Let It Snow

Looking for some advice / experience in shipping our unopened gin and whisky collection in goods to follow, and what experience people have had with delay / extra checks at customs on goods arriving.
I’m going to inventory what we have and request CRA to advise what the tariffs will be in any event; may turn out to be prohibitive!
thanks in advance

Former Lancastrian

From CBSA D Memo D2-2-1

52. Settlers intending to ship alcoholic beverages to Canada (e.g., the contents of a bar or wine cellar) are advised to contact the appropriate liquor control board, prior to shipment, so that provincial fees and assessments can be paid in advance. In order to obtain release of the shipment in Canada, the settler must produce a copy of the provincial permit and pay all of the applicable CBSA assessments.

56. Excess quantities of alcohol and tobacco are subject to high importation costs as provincial fees and taxes are assessed in addition to the duties that apply. In some cases, provincial limits may also apply. An allowance will be given for products that are marked "CANADA – DUTY PAID • DROIT ACQUITTÉ" when border services officers calculate the amounts owing. Canadian-made products sold at duty-free shops are marked in this manner.

From Appendix A of D Memo D2-3-6
The minimal provincial liquor fees are assessed on all importations of alcoholic beverages entering Canada through provinces that have not reached a collection agreement regardless of the ultimate destination for consumption. The minimal provincial liquor fee rates are: 15¢/oz. for spirits; 5¢/oz. for spirit coolers; 10¢/oz. for wine/15¢/oz. for sparkling wine; 5¢/oz. for wine coolers; 5¢/oz. for wine; 5¢/oz. for cider; 1¢/oz. for beer.
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicat...-6-eng.html#a1

Provincial Alcohol Markup

12. Under the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act, provincial liquor boards have the sole authority to import intoxicating liquor. The quantities of alcohol a traveller can bring in must be within the limit set by the province or territory where that person will enter Canada. For more information, the appropriate provincial or territorial liquor control authority where the person enters the country should be contacted before arrival back in Canada.

Basically unless you have bottles of really expensive and hard to get stuff IMHO its not worth bringing it. Also you would be paying for it before you get the container or however it is shipped only then to find bottles smashed or frozen then good luck getting a refund.

Hurlabrick

+1

Waaaaayyyyyy more hassle than it is worth with alcohol (unless you are talking a heavy investment in cases of wine you have 'laid down' for a decade or so for investment purposes)!

And (not suggesting you would) do not attempt to 'hide' a few bottles in the rest of your shipping. I know someone who did and they found it all, destroyed it, fined him and put him on the CBSA 'sh*t list' for 5 years, so every time he comes back into Canada, he is always stopped and questioned.

Let It Snow

Engineer_abroad

Welcome to Canada's antiquated prohibition era liquor rules. Alcohol sales are controlled by the provincial governments because they are major revenue generators for the government and they are reluctant to let anyone else take away from that.

crofty82

As miserly as it sounds, does anyone know if it's as much hassle to import home-brew as it is to import a commercial collection? I brew my own mead because it's hard to find in shops and when you can find it, it's very expensive.

Obviously it's not a deal breaker.

Former Lancastrian

Its the same procedure although with home brewed alcohol you might run into more roadblocks. I won't get into What If scenarios as there are too many. Read post #2 carefully.
IMHO importing home brew would throw up more potential hassle as people call it. If the product is that good then why not just import the kits to make it and then brew it in Canada as opposed to importing the finished product.

crofty82

iceman4386

Would putting 2 bottles of wine in the Goods to follow pallet and also declaring on the list cause any problems or is any quantity of alcohol a no no?

Former Lancastrian

I highly doubt that 2 x 750 ml (26 oz) bottles of wine will cause any problems.

crofty82

It's something I intend to ask the shipping company about when the time comes. One or two of them say "No alcohol" on their website so worth an ask I think.

Former Lancastrian

But thats the shippers regulations not CBSA's.

crofty82

Good point. Ideally would be nice to find a shipper that would let me take a couple of bottles but as I say it's not a deal breaker. If a company that won't allow it comes in with a quote that is significantly cheaper than one that will, it's a no-brainer.

withabix

In 2013 when we came over, we distributed our drink stock throughout our goods to follow in the 40' shipping container which also had my Land Rover Defender in it.

Our container got a customs inspection in Montreal.

When the container arrived in Kelowna, all of our bottles were on the front seat of the Defender in a box.....as if to say 'found them!'