Commercial Cargo Shipping from Canada

LCL for small business: export from Canada without a full container

Samples for a buyer, spare parts for a machine abroad, a first order for a distributor, stock for a shop or goods for a trade fair: small exports rarely fill a container. A1 ships commercial cargo in shared ocean containers (LCL) from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to all 88 countries in the carrier's tariff, with the price shown before you book. Commercial cargo is accepted everywhere in the tariff, including the countries closed to personal effects (Bangladesh, Croatia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lithuania, Macedonia, Morocco, and Tanzania).

What fits the service

Cartons, crates and pallets of ISPM 15 heat-treated, stamped wood, delivered already palletized or crated.
A customs value of up to CAD 2,000 per consignment, written on the commercial invoice.
No dangerous goods: no aerosols, batteries, paints, flammable liquids or other regulated cargo.
A known importer at destination who can clear the goods and pay duties and taxes.

What one pallet costs

One pallet of 120 × 100 × 150 cm (1.8 CBM) weighing 350 kg, from the least expensive gateway to the least expensive destination of each country:

One pallet from Canada: total with all A1 fees and carrier transit
Country	Destination	Best gateway	Total, all A1 fees	Transit
China	Changshu	Vancouver	USD 392.15	40 days
Germany	Hamburg	Toronto	USD 519.30	17 days
United Kingdom	Southampton	Toronto	USD 455.73	18 days
India	Chennai	Vancouver	USD 582.88	48 days
Mexico	Veracruz	Toronto	USD 773.61	50 days
United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi	Toronto	USD 582.88	48 days
Japan	Hakata	Vancouver	USD 392.15	25 days
South Korea	Busan	Vancouver	USD 455.73	25 days
France	Bordeaux	Montreal	USD 392.15	21 days
Brazil	Santos	Toronto	USD 519.30	35 days

Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier before you pay. The ocean freight is paid in Canada when you book; for 17 countries, among them Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Cambodia, Colombia, and Croatia, the tariff accepts prepaid freight only.

Dense goods are charged by weight

The carrier charges by volume or by weight, whichever is greater. Most destinations convert at 1,000 kg per CBM, so a pallet of tiles or metal parts can cost more than its size suggests. Some destinations use a different ratio: 333 kg per CBM: Changshu (China), Chongqing (China), Christchurch (New Zealand), Wellington (New Zealand), Mahe (Seychelles), Bilbao (Spain), Valencia (Spain). 500 kg per CBM: Ostrava (Czech Republic).

Export documents

Commercial invoice: our commercial invoice (PDF), with seller and buyer, a clear description of each item, quantity, unit and total value, currency, country of origin and, ideally, HS codes.
Packing list: the packing list (PDF) with pieces, packed dimensions and gross weight, matching the invoice line by line.
Importer identifiers and certificates that the carrier conditions ask for. Today these destinations list one (in the carrier's own wording; the country page has the full conditions):

Bahrain: Canadian Representation, Certificate of Origin, Commercial Invoice, Special Certificates Required
Bangladesh: Consignee Business Identification Number (BIN) Required.
China: USCC or Tax ID Number Of Consignee Required; Enterprise Code (VAT, GST) Number Of Shipper Required; Hong Kong: USCC or Tax ID Number Of Consignee Required; Hong Kong: Enterprise Code (VAT, GST) Number Of Shipper Required
Cyprus: Commercial Invoice Required / CE MARK must shown on Cargo with CE Certificate of Conformity
Estonia: Commercial Invoice / Certificate of Origin Required; Import License / Sales Agreement Required
India: GSTIN / IEC / E-Mail ID Of Importer Required; Importer Exporter Code no. of the Importer to be indicated on HBL (IEC no. is a registration number allotted to all Indian traders / manufacturers who are in the IMP/EXP business)
Indonesia: Consignee Tax ID/HS Code Required on BL
Italy: Consignee EROI# is required
Netherlands: Consignee EROI# is required
Oman: Certificate of Origin And Commercial Invoice Are Required
Poland: Commercial Invoice / Certificate of Origin Required
Qatar: Certificate Of Origin Required
Saudi Arabia: Certificate of Origin Required
Spain: Consignee EROI# is required
Thailand: GSTIN / IEC / E-Mail ID Of Importer Required
United Kingdom: Consignee EROI# is required
Vietnam: Consignee Tax ID And HS Code Rerquired On BL

Canadian export rules depend on the goods and the destination: see official export links and commercial shipping documents.

Delivering the cargo

A1 does not pick up and does not palletize. You or your trucker deliver the cargo, palletized or crated and labelled with the consignee's name and city, to a receiving warehouse:

Toronto — Mississauga, next to Pearson airport. The natural start for Toronto, the GTA and the rest of Ontario. Priced to 238 destinations, and the least expensive of the three gateways for 119 of them.
Montreal — the east end of Montreal, on Notre-Dame Street East (Québec). The natural start for Québec, eastern Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. Priced to 238 destinations, and the least expensive of the three gateways for 23 of them.
Vancouver — Richmond, BC. The natural start for British Columbia and senders who want the Pacific routes to Asia and Oceania. Priced to 237 destinations, and the least expensive of the three gateways for 97 of them.

From Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg you hand the cargo in at the Fastfrate terminal in your city and the calculator adds trucking to the Montreal or Vancouver warehouse, whichever gives the lower total. From anywhere else in Canada (Ottawa, Québec City, Halifax, Victoria…) you or a trucking company you hire bring the cargo to the nearest of the three warehouses. Receiving hours are 08:00 to 16:00; the exact address comes with the labels after you pay.

What A1 does and does not do

A1 does: the instant price, the booking with the carrier, the check of your invoice and packing list against the destination's conditions, the labels and the contact until arrival. A1 does not: pick up or palletize; ship full containers, vehicles or dangerous goods; offer courier service; act as customs broker at destination; take consignments above CAD 2,000 in customs value. Air freight is quoted only on request.

Commercial cargo shipping by country

Each page has the country's rates for cartons and pallets, the carrier conditions and what the importer needs:

Every other destination: shipping destinations A–Z. Shipping your own belongings instead? See personal effects shipping.

Questions and answers

Is LCL worth it for a small business?

For a few cartons or one to three pallets, yes: you pay for the space the cargo takes, not for a whole container, and the price is known before you book.

What is the largest commercial shipment A1 takes?

A1 books commercial consignments with a customs value of up to CAD 2,000. There is no fixed volume limit, but heavy pieces and destination limits (for example a maximum weight per package) are checked with the carrier.

Who clears customs at the destination?

The importer, usually through a customs broker or clearing agent in the destination country, and the importer pays the duties and taxes.

Can A1 ship batteries, paint or chemicals?

No. Dangerous goods are not accepted, including aerosols, lithium batteries, paints and flammable liquids.

Rates valid through December 25, 2026; totals include A1 fees of USD 265.00. Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier, duties and taxes are paid by the consignee, and transit days are the carrier's estimate.