Most border delays at trade shows don’t come from anything dramatic. They come from small things that were easy to fix a week earlier: a vague invoice, a missing value, a crate that nobody can match to a document. Here are the five we see most often, and how to get ahead of them before your freight leaves the dock.
1. Write a commercial invoice customs can actually use
Your commercial invoice is the document customs officers read first, so it needs to describe every item clearly. “Display materials” isn’t enough. List what each item is, what it’s made of, how many there are, where it was made and what it’s worth. Separate the goods that are coming home (your booth, signage, demo equipment) from the goods that are staying in Canada (giveaways, samples, product you plan to sell). Those two groups are treated very differently at the border, and in our experience, mixing them on one line is one of the fastest ways to get a shipment held.
2. Match your packing list to your crates
Number every crate, case and pallet, and make sure your packing list says what’s inside each one. If an officer wants to inspect a specific item, your broker should be able to point to the exact crate in minutes. Take a few photos of each crate as it’s packed. They help with inspections and they’re invaluable if anything arrives damaged.
3. Decide how your goods are entering Canada
Exhibit goods that are leaving again after the show can usually come in temporarily, without paying duties and taxes up front, as long as they’re exported again within the time allowed. That can be done with an ATA Carnet or through your customs broker, depending on your goods and your event. Goods that are sold, given away or used up at the show are a different story. Decide which route you’re using before you ship, not when the truck is at the border.
4. Flag anything that needs a permit
Some goods need extra paperwork no matter how briefly they’re in Canada. Food and beverage samples, plants, wood packaging, batteries, chemicals and some electronics can all fall under other government departments’ rules. If you’re not sure, list it and ask. It’s much easier to sort out a permit two weeks early than to pull a pallet off a truck on move-in day.
5. Lock in your dates and your delivery address
Every show has a window for freight. Your exhibitor kit will tell you whether to ship to the official advance warehouse or straight to the venue, and on which dates. Book your transport to arrive inside that window, label every piece with your company name, booth number and the show name, and give your broker the tracking details.
The short version
- A detailed commercial invoice that separates returning goods from goods staying in Canada
- A packing list that matches numbered crates
- A decision on temporary import versus full entry, made before you ship
- Permits for anything regulated
- Delivery booked inside the show’s freight window, with clear labels
Get these five right and most of the stress of shipping a booth across the border disappears.
How Cross Connect helps
Every item on this checklist is something Cross Connect does for exhibitors every week.
