As of July 1 2018, Mattresses and Pillows coming from the USA will be hit with a 10% tariff from the federal government when entering Canada.
Is it 10% of total price + normal duties or was it duty free and now it cost 10%?
Hi John667,
It looks like it will be charged 10% on the cost of the item when it hits the border. Mattresses that are made in the USA still fall under NAFTA and are exempt from duties until now. As a Canadian you will still be charged broker fees and your province’s taxes by the carrier to claim your package.
In the end we all end up paying for trade wars more here
All the best
Let’s say I buy a $1000 US mattress, how much should it cost total?
HI John667
The tariff on 1000$ should be 100$.
Other cost to consider if buying a mattress from the USA:
Convert 1000$ USD into Canadian = 1314$ (as of 4/7/2018)
Brokers Fees = from 75$ to 125$ depending on carrier
In order to fall under NAFTA and be exempt from Duties you manufacturer will have to send a certificate of origin along with the mattress, if not you’ll have to pay duties.
Finally provincial taxes that are around 15%
Did I answer all your question?
Please let me know if you need any further information.
All the Best!
Mario
Thanks, great information!
Hi John667,
You’re welcome!
Another point to consider:
If ever your mattress needs to be returned to the manufacturer for warranty issue, you will have to deal with paper work and brokers fees going in and out of the USA.
All the best!
Just to finish the math (correct this if it’s wrong please):
- price 1314.00 CAD (1000.00 USD)
- tariff 131.40 CAD
- broker fees 100.00 CAD (75.00 to 125.00)
- sales tax 197.10 CAD (assuming it’s just on the base price)
- duties 0.00 CAD (if no problems there, no idea how much they would be otherwise anyway)
Total: 1742.50 CAD
So…add around 75% to the US price!
Hi WhyIsMattressShoppingSoDifficult.
Thanks for chiming and adding your break down of mattress costs for Canadian shoppers. 
Phoenix
So just to confirm, as I’m considering purchasing a Sleep on Latex mattress and having it shipped to Ontario, Canada…
If they include a certificate of origin showing that it was manufactured in the US, I’m assuming NAFTA should still apply and thus, only HST to pay (no duty or customs). Is this correct?
Hi Charlieman,
Correct, no duties should apply, and they may require some other documents as well, depending on how you are shipping, but can include:
Bill of lading;
NAFTA Certificate of Origin;
Packing list;
Sales contract;
Proforma invoice;
AES filing;
Customs declaration; and.
Insurance policy.
The new 10% tariff should still apply
Brokers Fees = from 75$ to 125$ depending on carrier
Provincial taxes that are around 15%
Exchange rate which is around $1.34 at the time of this writing.
And if ever you run into some warranty issues and need to send the mattress back for repairs, you’ll need to provide some of this paper work, and pay the broker fees each time the mattress crosses the border.
Did I answer all your question?
Please let me know if you need any further information.
All the Best!
Mario
Here’s a 2021 update, because the exchange rate is super low right now and this is more relevant than ever.
I spoke with sleep on latex support and they confirmed that the 10% duties are not applied to their mattresses.
Same goes for Arizona Premium Mattress.
I spoke to the CBSA and they also confirmed the same, but they did mention if the mattress was from somewhere else there would be a 9.5% tariff.
Additionally the CBSA mentioned that it is possible to handle the brokerage yourself by telling Fedex/UPS in advance that you intend on doing this, and then going to the CBSA office to pay the duties & taxes once the mattress arrives, at which point they do their inspection and release the mattress back to Fedex/UPS to complete delivery.
So, you can expect to pay PST + GST alone if you play your cards right.
On a sleep on latex green queen mattress shipped to Toronto, the total is $1047 USD
which is $1268 CAD today.
+13% sales tax: $1433 CAD
Hope this helps someone else.
Just adding in here that if you wanted to skip the CBSA route and pay the clearance fee to Fedex/UPS it works out to about 60 CAD on a queen and 70 CAD on a king.
Hi ConfusedParent,
Thanks for the update, it’s great that they dropped the 10% tarifs.
From my calculation this is what I get in Canadian dollars as of June 12 2021
SOL (Sleep On Latex) Queen 8" latex mattress $1215
Approx. shipping $110
Fedex Brokers Fees $60.10 cnd
TOTAL: $1385.10 + HST $180.06 = $1565.16
It’s important to note from the SOL website:
Any additional shipping costs for international shipping, shipping to Hawaii or Alaska, or expedited shipping will not be refunded or credited towards an exchange. (I would assume that the HST and brokers fees are non-refundable on returned items from SOL or Fedex) Any additional charges for custom sized items will not be refunded or credited towards an exchange.
***Brokerage fees are not eligible for the FedEx Money-Back Guarantee. For details on the FedEx Money-Back Guarantee, see our Service Guide.
This give a clearer picture of the charges involved in ordering a latex mattress from the USA. Also on the potential extra charges you may face such as brokers fees and customs if you plans on returning it for an exchange or for warranty purposes.
All the best
Hi, we are looking at a Brooklyn Bedding aurora mattress. Shipping to Canada is $250.00. They said there are no additional costs. I am wondering if they are incorrect? The mattress is made in Arizona, and is approximately $1500 USD. Is there somewhere I can check on my own?
Thanks in advance.
Hi leighecoteach,
It’s often not very clear on all the extra charges that are involved when ordering from the USA and often a surprise when receiving the order. You can ask them if their shipping cost covers the “brokers fees” if not you’ll have to pay those as stated above. The GST, HST and other provincial taxes you’ll have to pay when you receive the mattress. As for duties or tarifs you can contact The Canada border services agency and talk to an agent about your import.
Good luck and please let us know what you had to pay,
Regards
Thank you. Will do.