Customs Broker Calgary: The U.S. Is Closer. But Is It Still Cheaper?

For decades, Canadian businesses could safely assume that buying from the U.S. was cheaper and easier than buying from overseas. The supplier was a truck ride away, and CUSMA compliant goods kept duty out of the picture. Most importers never ran the numbers because they never had to.

That assumption deserves another look. Kurt from our Calgary logistics team ran a real comparison, and the results might change how you source.

A truck from North Carolina can’t cost more than a container from Europe. Right?

Say you’re bringing in $30,000 worth of wood-frame chairs for a Calgary showroom. One supplier is in North Carolina, the centre of U.S. furniture manufacturing. The other is in Belgium.

Instinct says the U.S. wins. It’s closer, and there’s no ocean in the way. But distance doesn’t decide what you pay. Landed cost does: the purchase price, plus freight, plus duties and taxes. This year, the last two are where the surprises are.

Freight isn’t what it used to be

As of late October 2026:

• A 40-foot high cube container from Antwerp to a door in Calgary: around $7,000 CAD
• A dedicated truck from North Carolina to Calgary: $7,500 to $8,000 CAD

With diesel prices climbing, the truck from next door now costs more than the container from across the Atlantic. Transatlantic rates have held fairly steady, while rates from Asia have been a rollercoaster.

Duties and taxes: where the real gap opens up

CUSMA still covers regular customs duty on U.S. goods, but it doesn’t protect U.S.-origin goods from Canada’s counter-tariff surtax. Since September 8, 2026, certain U.S. goods carry a surtax of 15%, 25%, or 50% of the value for duty. Furniture is on the list.

European chairs that qualify under CETA come in duty-free and surtax-free, as long as you have proof of origin from the manufacturer. The U.S. manufactured chairs pay the surtax, and because GST is charged on a value that includes the surtax, they pay more GST too.

The landed cost, side by side

All figures in CAD as of late October 2026. Rates change with fuel prices, season, and trade policy.

That’s more than $16,000 extra for the same chairs.

This doesn’t mean Europe always wins. Many U.S. goods aren’t on a surtax schedule, and a truck arrives in days rather than weeks. But the old default no longer holds, and the only way to know is to run the numbers.

How to compare your own quotes

Line up each option on the same terms:

• Freight door to door, not port to port
• Duty, with and without a trade agreement preference (CETA or CUSMA)
• Surtax, if the goods are U.S. origin and on a surtax schedule
• GST on the full duty-paid value
• Insurance and transit time
• Proof of origin your supplier can actually provide

The cheapest quote and the cheapest landed cost are often two different shipments, as we covered in why the cheapest freight quote costs more than expected. Customs always comes with fine print, so talk to our team about your specific goods before you decide.

Where your Calgary customs broker fits

Ramsay handles freight and customs brokerage with one coordinated team, so the duty, surtax, and GST get worked out alongside the routing, before you commit. Ship it. Declare it. Store it.

Heading to Agri-Trade in Red Deer, November 11 to 13? Ramsay is the Official Logistics Supplier, and Kurt will be there all three days. Bring your quotes, or stop by our office for a coffee, and let’s talk it through.

For the official rules, see CBSA’s Customs Notice 26-23.

👉 Contact Ramsay today to review your customs documentation and reduce the risk of border delays.

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