# Canada (CA) **Capital:** Ottawa **Currency:** Canadian Dollar (CAD) (CAD) **Population:** 41'500'000 **Area:** 9'984'670 km² > Canada is a resource-rich trading nation with gateways to the Pacific (Vancouver, Prince Rupert), the Atlantic (Halifax) and via the St. Lawrence River (Montreal). Vancouver is the largest port (around 3.5 million TEU). Customs is processed electronically through the CBSA system CARM, mandatory since October 2024. Import GST is 5 percent. Canada is integrated through CUSMA, CETA and CPTPP; for Switzerland the Canada-EFTA agreement (since 2009) is relevant. Canada (CA) stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic and is a resource-rich trading nation serving as a North American gateway: the Pacific ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, Halifax on the Atlantic and Montreal on the St. Lawrence River connect world markets with the USMCA internal market. Canada forms the CUSMA free trade area with the US and Mexico; CETA with the EU, CPTPP in the Pacific region and the Canada-EFTA agreement with Switzerland also apply. CBSA customs clearance runs electronically through CARM, Canada's permanent system for customs accounting and duty payment since 1 January 2026. Import GST is 5 percent; several provinces instead levy HST of 13 to 15 percent. The main cargo airports are Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR) and Montreal-Trudeau (YUL); the largest port is Vancouver with around 3.5 million TEU. Key corridors are the Windsor–Quebec corridor (Highway 401), the Trans-Canada Highway and the transcontinental rail networks of CN and CPKC with the Asia gateway Prince Rupert–Chicago. Main exports are crude oil and natural gas, grain, timber and metals; the most important trading partners are the US, China and Japan. **Top Import Partners:** US, CN, MX, DE, JP **Top Export Partners:** US, CN, JP, MX, GB **Top Import Goods:** Fahrzeuge, Maschinen, Elektronik, Mieralöle, Pharma **Top Export Goods:** Mineralöle, Fahrzeuge, Holzprodukte, Getreide, Metalle **Key Airports:** - [Calgary International Airport (YYC)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/calgary-international-airport-yyc) - [Edmonton International Airport (YEG)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/edmonton-international-airport-yeg) - [Halifax / Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/halifax-stanfield-international-airport-yhz) - [Montreal / Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/montreal-pierre-elliott-trudeau-international-airport-yul) - [Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/ottawa-macdonald-cartier-international-airport-yow) - [Quebec Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/quebec-jean-lesage-international-airport-yqb) - [St. John's International Airport (YYT)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/st-johns-international-airport-yyt) - [Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/toronto-lester-b-pearson-international-airport-yyz) - [Vancouver International Airport (YVR)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/vancouver-international-airport-yvr) - [Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/winnipeg-james-armstrong-richardson-international-airport-ywg) **Key Seaports:** - [Canaport (St. John) (CA CPT)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/canaport-st-john-port-ca-cpt) - [Halifax (CA HAL)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/halifax-port-ca-hal) - [Montreal (CA MTR)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/montreal-port-ca-mtr) - [Vancouver (CA VAN)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/vancouver-port-ca-van) - [Argentia (CA NWP)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/argentia-port-ca-nwp) - [Hamilton (CA HAM)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/hamilton-port-ca-ham) - [New Westminster (CA NWE)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/new-westminster-port-ca-nwe) - [Pond Inlet (CA PDI)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/pond-inlet-port-ca-pdi) - [Port Hawkesbury (CA PHW)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/port-hawkesbury-port-ca-phw) - [Prince Rupert (CA PRR)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/prince-rupert-port-ca-prr) ## Customs & Import **Import VAT:** Einfuhr-GST 5 Prozent (Bundessteuer) auf Zollwert plus Zoll **Customs complexity:** niedrig bis mittel **Customs system:** Elektronische Abwicklung über das CBSA-System CARM (seit Oktober 2024 obligatorisch). Importeure benötigen eine CRA-Business-Number und ein CARM-Client-Portal-Konto; Einreihung nach dem Canada Customs Tariff. **Customs authority:** [Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)](https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/) ## Logistics & Risk **Logistics role:** Rohstoff- und Handelsnation mit Pazifik- und Atlantik-Gateways (Vancouver, Montreal); enge USMCA-Integration mit den USA **Economic area:** USMCA (CUSMA) **Logistics risk:** niedrig **Dangerous goods relevance:** mittel **Pharma/cold chain:** mittel bis hoch ## Sources & Last Verified - [https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/](https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/) - [https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/carm-gcra/menu-eng.html](https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/carm-gcra/menu-eng.html) - [https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/guide-3-eng.html](https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/guide-3-eng.html) - [https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses.html](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses.html) - [https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/index.aspx](https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/index.aspx) - [https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/efta-aele/fta-ale/index.aspx](https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/efta-aele/fta-ale/index.aspx) - [https://www.portvancouver.com/](https://www.portvancouver.com/) - [https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/subjects/population_and_demography](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/subjects/population_and_demography) *Last verified: 2026-07-19* --- *Freight Academy — Country Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ca](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ca)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/country/en/ca](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/country/en/ca)*