That FedEx invoice which appears after delivery is what frame builders tell me about. It’s no joke. We do ship out to Canada via FedEx International Ground, FedEx International Economy, and DHL Express.
I like DHL because whenever I have a problem, they are quick to make sure they have a solution and I’m never caught in the endless phone transfers like FedEx.
Yep… made a huge order with someone last year and got slapped with a $450 bill… i dont know why i ever opt for Fedex. Sometimes I forget the pain I suppose.
I’ve always preferred DHL too. I get weird vibes when i get delivery from them sometimes. I had a DHL van run me over and pull me into a funeral parking lot underneath the van a few years ago. They were making a delivery there. Got a decent payout from them and an apology phone call from the CEO.
I’m soooooo sorry to hear what FedEx charges. That’s outrageous!
I think USPS is the best option for Canadians unless we’re doing mail forwarding. It takes longer but it gets handled off to our government run mail service with none of the crazy fees and only import duties.
Canada post isn’t perfect, but at least I’m supporting a government company and not some hyper capitalist one.
I’ve used this site to get an idea of what importers might have to pay:
We don’t ship USPS internationally because USPS contracts out international shipping. When the package enters the transfer station, I have no control over the package. It’s in the hands of the contractor. I don’t trust them and have seen packages be misdirected and even lost. It’s harder for me to make a claim, there’s a 30 waiting period before i can file.
So, it’s either good delivery and customer service, or inexpensive costs.
My ultimate goal is to get parts to the shops so everyone can make beautiful bikes.
Yes, this happened to me with a recent bike fab supply order. Sent via usps and went all over the USA before making it to Canada. Still, it saved me a lot of money. I understand it makes customer service harder for you.
Andrew @BikeFabSupply has allowed me to have a PMW order sent to him and then he includes it when mailing me stuff. Cuts down on shipping a lot but I try not to include stuff that he also sources, I don’t want to sully the relationship.
@terraformbicycles yes that was a strange one with USPS , and very rare occasion that it does happen, though the package did arrive a few days later after me finding out the problem and spending 2 hours bugging USPS and the contractor on the phone.
At BFS we ship internationally USPS , UPS , and DHL. I spend a lot of time on getting these done, extra time with filling out commercial invoices, and quoting all options to every order we do international , and this is weekly for me.
USPS for small/medium packages is usually pretty good, especially for more remote customers but delivery times are not consistent and customer service sucks big time. I do offer the option now available for prepaid duty and tax on First class and Priority mail , package has to be under 5lbs and less than 200$ , if it applies I will quote it to you , its like 7.50$ extra on first class mail or 10.95$ on priority mail. Just in case some of you did not know that. But it for sure can be worth it for some orders.
UPS has good base rates for ground around 29-43 dollars depending on location, up to like 12lbs packages , but on standard ground there is clearance charges start at total product value , 1- 40 should have no clearance cost, after 40$ base clearance charge is like 17.25$ , then goes up as the value goes up. If its a UPS expedite or world saver you are not to have these charges for base clearance. Now , there are a bunch of crazy fees that are related to Canadian Customs that I know some folks get pegged with and others don’t , so doesn’t always make sense and totally out of our control.
DHL has fairly good rates , and my agent is working on getting me better ones as I type this. I think the base rate for clearance is like 17.25CAD but depending on package value I think that can go up. If you have any insight from that to let me know I would appreciate it.
Any time I ship international I only quote the freight and give three options from the above and let the customer decide. I do not inflate this cost and I want it to be as cheap as possible to get you goods. I often get charged more than I quoted you sometimes as well , so trust me shipping companies will give it from both sides.
Also if you have your own UPS or DHL account I can ship collect as well , just put the information in the notes of an order if you prefer it that way. Reach out anytime with shipping feedback or questions , I want to be the best supplier for you all to the north.
Not only do you make the parts, it’s a full door to door service! I love it. This is proof that small businesses really do make the difference with customer service!
I may need to bring parts into Canada and sell on the black market this summer.
I go to Montreal a few times a year during the summer.
Can i place an order? Lmao
I could be convinced to take trip up north.
I ride kingdom trails a lot. Once I know I’m going up we can figure something out
Im in ottawa, not that far from the Kingdom Trails / Montreal. Probably on the way to Montreal for you.
I will be up there for sure on the July 4th.
Here is good link on DHL to show you possible cost for DHL customs clearance
For some of you it might make sense to contact DHL and sign up to have a DHL Brokerage account , which I do not think it cost anything, but will lower your clearance cost a little and possible they bill you versus immediate payment.
Also on canada tax , I am not sure if there is a way for me help avoid it by a certain HTS classification, on bike tubing/frame parts I use 8714.91.9000. Since y’all have 3 different taxes HST , GST ,PST not sure which one , or more than one they hit you with and I know that can vary by province.
Also is it true or not , if country of origin is USA , your not charge duyt/tax ?
Cheers Andrew , feel free to have me ship to people who can bring the good to you 
I really appreciate that you’re sharing your knowledge for shipping to Canada! Thank you so much!
I can’t comment on the quality, but I came across this site while looking for new abrasives supplier - they have some bare bones brazing rod which could be a good option for folks just starting up and wanting to practice. Low commitment option as it looks like you’re buying by the .5/1lb.
Side note they also carry 3m emory cloth in a good selection of grits.
On the topic of customs clearance, it is possible to clear packages yourself to skip the brokerage fees. It can be something of a hassle because you have to go to the customs office at the port of entry (In Edmonton, that means the international airport).
In the most simple terms, you can refuse to accept the package, but take the notification slip which tells you where it is located. With that, along with your order and shipping details, you can go to the customs office and pay the duties and taxes directly.
You take that payment information to the package place show them that duties are paid and you pick up your package.
I have only gone through the process a couple of times, but I have used the knowledge of how to do it to call and complain to fedex when the bill showed up weeks after the package was delivered. In my case, the package was dropped off without signature, so I argued that I did not agree to the charges and would have refused the package and cleared it myself. They agreed to lower the brokerage charges down from $35 down to about $8, which is worth not having to drive to the airport.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, it would be worth a shot to see if you can talk them down.
Canada crew,
I just ordered some flux by the case and am able to get gasflux type U and gasflux type B for $15/1lb jar. Canadian dollars - no exchange or duty. That includes the tax and shipping I paid as well.
I just tacked an extra case of each to my order so I have a dozen extra of type B and type U available for purchase.
Happy to sell individually at my cost, $15cad +add on shipping which might be the killer - cheapest option from CP is $21. So, $36~ish a jar. I priced out one jar of flux from both BFS and FBS which ends up as $52 with the shipping and exchange not including any duties. Not trying to undercut those fine folks, just trying to provide a decent in-country option.
I’m happy to offer local pickup if you’re in Vancouver area. I’m in Squamish, and will be in Vancouver for the builder meet up March 4.
Let me know here or by dm or email or whatever if you’d like some. Hopefully there is interest and I’m not sitting on an extra case of flux for a year 
!
I’ll message you. I think I need one of each 