Your freight forwarder for air and sea transport to and from Canada
Despite its relatively small population, Canada is one of the world’s major economies. The world’s second-largest country by area benefits from abundant natural resources. This is one of the reasons why Canada, known for the maple leaf on its flag, is of interest to German investors and international traders.
Your partner for imports, exports and relocations
Sea, Air, Transport & Service works with partners in the Canadian metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and the Atlantic port city of Halifax. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver together account for a substantial share of Canada’s population. Vancouver is Canada’s gateway to the Pacific, while Halifax is an important seaport for transatlantic traffic. These bases in different regions of this vast country enable us to serve a wide range of destinations and requirements by air or sea freight in Canada.
Vehicle imports from Canada to Germany and Europe
Toronto, Montreal, Halifax on the Atlantic coast and Vancouver on the Pacific coast are our handling gateways for vehicle imports from Canada. From these locations, we help customers export their vehicles to Germany and Europe through a straightforward, coordinated process. Vehicle imports from North America have long been one of our specialist areas and can be attractive to German buyers for a variety of reasons.
We offer support that extends beyond transport and related logistics services. Depending on the agreed service and its availability, this may also include assistance with local vehicle-payment arrangements, such as an escrow service.
A presence in Canada’s urban centres
Naturally, we also arrange transport for other imports, export business and relocations to and from Canada. Many German companies have subsidiaries, offices and employees in the country. You can rely on our established door-to-door service, with an emphasis on quality and fair prices. Local partners help us respond flexibly and promptly, combining different modes of transport to create a suitable solution.
Benefit from our expertise as an international freight forwarder and the long-standing experience of our Canadian partners. We are available to provide information and advice. Reach us through the contact form, by email or by phone. We will respond promptly and, where the necessary details are already available, prepare a quotation quickly.
Canada’s economy: historical figures from 2012–2014
Canada’s economy: historical figures from 2012–2014- in 2014, Canada had a population of 35.5 million and generated GDP of almost US$1.8 trillion, ranking eleventh in the historical comparison;
- income per person of US$50,577 in 2014 placed the country tenth in that historical ranking;
- Canada’s trade-to-GDP ratio was 50.3% in 2013. Exports of US$456 billion were set against imports of US$462 billion;
- the historical profile listed petroleum, vehicles and raw materials among major exports, with vehicles, machinery and chemicals prominent in imports;
- trade was strongly influenced by the neighbouring United States, which supplied more than half of Canadian imports and received over three-quarters of exports in the historical profile;
- Germany was listed as Canada’s fourth-largest supplier after the United States, China and Mexico in that profile;
- German exports to Canada amounted to €8.8 billion in 2013, while imports from Canada were €4.4 billion;
- German direct-investment holdings in Canada exceeded €12 billion in 2012, reflecting its relevance to German investors.
Selected airports:
|
Airport / seaport |
IATA code / UN/LOCODE |
City served |
|
Vancouver International Airport |
YVR | Vancouver |
| Edmonton International Airport | YEG | Edmonton |
| Calgary International Airport | YYC | Calgary |
| Toronto Pearson International Airport | YYZ | Toronto |
| Ottawa International Airport | YOW | Ottawa |
| Montréal–Trudeau International Airport | YUL | Montreal |
| Halifax Stanfield International Airport | YHZ | Halifax |
01. The right partner!
Benefit from our experience in transport to and from Canada.
Our extensive network in Canada and competitive terms make us a strong partner.
02. What do you need?
Germany–Canada trade route: east- and west-coast seaports and air-cargo gateways
Canada is an important overseas market for German exporters. Choosing the right destination port has a major effect on transit time and cost. For the east coast, our sea freight connections from Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Antwerp mainly serve Halifax in Nova Scotia, with an indicative sea transit of approximately eight to twelve days, and Montreal on the St Lawrence River, at approximately twelve to fifteen days. Montreal operates year-round and provides a gateway to Ontario and Québec, although winter ice conditions on the St Lawrence can affect transit. For the west coast and onward transport into British Columbia and Alberta, we ship to Vancouver and Prince Rupert. A routing via the Panama Canal may take approximately 25 to 33 days. We compare whether a full container load (FCL (German)) or a consolidated shipment (LCL (German)) suits your consignment and provide a transparent calculation. Our sea freight price calculator (German) offers an initial indication. We move time-critical goods by air freight from Frankfurt (FRA) to Toronto (YYZ), Montreal (YUL) and Vancouver (YVR). A pure flight time of approximately 8.5 hours to Toronto is an indicative example; confirm the actual schedule and complete shipment lead time.
Customs for Canada: preferential clearance under CETA
The EU and Canada have the CETA free trade agreement, provisionally applied since September 2017, which can reduce or eliminate customs duties on qualifying goods. CETA does not use EUR.1 movement certificates. Preferential treatment instead requires an origin declaration on an invoice or another qualifying commercial document. For EU exporters, where the value of originating goods in a consignment exceeds €6,000, the declaration must be made by an exporter registered in the Registered Exporter System (REX). At or below the applicable threshold, an exporter can make the prescribed declaration without REX registration. The correct wording and compliance with product-specific origin rules are essential; an ordinary certificate of origin (German) does not replace the CETA declaration. Canada is a third country (German) for EU customs purposes, so exports require an EORI number (German), the correct commodity code (German) (HS code) and proper customs clearance (German). We handle preference-related clearance and advise on REX requirements for the relevant trade flow.
Frequently asked questions
Which Canadian port can be reached fastest from Germany?
Halifax on the Atlantic coast is generally the closest of these gateways to Europe, with an indicative sea transit of eight to twelve days. Montreal is approximately twelve to fifteen days and provides access to Ontario and Québec. Vancouver on the west coast can take approximately 25 to 33 days via the Panama Canal. Actual timings depend on the selected carrier and route.
Do I need a certificate of origin to claim preferential duty when exporting to Canada?
An ordinary certificate of origin is not the CETA preference document. CETA uses a prescribed origin declaration on the invoice or another qualifying commercial document. For EU export consignments above €6,000 in originating goods, the exporter generally requires REX registration; at or below the threshold, the prescribed declaration can be made without registration.
Does SATS deliver customs-cleared consignments to the recipient in Canada?
Yes. Through our international freight forwarding service, we arrange door-to-door transport with customs clearance and agreed inland collection and delivery in the Canadian destination area. Import duties and taxes are accounted for according to the agreed delivery terms and the actual customs assessment.
Phone: +49 (0)89 1250 30 790