Shipping to Canada

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Bob, which province and airport is this animal flying into? I would ask the seller to contact Agri Canada and explain to them the scenario and ask them EXACTLY what will be needed at this end when the animal arrives in order to clear customs immediately. No quarantine is needed but I am sure that a vet must sign off for them to be released, I would think, since they aren't going through any land border per say. With shippers, as Marilyn mentioned, they pay bonded charges for the animal arriving into this country. I would think it's not as easy as just putting the animal on the plane and having it arrive and the buyer picking it up and off they go. If that were the case then it would be smarter for us all here in Canada just to have our horses flown in from the U.S. and have less hassle than coming through a land border crossing.
 
Well my adage in all of this is you are better off being safe than sorry so if it takes having a copy of a form sent in advance and it helps alleviate the wait and anything else at the border, than it's worth doing, cover all the bases is what I say so nothing can go wrong and your animal is released from the border in a timely manner with no undue complications of extensive time lapse.
 
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Thanks for all the wonderful information and the time and trouble the members went to obtain it. I will keep you posted as to the steps needed with the air shipments. Yes it is much better to be safe than sorry! Again, I really appreciate the information. Bob
 
Yes it would be interesting to know EXACTLY what you required Bob to ship into Canada. I believe Mona you shipped a few but that was oversees from Canada to Europe but I believe a quarantine is in order when shipping over to Europe. Mona, did the people at the other end have to use a broker? or because of the quarantine that was not necessary and other things come into play.

This is a very interesting thread for those of us who don't know and would love to find out what it all entails.
 
The requirements according to everyone I spoke with remain the same as they always have...that is, a current coggins(within 6 months) and a Permanent Export to Canada, (Form 17-145 Export/Health Certificate). No vet needs to meet you at the border, HOWEVER, currently, NO HORSES ARE ALLOWED IMPORT from Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado.
As for the PST Danielle, yes, there is PST(as well as GST) payable on horses imported for breeding, if the Canadian value is $1600 or more.
That is correct Mona!!!
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The health papers must be signed by the state vet before hand though. If the state vet has not signed them beforehand you can make an appointment to have them signed at the border.

Here's where it gets confusing...we(my family) bring our horses in as non-commercial therefore you pay GST and PST. If you are having horses come in with a commercial trucking company they must use a broker and you should not have to pay the PST as the are then considered commercial. The pre-approval stuff may apply to commercial haulers as they have to go through the broker. If you are shipping personally you can come through at any time even weekends and holidays because you are not required to see the vet. If you have anything that you need verified you can PM me and I can give you the phone number of Dr. King he is the Canadian vet at Queenston. Dr. King is awesome and will answer any and all questions you have-he is just the nicest man!!

Pam
 
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I have two horses coming up in a few weeks with Sharraways so when Debi Murphy told me about this post I got busy on the phone. I have spoken to Canada Customs at their main office, I have spoken to Canada Customs at the border crossing where I am meeting Sharraways, (Sweet Grass MT/Coutts AB; I have spoken to the vet who is at that crossing; and I have spoken to the Food Inspection Branch of Agriculture Canada. There is no change from the information we already have with respect to health certificates and bills of sale. There is absolutely no requirement for these documents or any other to be presented for prior clearance. They stressed the importance to me of all the documents accompanying the horses coming in to Canada be the originals, no copies.

They have no idea of how this requirement might have surfaced except to say if the shipper is one that also ships live cattle back and forth across the border then there are another whole set of requirements because of the BSE situation in both countries.

My heart beat has returned to normal now.
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Danielle_E. said:
Well I don't know then Mona what to tell you.  This is the information I received from the transport bringing my horse and Val's from the U.S., that pre-clearance is a necessity now.  It doesn't add to the cost it just adds to the time needed to get all this in order before the horse(s) arrive at the border to cross.  I never paid PST on Abby and she was over that $$ value you mentioned and they knew it was a mare so don't know or remember if they asked if she was going to be bred.  The only thing Marilyn mentioned of course was the GST and that I fully expected having to pay.  One way or the other I don't have to worry since you mentioned $1600 and this mare is way under that figure in U.S. or Canadian
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Danielle, if you have only dealt with commericial haulers, that would explain to you why the difference. These are things they require additionally, and would not be the same requirements as an individual such as myself bringing in a horse of their own.

As for the PST, no, when you got Abby, I don't believe the PST was in effect...it is something relatively new...not real new, but within the last year or two probably.
 
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Bob, I am ASSUMING that bringing a horse into Canada by air would be similar to that by land, in that as along as all of the paperwork is in order, and customs work has been completed, you would be clear to go. I doubt any vet inspections would be required, as none are required by land. You might want to contact the Airlines with whom you are shipping, and ask them the regulations and what will be required for release of the animal into Canada.

Danielle, when I sold overseas, each time, I really was not involved. The first 2 times, I had to take them to an "isolation barn/farm". This is not as strict as a quarantine, but the horses that will be flown overseas must be kept in a separate building so far from any other barns/horses for 30 days. All I did was drop them off there and the buyers agent took care of everything else.

The 3rd time I sold overseas, they went via isolation in Texas. Angie(Buck On Ranch) met me to pick up the horses, and she transported them along with some of hers, to the isolation barn in Texas, so I have no idea what goes on after they leave me.
 
justanothercowgirl said:
Here's where it gets confusing...we(my family) bring our horses in as non-commercial therefore you pay GST and PST.  If you are having horses come in with a commercial trucking company they must use a broker and you should not have to pay the PST as the are then considered commercial. Pam

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The way they explained this to me, is that any horses being brought in as "purebred for breeding" that are valued at $1600 or more Canadian Funds, are considered a commercial shipment(based on/because of the price/value), and therefore are taxable for GST as well as PST.

I registered for the Import Number quite some time ago so that I would not have to pay these taxes when importing my horses, since 99.9% of mine are bought in the US.
 
I just asked someone who brought a horse up into Canada from the US ( and this was just 2 or 2 1/2 weeks ago), a mature breeding stallion (Miniature) that would have been priced higher than the $1600 Cdn, and all he had to pay was GST.

Horse imports have never been subject to PST--we do not pay PST on horses purchased in Canada, so why would they assess PST on imports?--and apparently still are not subject to PST, based on what I was just told by this person.
 
Minimor said:
I just asked someone who brought a horse up into Canada from the US ( and this was just 2 or 2 1/2 weeks ago), a mature breeding stallion (Miniature) that would have been priced higher than the $1600 Cdn, and all he had to pay was GST. 
Horse imports have never been subject to PST--we do not pay PST on horses purchased in Canada, so why would they assess PST on imports?--and apparently still are not subject to PST, based on what I was just told by this person.

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It all depends on how they claim it too, I believe...if it is for personal use or business. Yes, there IS PST...at least here at the Rainy River, Ontario crossing, and I can provide you with a phone number if you would like to speak with them yourself.
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Well I have never paid PST on a horse crossing the border, not even on Blue and he was way up there in price. We did pay GST on him as well as Abby and I will be on Crystal but the tranporter again never mentioned PST and I spoke to Marilyn today and no there is no PST for myself or for Val to pay on our horses coming in but GST must be paid no matter the price of the animal. Val's two minis are over the 1600 Canadian range but she is not paying any PST.
 
We sold a little stallion to a gentleman in Nova Scotia a couple years ago. The Canadian Health Certificate took a little longer to process and was just a little more costly. I was fortunate that the Buyer came to our farm and picked the stallion up. All he requested was a Bill Of Sale, Canadian Health Certificate and coggins.

When this sale transpired I simply contacted my Vet and he knew exactly what paperwork our little guy needed for export.

Carol
 
Well, I am not going to keep arguing this. I just got off the phone with Customs again, to try and clarify this further. This will be my last post on this. I am not here to say whether or not YOU paid PST, or why, I am saying that according to the Customs people and their tarriff records, Horses=GST + PST

Commercial entries do NOT pay PST

Commercial = Business such as a farm or other business name etc.

LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING for PERSONAL USE = GST + PST

LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING - COMMERCIAL = GST

So, If I personally, as Mona Stone import a horse, as LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING, I am required to pay GST + PST

If I commercially import a horse, under "Last Chance Miniatures" LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING, I am required to pay GST

I was mixed up on the Commercial/Personal Value thing. The $1600 value does not matter if it is personal or commercial. If the animal's value is less than $1600 Customs does the entry and all paperwork. Once it reaches this $1600 value, it is up to the importer to complete the required paperwork. The form that needs to be completed is available at customs. I keep one(filled in) in my files as a "sample copy", along with other blank forms so I know how to fill it in each time. Then when I need it, I get it all filled in before I go to get my horse. All I need to do once I reach Customs, is to find out from them, the rate of exchange on that day, "borrow" their calculator to figure out the amounts, and I am all set.

These are the steps I follow because I bring my horses across personally. I do not have haulers bring them across the border for me. So Danielle and Mary Lou and anyone else that has the hauler carry your horse across, the requirements may be a little different, because of the commercial paperwork that may be required, BUT, as for what the horse needs to travel across into Canada, that the seller needs to send with the horse, it is just the Bill of Sale, the current coggins(within 6 months) and the current health/export papers on the required form with the required signatures of the required vets) within 30 days.

Danielle, I have a feeling that THIS may be what you are referring to, about the pre-clearance forms.
 
Mona, Marilyn mentioned to me and Val the word "pre-clearance". I have no idea what she mentioned to Mary Lou. Maybe because they are coming via a shipper how would the shipper answer the question "is this animal going to be used for breeding"? Not every mare of any of the equine breeds are being brought up here to be bred. Anyway I asked Marilyn about PST and she said no. In my case it doesn't really matter because I will give Marilyn my registered business number if there are any problems in that regard.
 
Mona said:

Well, I am not going to keep arguing this. I just got off the phone with Customs again, to try and clarify this further. This will be my last post on this. I am not here to say whether or not YOU paid PST, or why, I am saying that according to the Customs people and their tarriff records, Horses=GST + PST
Commercial entries do NOT pay PST

Commercial = Business such as a farm or other business name etc.

LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING for PERSONAL USE = GST + PST

LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING - COMMERCIAL = GST

So, If I personally, as Mona Stone import a horse, as LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING, I am required to pay GST + PST

If I commercially import a horse, under "Last Chance Miniatures" LIVE, PUREBRED for BREEDING, I am required to pay GST

I was mixed up on the Commercial/Personal Value thing. The $1600 value does not matter if it is personal or commercial.
That is exactly my understanding and my experience as well.

Mona Said:

These are the steps I follow because I bring my horses across personally. I do not have haulers bring them across the border for me. So Danielle and Mary Lou and anyone else that has the hauler carry your horse across, the requirements may be a little different, because of the commercial paperwork that may be required, BUT, as for what the horse needs to travel across into Canada, that the seller needs to send with the horse, it is just the Bill of Sale, the current coggins(within 6 months) and the current health/export papers on the required form with the required signatures of the required vets) within 30 days.
That is exactly the paperwork that we use as well, the same as you do Mona. I believe that if your horses come in on a commercial carrier they are automatically considered a commercial shipment and would then be subject to the requirements thereof.

We don't bring our horses in as commercial and we have ALWAYS paid gst and pst.
 
Mary Lou - LB said:
I think a lot of the different answers have to do with WHERE you cross.. and WHO you are TALKING to.. Each border crossing tends to have a different set of rules.. at least that is what I have found..
I knew someone that went through Detriot/Windsor with no problems what so ever.. then later went through Pt Huron/Sarnia and had problems with different rules.. So it just depends on WHO you are dealing with and if they are having a bad day or know what they are doing..

It is always best to call the Canada Customs at where you plan to cross..

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I couldn't agree more!!

Our experiences have been different each time, and I think it really comes down to the knowledge of the person you're dealing with on any given day at any given border crossing. Some know the rules, and some don't.
 

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