How to get freight to Mexico 

On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) officially replaced the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and brought new requirements for shippers looking to move freight across the U.S. border. Though these changes were designed to make importing and exporting easier for businesses, shippers must still follow important steps and regulations to get their freight through customs. Learn how shipping to Mexico works and see how ArcBest can help. 

Shipping freight between Canada and the United States

Moving freight across the U.S.-Canada border is essentially as easy as moving freight domestically: there are just a few extra steps involved. The biggest differences are working with a licensed customs broker and filling out customs documents. Working with a licensed and bonded carrier that is well-experienced moving freight across the border makes the process easy!  

Shipping freight to California

California shipping regulations differ from most other states. Factors like emissions, operating hours, shipment size and freight inspections come into play and can present challenges for shippers who aren’t aware and prepared. If you’re operating a commercial truck within the state or shipping oversized freight, international cargo, plants, produce or household goods, certain guidelines, licenses and permits may apply. Understanding and following the guidelines helps ensure compliance.

Shipping to Canada can be difficult for a shipper; it can even result in lost business without having a knowledgeable broker.

After a new customer began using ABF Freight to ship office furniture, Account Manager Jill Breen began talking about the customer’s Canadian shipments, and she explained ABF Freight’s capabilities into and out of Canada. She learned that if her customer’s Canadian customer did not have a broker, then they did not proceed with the sale. “It was simply a lost sales opportunity for them,” Jill said.

Shipping from the U.S. to Canada

How valuable is U.S.-Canada freight? It’s worth billions of dollars a month, with roughly 60 percent being carried by truck.

But what’s even more interesting is that the value of U.S.-Canada freight exceeds that of U.S.-Mexico freight — by several billion dollars a month.

Canadian Customs Information

Your shipments to Canada must clear Canadian customs before moving to their final destination, a maze that can stall your supply chain. The process is particularly cumbersome if you are not familiar with international freight forwarding and customs regulations.

Responsibilities Vary for Canadian Customs Compliance

When shipping to Canada, the shipper/exporter and the carrier have different responsibilities, and it’s important to understand the role of each one.

In the most simplistic terms, the carrier is responsible for the safe and efficient movement of goods from the shipper to the consignee.

Canadian Customs Compliance Shipper Responsibility

To ensure Canadian customs compliance, the shipper is responsible for providing: