Procurement and customs
If you want to trade internationally, you need to know the customs tariffs (taxes on foreign goods), that are applicable to your products in the countries where you wish to export. Or if, on the other hand, you are exempted from these tariffs due to a signed free trade agreement.
Free trade agreements
Canada has signed numerous free trade agreements (bilateral and multilateral) from which Canadian enterprises can benefit. Here are some examples of the most important ones:
- Canada-United States- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)
- Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
- Canada-Korea Agreement
If you want to know whether Canada has signed an agreement with an specific country visit this website.
Certificate of origin:
If you are exporting products under a free trade agreement, you must complete and sign a certificate of origin to have preferential tariff treatment in the country of destination.
- Certificate of origin (only in french)
If you need more information, we invite you to visit the Canada Border Services Agency website.
Legal considerations
Whenever we do business we must consider the legal aspects; international business is not the exception. In fact, we must be even more careful since language barriers can cause misunderstandings and cultural obstacles can also arise. It is important to understand the laws of the country where you want to send your products, fulfill the conditions for the sale of goods and services, know the different protection mechanisms for intellectual property, as well as international standards, among other aspects.
For more information:
Credit Insurance
Business is not always 100% safe. A company may face different risks that can cause losses. In international trade we also face risks, and although we cannot always prevent them from happening, we can be prepared to minimize their impact.
One way to protect against risk is credit insurance, which protects your business from possible delinquencies.
International taxes and financing
We know that getting involved in an export project demands a lot of time and financial resources. However, you are not alone. The governments of Quebec and Canada provide sources of funding to support SMEs in different projects.
Want to know more?
Incoterms
Incoterms are international trade rules. They define the obligations of both, the seller and the buyer, during a commercial transaction. More specifically they help us determine:
- When and where does the risk transfer from the seller to the buyer
- The place of delivery of the goods
- Who contracts and pays for transport and insurance
- What documents are processed by each stakeholder and what are their costs
For more information, visit:
Transport and logistics
Delivering a product from the country of origin to the country of destination goes far beyond choosing the appropriate mode of transportation. It demands planning and logistics.
Logistics include packaging, storage, documentation, transport, among other important variables, to meet the customer expectations in a timely and cost-effective way as well as ensuring that the merchandise arrives in good condition.
For more information:
- Transport and logistics (only in French)
Market entry strategy
Although it is possible to enter a new market on your own, sometimes we need a partner to support us and guide us in our efforts. Take the time to study the different entry methods and the existing types of partners, to be sure of your options and thus, successfully conquer foreign markets.
Negotiation
Depending on the type of relationship you are going to establish on the country of destination, you must take into consideration the type of contract that will frame your relationships. On top of this, remember that cultural differences exist, and that the way of negotiating varies from one country to another.
If you need more information:
- The different types of commercial contracts (only in French)
- Commercial contracts examples
Export Pricing
When developing an export plan, we also need to think about how to set the selling price. There are many variables that we need to consider, among which we can find: production costs, including fixed and variable costs, export costs, the chosen positioning for the market, competitors, among others.
To find out more, we invite you to visit the following websites.
Statistics
Statistics help us make decisions. You can find information relating to the economy, society, the business environment, etc.
Do you want to know more? Visit the following websites:
Other export tools
If you are interested in exporting and would like more information, we invite you to visit the websites of the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada, where you will find step-by-step guides to help your business properly prepare for export.