Export from India to Canada

Check the Indian exporter before paying the balance

Record the factory, invoicing company, and exporter separately if they are different businesses. Ask the supplier to confirm its applicable Importer-Exporter Code and export-document arrangements using DGFT guidance. Product-specific permissions need separate review; a general exporter registration does not approve every commodity.

Build the purchase file around the actual product: material, intended use, model, quantity, and manufacturing origin. Ask who will provide the commercial invoice, packing list, and export references. If an export agent appears late in the process, reconcile the names with the purchase order before collection.

• DGFT: Handbook on starting exports

Make the Canadian importer ready in CARM

CBSA requires commercial importers to have a CARM Client Portal account, a business number, and an import program account. A non-resident importer has a distinct registration path. Establish which business is importing, then arrange the appropriate broker delegation and accounting workflow before departure.

Do not put a transport provider's details into the importer field merely to finish a form. Confirm who receives customs requests, approves classifications, and pays the assessed amounts. Ask the broker whether release-before-payment arrangements are needed for this shipment rather than assuming its account covers yours.

• CBSA: Set up your business to import

Match the product file to the Canadian destination

For textiles, send fiber composition, garment construction, label artwork, and intended use to the importer for review. For machinery, send model numbers, technical specifications, power requirements, and any installation constraints. These are different purchasing decisions and should not share a generic goods description.

For food, plant, or animal-related goods, consult CFIA's commodity-specific import requirements before shipment. AIRS is a reference tool, not an approval for a particular consignment. Keep certificates and product descriptions aligned with the goods actually purchased.

• CFIA: Automated Import Reference System

Use packed measurements to choose the transport plan

Ask for dimensions and gross weight after export packing, including pallets or crates. Record whether machinery needs lifting points, whether cartons can be stacked, and whether the receiving warehouse can unload them. A product's net weight is not enough to compare air, LCL, and full-container options.

If the order contains a critical spare part and a larger replenishment shipment, ask for separate transport options before authorizing a split. Document which invoice lines move in each consignment and who absorbs extra handling. A split should solve an identified stock problem, not simply make the main quote appear faster.

Compare the landed handoff, not only the ocean leg

State the Canadian delivery postal code and receiving appointment requirements. Compare origin collection, international transport, customs services, destination handling, and inland delivery on the same basis. Record insurance premiums separately from brokerage and government charges.

Ask for quote validity, currency, exclusions, and responsibility for storage or changed appointments. Obtain shipment-specific duty and tax advice from the broker using the current Canadian treatment; do not substitute a U.S. tariff calculation. Keep estimated and confirmed amounts distinguishable.

What to prepare before requesting a quote

Send the Indian pickup address, exporter identity, Canadian importer and delivery location, cargo-ready date, product specification, packed dimensions, gross weight, and agreed handoff term. List unresolved permissions or importer-registration tasks. This lets the transport review start while procurement still has time to correct the order.