Even after several decades, the USA is still the number one trading partner with Canada. Even though Canadians have been working to diversify its exports, seventy-four percent of them still go to the United States and that’s a lot of containers going back and forth! New businesses and entrepreneurs frequently end up expanding their businesses into American markets, so the question does come up pretty often: how much does it cost to ship something to the USA?
There is no simple answer, although one source says that the cost is about $2.50 per kilogram. The truth is that the cost of shipping something to Canada involves small shipments or bulk and the method of shipping is also of prime importance:
Small Parcel Shipping
Even businesses occasionally ship a simple package that is under a hundred pounds. This can be done by companies like Canada Post, Purolator, or DHL.
So, what’s the difference? The truth is that, for anything being shipped inside Canada, your local post office will handle it if there’s no rush and a client is okay with it coming in three or four business days. This is the cheapest option for shipping small parcels, but of course, the true cost is time.
Privately-owned shipping companies offer many of the same services as the national post office, but they are also completely unsubsidized. They will get packages to a customer in as little as one day, but overnight delivery is, by far, the most expensive option at their desk.
International shipping companies do ship to the USA, as well. However, as big shipping companies that specialize more in international deliveries, they are also usually the most expensive option.
Bulk Shipping
Without this, there wouldn’t be any grapes in supermarkets or cars at dealerships! This is also where all of those extra options come in. Bulk shipping can be done by rail, by air, by truck, and even in a few cases by water! Here is what each involves and its pricing:
By Truck – This is the one more commonly seen by motorists commuting to work and was once the cheapest. For bulk delivery, gas prices over the years have made it a more expensive option than in the past, but it’s still one of the cheapest ways to ship bulk freight across the border.
A person can ship just about any type of freight across the border by road. Trailers now can transport dry goods, liquid, and even ones that require climate control. The pros of this one? Getting it across the border is easy and inexpensive. The cons? Shipping by truck is also the slowest way to ship something to the US from Canada!
By Rail – This is the most inexpensive route to travel when it comes to bulk shipping. Railways are more direct than standard freight and have few, if any, border issues. Shipping by train is also among the most dependable ways of getting freight to clients.
The only drawback is that, just like shipping by truck, rail is not very speedy. It will get there on time, and when it’s supposed to, but there’s no such thing as overnight delivery when it comes to the train in most cases!
By Water – Canada and the United States is known for having the longest undefended border in the world. That’s also why most of what goes between borders are across the land. It’s simply the easiest way to go, in most cases.
There are some exceptions to the rule, however. Washington State does ferry some freight to Vancouver and there are some provinces bordering the Great Lakes that send some of their freight across the water, as well.
For these short trips, there’s nothing wrong with shipping by water. It is more expensive than some other methods, but can also be more convenient when shipping from British Columbia or Ontario.
By Air – Need it there fast? The quickest way to ship overnight or within forty-eight hours is to put it on a plane! Even with the United States being Canada’s southern neighbor, both countries are still vast expanses that aren’t easily covered quickly by truck or by train.
So, for people who need it there now, air freight is the way to go. The pros of this are speed and ease. The cons of shipping by air are that it’s also the costliest, and not by any small margin.
In conclusion, shipping packages is cheaper by ground, but slower. It’s more expensive by air, but it will get there overnight. Shipping freight is much the same: slower by ground, but cheaper. It’s faster by air, but also costlier. Maybe at some point, it would make more sense for you to relocate with your business to Canada. In such a case, you may start with checking your eligibility for immigration, by calculating your Canadian CRS Score with a Canadian immigration points calculator. But meanwhile, you may go on searching for the most efficient option for shipping.
As to specific prices, there is no real answer to that question as every company has different rates. The best way to get an exact quote is to request one from one of the companies in Canada!