Everything you need to know about shipping from Canada to the US — DDP, Section 321, CUSMA, FDA compliance, country of origin, and labeling rules.
Shipping from Canada to the United States involves customs rules that affect every package. Whether you are shipping one order or thousands, understanding these rules helps you avoid delays, returned shipments, and unexpected fees.
This guide covers the key regulations and requirements that apply to all US-bound shipments through Stallion.
All US shipments through Stallion are shipped Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). This means that all duties, taxes, and customs fees are calculated and paid at the time of shipping — the recipient does not pay anything at delivery.
Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) shipments, where the recipient is responsible for duties at delivery, are no longer accepted for US shipments through Stallion. All US shipments must be shipped DDP.
DDP ensures a better delivery experience for your customers — no surprise charges, no refused packages, and no customs delays at the door.
Section 321 was a US customs provision that allowed low-value imports (under $800 USD) to enter the country duty-free under the de minimis threshold. Section 321 de minimis entry is no longer available as a shipping option through Stallion. All US shipments now go through standard customs entry with DDP, regardless of declared value.
The Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is a trade agreement that reduces or eliminates duties on qualifying goods manufactured in Canada, the United States, or Mexico.
If your products qualify under CUSMA, you may pay significantly lower duties — or no duties at all — on US shipments. To qualify, the goods must meet specific rules of origin, meaning they were substantially manufactured or transformed in one of the three CUSMA countries.
To take advantage of CUSMA benefits, you need to submit a CUSMA certification for your products. See the CUSMA Certification article in the Products & Customs section for step-by-step instructions.
Certain product categories — including cosmetics, skincare, food-contact items, and health-related products — require FDA and Partner Government Agency (PGA) data at the time of customs entry.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires this data as part of the entry process. If FDA/PGA information is missing or incomplete, your shipment may be:
Make sure FDA program data is submitted for all regulated products before purchasing labels.
US customs law requires every product imported into the United States to be marked with its country of origin. The country of origin is determined by where the product was substantially transformed — not just where it was packaged or shipped from.
If a country of origin is not specified for a product, China is used as the default. This may result in higher duties than necessary if your product actually originates from a CUSMA-eligible country.
Review your product catalog and set the correct country of origin for each item to ensure accurate duty calculations.
All products entering the United States must comply with federal labeling requirements:
Products that do not meet these requirements may be held, returned, or subject to penalties at customs.
Good to know: Review your product catalog and ensure that country of origin and labeling are set correctly before shipping. Fixing these details after a shipment is in transit is not possible.
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