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Introduction: Planning to Ship Food or Beverage Products from Canada to the U.S.?
Imagine you are a growing CPG brand and you’ve built a strong local following for your food or beverage product. Maybe it's cold-pressed juices, ready-made meals, gourmet sauces, or organic snacks. And now, U.S. customers are reaching out. Orders are coming in. You’re ready to grow your business.
But shipping food across borders comes with rules that go far beyond the standard rules and regulations. There are safety standards, paperwork, customs codes, and agency approvals you need to navigate. And for perishable or regulated items, one small error can lead to a full shipment being held or destroyed.
Learn what you need to be aware of as a Canadian seller to stay compliant when shipping food and beverage products to the United States.
Whether you're shipping refrigerated meals or shelf-stable condiments, this is the information that keeps your goods moving and your buyers satisfied.
Several U.S. government bodies oversee the import of consumable goods. Knowing who they are, and what they regulate, helps you avoid delays or compliance issues.
| Agency | Role in Import Process |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) | Oversees most food, beverage, and supplement imports. Requires facility registration, prior notice, and label compliance. |
| USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) | Regulates imports that include meat, poultry, eggs, or some dairy ingredients. |
| CBP (Customs and Border Protection) | Handles customs clearance and ensures your paperwork, classification codes, and duties are correct. |
| FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) | A division of USDA that handles inspections and labeling of meat, poultry, and egg products. |
If you are shipping granola, energy bars, bottled sauces, or even coffee, your product will fall under at least the FDA’s jurisdiction.
If there’s any meat or dairy, USDA and FSIS requirements may also apply.
Yes. Even if your facility is in Toronto or Vancouver and you're a small operation, you must register with the U.S. FDA before shipping anything for consumption. This rule applies whether you manufacture, process, pack, or store food for U.S. customers.
This registration must be renewed every two years. Not registering properly can result in your goods being detained or added to an Import Alert list, which blocks future shipments until corrected. Additionally, all food and beverage shipments entering the U.S. require a prior notice submission to the FDA before arrival. This lets the agency know what is being imported and when.
Prior Notice must be submitted at least two hours before your shipment reaches the border. Submitting too late is a common mistake and can lead to automatic rejection or extended holds.
If you're using a co-packer or third-party fulfillment center, make sure their facility is also registered. Otherwise, your shipment may be denied entry.
Missing one document can cost you an entire shipment. Here are the core documents you need when shipping food and beverage products cross-border:
| Document | Why It Matters |
| Commercial Invoice | Lists product details, value, and sender/receiver info. Required for customs clearance. |
| FDA Prior Notice Confirmation | Required for all consumables. Must be submitted before the shipment reaches the border. |
| Packing List | Describes the physical contents of the package. Helps customs inspect efficiently. |
| Bill of Lading or Waybill | Issued by the carrier to track the shipment. Must match the commercial invoice. |
| Certificate of Origin (when applicable) | Verifies the country the goods were made in. May help qualify for tariff benefits under CUSMA/USMCA. |
Make sure all details across documents are consistent. If you list one product description on your invoice and another on the prior notice, your shipment will be flagged.
Labels are more than just design. They are legal identifiers.
To enter the U.S., your product label must meet FDA standards. This typically includes:
The smallest detail can trigger a problem.
For example, Canadian sellers often use bilingual French English packaging. While this works in Canada, your U.S. label must clearly present mandatory details in English.
If your food product has any health claims, like “low sugar” or “gut-friendly,” make sure those claims meet FDA definitions. Unverified or misleading claims can result in fines or rejected shipments.
For clarity, here’s a side-by-side example of compliant and non-compliant labels:
| Label Type | Compliant | Non-Compliant |
|---|---|---|
| Language | All mandatory info clearly in English | Only French or bilingual but unclear placement |
| Units | 250g / 8.8 oz | Metric only (e.g., 250g) |
| Claims | “Low Sugar” – meets FDA thresholds | “Healthy” – not substantiated |
Even small oversights like skipping U.S. customary units or vague health claims can trigger delays or rejections.
Yes. Certain categories come with extra scrutiny.
It’s not one-size-fits-all. Review your product by category before you ship, or work with a logistics partner that specializes in cross-border food shipments.
Even experienced sellers slip up when scaling across the border. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid:
Without FDA registration, your shipment may be placed on Import Alert. This can prevent future entries and require corrective action before clearance is granted.
Prior Notice must be filed no later than two hours before the shipment arrives at the U.S. border. Filing too late can lead to automatic holds or destruction of goods.
U.S. regulations require both metric and U.S. customary units on food labels. For example, if your jar says ‘250g’, you also need to include ‘8.8 oz’. But it doesn’t stop at weight, labels must also follow U.S. formatting for nutrition facts, allergen listings, and serving size declarations.
Instead of writing ‘gourmet item’ or ‘snack pack’, specify ‘chia protein bars - 12 x 60g’ or ‘bottled turmeric tonic - 6 x 250ml’. This will help you avoid confusion and prevent delays.
Canadian food law doesn’t directly translate into U.S. compliance. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Area | Canada (CFIA) | U.S. (FDA) |
| Language | Bilingual (EN/FR) allowed | English mandatory |
| Units | Metric only | Metric + U.S. customary |
| Allergen Listing | CFIA list | FDA’s 9 major allergens |
| Nutrition Format | Canada format | FDA Nutrition Facts |
If your fulfillment partner stores or handles food products before they reach U.S. consumers, they’re legally required to be registered with the FDA — even if they’re based in Canada. This applies to most 3PLs, warehouses, or co-packers that “hold” food as part of your supply chain.
Shipments coming from unregistered facilities risk being detained or refused at the border by U.S. Customs. This rule comes directly from the FDA under the Food Facility Registration requirement.
These mistakes may seem small, but they are the reason many food shipments get delayed, returned, or even destroyed at the border.
Here are a few ways to make your food and beverage logistics smoother:
Not all couriers understand FDA and USDA compliance. Partner with a company like eShipper that can help you navigate the paperwork, labeling, and carrier requirements.
If you’re shipping multiple orders per day to the U.S., batch shipping lets you upload them all at once using a simple file. No need to process each order manually.
If you sell bundles (like a snack box or trio pack), ship them as a unit. This reduces customs declarations and handling errors.
Save templates for commercial invoices, Prior Notice submissions, and packing slips. Update them with each new product or batch.
If you're sending full cases or pallets of food, Less-than-Truckload (LTL) freight is often more cost-effective than small parcel shipping. It also gives better control over temperature and handling.
If you're shipping refrigerated meals or frozen products, use temperature-controlled shipping with reliable cold chain tracking. Include tamper-evident seals and internal temperature logs. Make sure your carrier is experienced with FDA requirements for perishable goods.
Avoid shipping perishables near weekends or holidays. Aim to ship Monday to Wednesday so items don’t sit in transit over the weekend. For time-sensitive goods, opt for overnight or 2-day service with guaranteed delivery windows.
Packaging plays a big role in customs clearance. Always use leak-proof, food-grade materials. Labels should be visible from the outside, and include inner documentation in a resealable pouch. For bundles or kits, make sure the packaging matches what’s listed on the invoice and Prior Notice.
A Toronto-based snack company selling protein bites started seeing rising demand in the U.S. They listed on a U.S. marketplace and began using a third-party warehouse to fulfill orders.
Their first few shipments were delayed at the border. Why? Their facility wasn’t FDA-registered, and they failed to submit Prior Notice.
After partnering with a fulfillment center that met FDA standards and working with a freight broker who understood customs, they streamlined the process. They now ship weekly batches via LTL, using eShipper’s network and documentation tools.
Their orders clear faster, they avoid inspection delays, and their customers get fresher products.
Cross-border food and beverage shipping from Canada to the U.S. involves more than just a good product. It’s about navigating regulatory frameworks, completing the right paperwork, and maintaining consistent quality from shelf to doorstep.
If you're a Canadian seller looking to expand into the U.S., invest time into understanding compliance. The process may feel complex at first, but with the right tools and partners, it becomes manageable and there is room for growth.
With eShipper, you get access to cross-border expertise, freight options, batch processing, and documentation support to help you ship with confidence.
Not always. If you're shipping direct-to-consumer (DTC), you can act as the exporter. But for wholesale shipments, a U.S.-based importer may be required
Only if the required FDA information is clearly presented in English. French-only labels will not pass.
You still need FDA Prior Notice and labeling compliance. Check if your product includes any restricted ingredients or claims.
