Exporting/Importing Vehicle - US to Canada ONLY!

[DrewAP]

I've got a situation that hopefully someone can give me some clarity on.

I came to Canada as a visitor in September of 2017, applied for PR through Spousal Sponsorship in November of 2017, and landed as a permanent resident in November of 2018. When I had originally came over in September, I had brought the car that I owned (financed through Ford). Sometime in 2018, my registration had lapsed since I was not in the States to renew it, and since that time my car has been off the road. After fighting with Ford and TD for months as they wouldn't give permission to register here while financing, and TD gave me the runaround for financing the vehicle, I've finally secured a copy of my title that doesn't have Ford's name as a lien holder on it.

Now I've clarified with CBSA that for purposes of claiming the car as a settler's effect, having financed it before I had driven it over the border back in September 2017 would qualify as owning it, so I'm not too worried about that at the moment. What I am worried about is the fact that the vehicle isn't currently registered anywhere and I can't seem to find any way of legally transporting my vehicle to the border for export without incurring a heavy amount of fees, as ServiceOntario and CBSA are both telling me that the only way to get it to the border for export/import would be to tow it from London Ontario to Port Huron, MI (roughly 110km). Is there something that I'm missing?

 

[NW1]

Hello everyone, I had a question about my car import. I had imported my car from the US into Canada (BC) with me as a settler's effect and was not charged any duty on it. Now, for some reason I need to urgently sell my car that I had imported with me. However, I remember the CBSA officer at the border told me that I cannot sell my car for a year after import date because it is tax exempt.
It hasn't been one year since I had imported it. What sort of duty will I have to pay in order to sell my car before the 1 year is up ? The car was manufactured in the US and so I am assuming duty does not apply to NAFTA manufactured cars. What fees is due upon me selling my car ? The car was imported from WA, US to BC, CA.

 

[Canada2425]

Guys, I'm thinking of importing my wife's car on Monday.
I haven't not submitted the document to CBP (Ambassador bridge). I am thinking of sending the email to them today on Wednesday.

1. What all documents and information do I need to include in the email?
2. If I send the email today (Wednesday), can I import the car on Sunday eve/night? Or should I do it on Monday just to be safe (avoiding weekend)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[northern sunshine]

Guys, I'm thinking of importing my wife's car on Monday.
I haven't not submitted the document to CBP (Ambassador bridge). I am thinking of sending the email to them today on Wednesday.

1. What all documents and information do I need to include in the email?
2. If I send the email today (Wednesday), can I import the car on Sunday eve/night? Or should I do it on Monday just to be safe (avoiding weekend)?

Thanks in advance.

1) Check directly with them.
2) Check their hours. Most are closed on weekends.

https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/detroit-michigan-3801
See also "Detroit, Michigan" here.

 

[SAM09072019]

Planning to export my two cars to Canada as settler. Do I need two ITIN number, one for each car or one ITIN will work for both cars?

 

[spirit.varun]

Planning to export my two cars to Canada as settler. Do I need two ITIN number, one for each car or one ITIN will work for both cars?

dum dum qs : what is the difference b/w importing as settler (is it any different from importing when mentioned in GTF list)

 

[SAM09072019]

dum dum qs : what is the difference b/w importing as settler (is it any different from importing when mentioned in GTF list)

Settler is terms used by CBAP when you don't have GTF list submitted at the time of landing. we can bring anything to Canada as a settler ( when you have plan to live in Canada for long term).

 

[spirit.varun]

Settler is terms used by CBAP when you don't have GTF list submitted at the time of landing. we can bring anything to Canada as a settler ( when you have plan to live in Canada for long term).

Ah, I see, Checking if they would waive of duties if bringing car under settler (not mentioned in GTF list) <I apologize on digressing you from your original qs but appreciate your replies back>

 

[Alex54321]

Planning to export my two cars to Canada as settler. Do I need two ITIN number, one for each car or one ITIN will work for both cars?

I would say 2 ITN numbers, all rules I saw associate a vehicle (the vehicle) with ITN number. I do not see anywhere the plural terms, but you can call to US export office to clarify.
By the way I got that number for $35USD from https://simplifiedtradesolutions.com/ (last month) . It took 1 business day and all process is clearly described on their www. Notice that in their form the shipper ( U.S. PRINCIPAL PARTY (USPPI)) is you with US address and recipient is you again ( ULTIMATE CONSIGNEE NAME, ADDRESS AND TYPE ), but with Canadian address.

 

[Alex54321]

I would say 2 ITN numbers, all rules I saw associate a vehicle (the vehicle) with ITN number. I do not see anywhere the plural terms, but you can call to US export office to clarify.
By the way I got that number for $35USD from https://simplifiedtradesolutions.com/ (last month) . It took 1 business day and all process is clearly described on their www. Notice that in their form the shipper ( U.S. PRINCIPAL PARTY (USPPI)) is you with US address and recipient is you again ( ULTIMATE CONSIGNEE NAME, ADDRESS AND TYPE ), but with Canadian address.

One more thing going forward. I do not know what kind of car(s) you have, but in my case it was a 2016 Mercedes with only required RIV modification is Daytime Running Lights. Ok, never mind that I had like 3 weeks delay at local dealership to re-program the vehicle, what I am stuck with now is the Safety Inspection. The RIV inspection is done ( you have 45 days for that).

Again, I do not know the condition of your car(s), but they in Ontario follow the document- http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/trucks/pdfs/passenger-light-duty-vehicle-inspection-standard.pdf

In my case I needed to have new tires and Front Rotors with Pads in order to pass Safety Inspection ( Inspection is $159CAD from Mercedes dealer, could be $60-$80 from other shop). Well, if I knew, I would do these repairs in US.

The new Michelin tires in local Costco cost me $1,465CAD, the Rotors and Pads I've ordered and waiting from Amazon.com ($235US with my labor) - I do not know and do not want to know how much in Canada they will charge for brakes job. Also I am not sure that you will be able to order parts on Amazon.com with US shipping and pick up your parts in US. I can do that, since I live in the border city - Windsor, ON.

So, my suggestion again to do repairs in US.

 

[Rajan Arora]

STEP 5: Once the wait is over, be prepared!​

REMEMBER you need to FILE for export 72 hours prior to exporting your vehicle. In addition your vehicle is required to be in the states for 72 hours also before export. You can't have the vehicle imported or in Canada at time of export. They will inspect the car, so without a car no export. They will frown on this and there could be consequences.

Now, assuming you did as told from above. Drive/transport your vehicle to the port of export, which you chose, and within the hours of operation that you confirmed. Walk into the building and get your car exported.

STEP 6: At the US border, ready to export!​

Park your car in the visitor parking. Make sure you have your ITN number preferably on the document that has all of your information from AESDirect, you know the form I said to print out after confirming the submission of your filing. You can print the email you received, that should contain the ITN also. I did both to be safe. The officer I had loved the document that had the information on it. Was faster to confirm things. It took approximately 15 minutes. Time differs place to place and time of date.

STEP 7: Not over yet, on to the Canadian Border!​

Now once you have exported your vehicle it is time to get it imported into Canada. This process is pretty simple and requires less paper/electronic work. You know that export sheet I said to print, this will help you fill out the Form 1 document. If you already did the Form 1 online then don't worry about filling it out at the border. You can pay your fee online or in person or by snail mail. That is pretty much it. I am not going to cover the Form 1 because the officer will help you with that. Now depending on your landing situation, you will be done. ONWARD TO CANADA!!!

STEP 8: Exported and Imported, now what?​

ERRRRRR!!!?? Wait, you aren't done there. There are things to cover and do before you can register and insure it. Every province is different so visit RIV's website for the requirements. Take care of any modifications that need to be done first before taking it in for inspection. Get it inspected, don't forget Form 2 if you need it. Take both Form 1 and 2 to the choice of office to register and insure it. DONE! Woot!

P.S.
I hope you got your driver license before doing all of this. I heard it was a hassle if you didn't. Not sure if it is true, but I had my provinces driver license prior to all of this.

Good Luck to all of you!


DISCLAIMER: These are my experiences, so therefore meaning I am NOT a professional exporter, professional legal advisor, nor have I ever done this before. Everyone has a different vehicle and situation. What I hope to accomplish here is to help those in need of assistance to, well, Export/Import their Vehicles. Be free to add to or suggest changes to what I share so others can benefit from this. Thanks and good luck to you all.

Best of Luck!
Baffled

Thanks so much for all this information and I wanted to know do we actually need EIN # and register on ACE website for exporting as I saw an video on youtube and it says get ITN # and check the RIV site and there are couple of other steps after you land in canada?

 

[Alex54321]

Thanks so much for all this information and I wanted to know do we actually need EIN # and register on ACE website for exporting as I saw an video on youtube and it says get ITN # and check the RIV site and there are couple of other steps after you land in canada?

The https://simplifiedtradesolutions.com/ website ( that's where I ordered my ITN number for $35) is just asking your nationality, passport number, address where vehicle begins its journey to Canada , Address of destination in Canada and vehicle information. Nobody is asking for EIN number.

Also "In addition your vehicle is required to be in the states for 72 hours also before export. " - not true, just notification by email for 72 hours before export.

Also the formal export from US ( stamp in the Title) has nothing to do with Import to Canada ( getting Form1 from CBSA). What I mean by that is they just don't care about each other rules. As I said before in my treads, I did import first ( because of missing document for CBS) and returned to US export office next day to finish up export. Although, I had to explain to Canadian customs why I drive US plated car ( that second day) again to Canada. Just showed them that Form 1 and explained that I just started the RIV import process ( they give you 45 days).

 

[Rajan Arora]

The steps posted by OP Baffled are excellent, and I followed them to export/import my car recently at Lewiston bridge/Niagara falls. It saved a lot of time & hassle.

Here are some points from my experience:

1) Have all the car documents ready

- title (the most important document!!!)
- sale receipts
- registration and insurance (these should be already in your car)
- recall clearance (car must be imported in Canada within 30 days from the date of issue)
- car value (use www.kbb.com) -- this might be needed when registering on RIV online, or filling the goods to follow list
- optional: car history (use carfax.com) -- among other things, this gives you the state of the car (clear/salvage/rebuilt, etc) needed by RIV

2) Submit paperwork to RIV online

Checking that your vehicle is admissible for import in Canada is enough to import it at the border (after exporting it from the US). You can do the required modifications after the import.

So, check your vehicle's admissibility, get a checklist from RIV online to figure out which port you will be exporting/importing your car, create an account on RIV, and submit all the documents online, and pay the fees.

After this, you can download Form 1, which will be presented to the officer at the border at the time of import.

Note: Your address on Form 1 needs to be a Canadian address.

3) To export car from the US at Lewiston bridge, all that was needed was the ITN & VIN number to start the process. I consulted a broker to get the ITN number: http://www.autoexports.us/
They were pretty prompt at answering my questions, and making any changes to the export date.

After getting the ITN, I e-mailed VIN + ITN to the export office, who then sent me instructions on the next steps -- wait for 72 hours, and then come to the export office at the border between 8am - 4pm, Mon-Fri, off on holidays (times specific to Lewiston bridge export office).

4) For Lewiston bridge only, I learnt that Fridays are especially busy. So, I planned to cross the border in the middle of the week, on a Wednesday.

5) Getting to the CBP export office at Lewiston bridge

This was a bit confusing to get to. There is no definite address on google maps for it. You need to go all the way to the US border, make sure to slow down, and then take a big left turn. Do not miss this turn, otherwise you will end up in Canada , but won't be able to import the car

Here are some helpful pointers:

- set your GPS to: Niagara Falls Bridge Commision, 365 Military Rd, Lewiston, NY 14092, United States
- left at the light to go on Upper Mountain Rd
- immediate right ramp to Canada
- you will see a roadside sign telling you to take a left turn for the export office
- take that big left turn to get to the office

direct link to the image above:

http://imgur.com/Qm1UtSa

on google maps: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6970683

6) The export

The officer at the export office checked my status in the US, the title of the car, passport, and had a look at the car, and I was good to go. They did not give me any papers. Took about 10 min. After the export, you cannot stay in the US. You have to go straight to Canada.

7) The import

The officer took a look at the title of the car, my drivers license, and asked me it's estimated value. Then he stamped and wrote some details on the Form 1, and goods/goods to follow list, and I was good to go. As I had already filled out Form 1, and paid the fees (in step 2 above), this process was quick. Took about 15 min.

8 ) Post import

I am waiting to get a federal inspection form, after which I will get the required modifications, and finally a car registration, and a license.

thanks for the steps and I just wanted to know after getting the ITN #, do we need to get the EIN # and register on ACE website or ITN # is sufficient for this export a vehicle from USA to CANADA?

 

[Rajan Arora]

The https://simplifiedtradesolutions.com/ website ( that's where I ordered my ITN number for $35) is just asking your nationality, passport number, address where vehicle begins its journey to Canada , Address of destination in Canada and vehicle information. Nobody is asking for EIN number.

Also "In addition your vehicle is required to be in the states for 72 hours also before export. " - not true, just notification by email for 72 hours before export.

Also the formal export from US ( stamp in the Title) has nothing to do with Import to Canada ( getting Form1 from CBSA). What I mean by that is they just don't care about each other rules. As I said before in my treads, I did import first ( because of missing document for CBS) and returned to US export office next day to finish up export. Although, I had to explain to Canadian customs why I drive US plated car ( that second day) again to Canada. Just showed them that Form 1 and explained that I just started the RIV import process ( they give you 45 days).

thanks for the information!! I am ok with with why I got little confused because I dropped an email to NY CBP and checked the process, they asked me to register for EIN# and ACE website so that all information should match but when I checked it looks like i have nothing to do with that.

So when you did your export you took your ITN # and send that information to NY CBP along with title #, correct and gave the tentative date when crossing the border as I am not sure what's the final date for me to cross the border.

 

[Alex54321]

thanks for the information!! I am ok with with why I got little confused because I dropped an email to NY CBP and checked the process, they asked me to register for EIN# and ACE website so that all information should match but when I checked it looks like i have nothing to do with that.

So when you did your export you took your ITN # and send that information to NY CBP along with title #, correct and gave the tentative date when crossing the border as I am not sure what's the final date for me to cross the border.

OK, that's what I emailed to "my" export office ( To: detroitvehicleexport@cbp.dhs.gov) on June 17, 2020 with intent to export on June 23d, 2020.
After that email I got CBP Automatic reply back with generic information. I'll put their email below.

Notice that I've sent my email on June 17th with intent to export on June 23d.

My email:
Header: Export vehicle to Canada - VIN: 4JGDA0EB0GA******

From: *****@gmail.com Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 11:24 AM
To: detroitvehicleexport@cbp.dhs.gov

To Whom It May Concern,

This is advance notice of intent to export the vehicle from USA to Canada on Tuesday, June 23d, 2020 .

The vehicle is 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d,

VIN: 4JGDA0EB0GA******,
ITN: X202006*********

Please see attached a copy of clean Title # ********* (front and back).

Thank you,
Owner name
Phone

Automatic reply

DETROIT VEHICLE EXPORT <detroitvehicleexport@cbp.dhs.gov> Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 11:24 AM
To: ****** <*****@gmail.com>
There is a new process (explained below) for exporting self-propelled vehicles from the United States.


Effective October 3, 2014 the U.S. Census Bureau (Census) mandated the filing of Electronic Export Information (EEI) through ACE(Automated Commercial Environment) and in order to file/receive an ITN number, exporters will need to set up an exporter account in the ACE Portal via https://ace.cbp.dhs.gov/ acexpub/acexpub_Apps/ExporterAccountApplication/expForm.php. These regulations apply to all used-self-propelled vehicles.

Internal Transaction Number (ITN) is required to be completed and submitted for all mandatory AES filings 72 hours prior to export. Ownership documentation (Title) for used self-propelled vehicles must be submitted to Customs at least 72 hours prior to export (DETROITVEHICLEEXPORT@CBP.DHS.GOV).

Required Items: ITN number received through ACE Email sent to CBP with VIN number and ITN number 72 hours in advance

If you have any questions please see the references below or call 313-964-7191