coordinators can assist you in preparing Shipping and Customs documentation, arranging transport and determining permit requirements to most countries.
Export reporting is required for all shipments valued at $2,000.00 CAD or greater or where the goods are subject to export controls. Any shipment subject to an export permit or license requirement must be reported to the Canada Border Services Agency prior to export.
It is the responsibility of the employee / shipper to determine whether export/import permits are required for their shipment.
Request for assistance can be submitted using the Shipping / Freight Request Form and emailed to the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Logistics Coordinator at logistics@queensu.ca. We may require up to three business days to process your request due to volume of inquiries.
Before you ship/export, you must determine who will be acting as importer of record into the destination Country and who will be paying for the customs clearance, taxes and/or duties.
Determine if items for export are on the , if the items are on the list you will need an export permit to be issued prior to exporting the goods from Canada. Shipments to foreign countries will require export documentation and compliance with regulations governing the importation of the goods or equipment into the country to which they are consigned. As an exporter Queens cannot apply for import permits into other countries, therefore it is recommended to ask the consignee or recipient of any import permit or license requirements for the destined country or specific commodity being shipped. Failure to include proper permits with the shipment may result in delays, seizure or forfeiture in the destination country.
Export Permits: You must ensure that the regulations cited under the Export and Import Permits Act for Canada are followed: It is the responsibility of the exporting department/person to ensure that the provisions of this Act are met.
All shipments require a commercial invoice. Three copies of the commercial invoice should be affixed on top of the box or pallet for the drive, another copy contained in the box or crate.
Country of Origin: The country of origin refers to the country in which the item was manufactured, not just where the item is coming from (ie, the country of origin is not Canada unless the item was made in Canada).
It is the Queens employee or shipper's responsibility to pack the shipment suitable for transportation and properly label the shipment. Please seek assistance in regard to transportation arrangements by contacting the SPS Logistics Coordinators logistics@queensu.ca
When biohazardous material is to be exported, or transferred from one lab to another within the University or elsewhere in Canada, it is now under the Human Pathogens Toxins Act and Regulations that the Biosafety Officer is informed prior to transfer. The Biosafety Officer will assist ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ personnel in their regulatory obligation to ensure that the recipient has the appropriate facilities to work with the material.
Please note: You are responsible for compliance: if your export item(s) require export permit(s) and are exported without the necessary permit(s), your item(s) may be seized by customs.
Import Permits: Determine if item(s) for export need an import permit in the destination country(country of import), if an import permit is needed, you may need to notify the importer of your exported item(s) to avoid delays to the shipment upon importation. The permit must be in their hand before the shipment is shipped.
Permits and Certificates
The came into force on February 26, 2025, and provides the Minister of Foreign Affairs with the authority to issue both individual and general permits in exceptional cases to allow specified activities or transactions that would otherwise be restricted or prohibited under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA). This Permit Authorization Order is applicable to all Regulations made under the SEMA, and repeals .
Export Sanctions are economic sanctions which restrict or prevent exports to specific countries or regimes.
A complete list of Export Sanctions and more information can be found at:
If you are considering shipping to a country with export sanctions, you will first have to check with . A full list of commodities that have export controls in place can be found on the website.
Table 1 - Summary of Export Prohibitions*
| Country | Source | Export Prohibition | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela |
dealing in property, wherever situated, that is owned, held or controlled by listed persons or a person acting on behalf of a listed person; entering into or facilitating any transaction related to a dealing prohibited by these Regulations; providing any financial or related services in respect of a dealing prohibited by these Regulations; making available any goods, wherever situated, to a listed person or a person acting on behalf of a listed person; and providing any financial or other related services to or for the benefit of a listed person. |
payments made by or on behalf of a listed person pursuant to contracts entered into prior to the coming into force of the Regulations, provided that the payments are not made to a listed person or to a person acting on behalf of a listed person; transactions necessary for a Canadian to transfer to a non-listed person any accounts, funds or investments of a Canadian held by a listed person on the day on which that person became listed; dealings with a listed person required with respect to loan repayments made to any person in Canada, or any Canadian outside Canada, for loans entered into with any person other than a listed person, and for enforcement and realization of security in respect of those loans, or repayments by guarantors guaranteeing those loans; dealings with a listed person required with respect to loan repayments made to any person in Canada, or any Canadian outside Canada, for loans entered into with a listed person before that person became a listed person, and for enforcement and realization of security in respect of those loans, or repayments by guarantors guaranteeing those loans; pension payments to any person in Canada or any Canadian outside Canada; financial services required in order for a listed person to obtain legal services in Canada with respect to the application of any of the prohibitions set out in these Regulations; transactions in respect of accounts at financial institutions held by diplomatic missions, provided that the transaction is required in order for the mission to fulfill its diplomatic functions under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, or transactions required in order to maintain the mission premises if the diplomatic mission has been temporarily or permanently recalled; transactions with any international organization with diplomatic status, agencies of the United Nations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, or with any entity that has entered into a grant or contribution agreement with Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada; and transactions by the Government of Canada that are provided for in any agreement or arrangement between Canada and Venezuela. |
It is strongly recommended that prior to shipping any shipments or commodities requiring a license/permit, shippers contact their consignees in Venezuela to ensure their shipments comply with the new regulations.
Shipments that do not comply with the regulations may be returned to the shipper at the shipper’s expense; experience clearance delays, and/or are subject to fine and penalties.
The information provided above may change without notice depending on Venezuela Customs interpretation or further regulation of the new Customs Statute.
References:
If you have questions please contact the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Logistics Coordinator at logistics@queensu.ca or x36950
Required Information for all Shipments of Non-Infectious Human Material
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulates the importation of human material which includes both infectious and non-infectious substances.
Non-infectious substances do not require import permits; however, since the regulation of these products was moved from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the CDC, additional documentation is required.
For shipments of non-infectious materials of human origin, the following information must always be provided on the customs documentation regardless of the value of the goods.
- Human origin
- Non-infectious
- Description of the material - blood, serum, plasma, etc.
- Source of the material - bone, tissue, organ, hair, etc.
- End use - diagnostic, transplant, etc.
Example of a good description - 'Human, non-infectious blood sample for diagnostic purposes'.
In addition, a signed statement attesting to the non-infectious nature of the material must be provided separately. The statement must be signed by the importer or the person responsible for the shipment.
This signed certification must contain the complete description of the material and how it is deemed non-infectious - either by rendering non-infectious, or not known or suspected to contain infectious material.
Download the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Non-Infectious Material of Human Origin Statement template (PDF, 62 KB).