Personal effects
Household goods and belongings, with a passport copy and a signed packing list.
Personal effects shipping ↗Three receiving warehousesToronto (Mississauga), Montreal, Vancouver (Richmond). You deliver; we book.
Price before you payOnline quote, destination charges confirmed in writing before payment.
Québec corporationA1 Freight Forwarding Inc., NEQ 1175598557. Email status at every step.
What we ship
Boxes, crates and pallets in a shared container
Ocean LCL: your packed pieces share a container with other shippers, and you pay for your volume (or weight, whichever is greater). Two kinds of cargo:
Personal effects and household goods
Boxes of belongings when you move, return home or send things to family. Passport copy and a detailed packing list; subject to carrier approval, and some countries do not accept them.
Commercial cargo
Cartons, crates and pallets for small businesses and exporters, with a commercial invoice.
General cargo only, under CAD 2,000 in customs value per booking. Air freight is not priced online; it is quoted by email on request.
Commercial cargo
Cartons, crates and pallets of goods, with a commercial invoice.
Commercial cargo shipping ↗
Ocean LCL explained
How a shared container works and how the price is calculated.
Ocean LCL shipping ↗How it works
Four steps from the price to the warehouse
01 / PRICE
Price online
Choose the warehouse and the destination city, enter the size and weight of each packed piece. The calculator shows the price of A1 Freight Forwarding Inc. with all its fees.
02 / DOCUMENTS
Request and documents
Sign the packing list in the form and upload a passport copy (personal effects) or a commercial invoice (commercial cargo) on your booking page.
03 / CONFIRM
Confirmation before payment
The carrier accepts the shipment and confirms the destination charges; you receive the full amount in writing and pay only then.
04 / DELIVER
Deliver to the warehouse
After payment you get the labels, the warehouse address and the delivery instructions. The warehouse measures the cargo; the final invoice is based on that measurement, and a difference in your favour is credited.
Prices from
What a shipment costs
Prices are per cubic foot and depend on the warehouse and the destination. The smallest shipment is 1 CBM (35.32 cu ft), higher on some routes as set by the carrier.
| Warehouse | Rate from | Smallest shipment, all A1 Freight Forwarding Inc. fees included |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto (Mississauga) | USD 2 / cu ft | from USD 320.64 |
| Montreal | USD 2 / cu ft | from USD 320.64 |
| Vancouver (Richmond) | USD 1 / cu ft | from USD 285.32 |
Popular destinations: United Kingdom from USD 3/cu ft · Germany from USD 4 · Portugal from USD 4 · Australia from USD 4 · Philippines from USD 2 · India from USD 5.
Destination charges are set by the carrier and confirmed to you before payment. Customs duties, taxes and clearance at destination are paid by the consignee. From Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg, the calculator adds trucking from a terminal in your city to Montreal or Vancouver. Prices valid through December 25, 2026.
Calculate your priceWhat is not included
So there are no surprises
No pickup
You or a mover you hire bring the cargo to the receiving warehouse.
No packing or palletizing
Cargo arrives crated or palletized on heat-treated wood (ISPM 15). If it is not, the warehouse can palletize it for its own fee, which you arrange and pay with the warehouse directly.
No delivery at destination
The shipment is delivered to the carrier's destination warehouse; the consignee collects it after customs clearance.
No customs clearance, duties or taxes
Clearance, duties and taxes at destination are paid by the consignee.
No dangerous goods
No dangerous goods, vehicles, food, plants, medication, alcohol or tobacco, weapons, cash or valuables.
Customs value under CAD 2,000
The customs value of one booking stays under CAD 2,000.
Price online. Drop off at the warehouse. Ship by sea.
Why us
Why ship with A1 Freight Forwarding Inc.
- A Québec corporation, NEQ 1175598557, head office in Montréal (Lachine), Québec; mail address in Toronto.
- The price before you pay. The online quote lists every A1 Freight Forwarding Inc. fee; destination charges are confirmed in writing before payment; the final invoice follows the warehouse measurement, up or down.
- Optional cargo insurance. Requested in writing before departure, 2 % of the declared value for personal effects, 0.6 % for commercial cargo, minimum USD 50. Without it, our liability is limited as set out in the Terms of Service.
- Written terms. Terms of Service with liability limits, claim periods and a Québec governing-law clause, published on the site.
- Status by email at every step: quote, carrier acceptance, payment, labels and delivery instructions, warehouse receipt, final invoice.
Destinations
Where people ship from Canada
The most requested countries, with the lowest rate per cubic foot from any of the three warehouses.
- United Kingdomfrom USD 3/cu ft
- Germanyfrom USD 4/cu ft
- Portugalfrom USD 4/cu ft
- Australiafrom USD 4/cu ft
- New Zealandfrom USD 5/cu ft
- Irelandfrom USD 4/cu ft
- Francefrom USD 2/cu ft
- Italyfrom USD 3/cu ft
- Spainfrom USD 5/cu ft
- Netherlandsfrom USD 3/cu ft
- Switzerlandfrom USD 4/cu ft
- Philippinesfrom USD 2/cu ft
- Indiafrom USD 5/cu ft
- Pakistanfrom USD 2/cu ft
- Sri Lankafrom USD 5/cu ft
- Lebanonfrom USD 6/cu ft
- Kenyafrom USD 4/cu ft
- United Arab Emiratesfrom USD 5/cu ft
- Japanfrom USD 2/cu ft
- Mexicofrom USD 8/cu ft
Common questions
Shipping, explained.
Do you pick up the cargo?
No. You deliver the packed cargo to the receiving warehouse in Toronto (Mississauga), Montreal or Vancouver (Richmond), or hire a mover to do it. From Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg you deliver to a terminal in your city and the calculator adds the trucking.
What is included in the online price?
A1 Freight Forwarding Inc.'s ocean freight for your volume (minimum 1 CBM, higher on some routes as set by the carrier) and all A1 Freight Forwarding Inc. fees. Destination charges are added only after the carrier confirms them, before you pay. Customs duties, taxes and clearance at destination are not included; the consignee pays them.
Can I ship personal belongings?
Yes, to most countries: boxes of household goods with a passport copy and a detailed, signed packing list. Each shipment is subject to carrier approval, and a few countries do not accept personal effects; the country page says so.
How must the cargo be packed?
A1 Freight Forwarding Inc. requires every shipment to be crated or palletized on heat-treated wood (ISPM 15), with the IPPC mark visible and one label on each piece. Loose boxes can be palletized by the warehouse for its own fee, arranged directly with the warehouse.
Is my cargo insured?
Only if you ask for it: cargo insurance is optional, 2 % of the declared value for personal effects, 0.6 % for commercial cargo, minimum USD 50, requested in writing before departure. Without insurance, compensation is limited as set out in the Terms of Service.
Articles
Shipping from Canada, explained.
Practical articles on documents, packing and routes, written for A1 Freight Forwarding Inc. clients.
Moving to the UK from Canada: Shipping Household Goods by Sea
How to send boxes of household goods from Canada to the UK by sea, with Transfer of Residence relief, the carrier's UK conditions and the routes from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Read the article ↗How LCL Sea Freight Pricing Works: Cubic Feet, CBM, Minimums and the Final Invoice
Why an LCL ocean quote is priced by volume or weight, what the minimum charge means, what destination charges are, and why the warehouse measurement can change your final invoice.
Read the article ↗How to Ship Personal Effects from Canada Overseas: Step by Step
Moving abroad with boxes of your own belongings? Here is how ocean shipping of personal effects from Canada works, from the quote to departure.
Read the article ↗Tell us where your cargo needs to go.
Price online in a minute, or email [email protected] — we answer in writing.