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Shipping Equipment to TRIUMF

Shipping address

The shipping address for equipment being sent to TRIUMF for testing at PIF & NIF is:

TRIUMF
6095 Nurseries Road
Vancouver, BC  V6T 2A3
CANADA
Attention:  M. Trinczek, 2024-PIFNIF

International shipping and importing goods to Canada

Here are short descriptions of all your options to import your equipment when you come to test at PIF & NIF:

  • Ordinary commercial import  - the simplest process - only for shipments valued below 10,000$CAD

You import your goods into Canada filling a Commercial Invoice, and pay all the taxes, duties and fees associated with the import.  Generally, this is 5% GST tax on the declared commercial value of the goods.  Duties and the 7% PST tax may also apply, but are not generally levied against scientific equipment coming for temporary use at TRIUMF.  If your company has a Canadian branch or a Canadian business number, they can be the importer of record (recommended).  Otherwise, TRIUMF will be the importer of record for your shipment.  If you want TRIUMF to be the importer, indicate so clearly on your commercial invoice and include on it:  "Canadian customs clearance to be done by Thompson, Ahern & Co. Limited, reference: 2024-PIFNIF".  They will process the customs clearance for you in TRIUMF's name, and you will be invoiced by TRIUMF for the associated brokerage fees, taxes and duties, if any.

  • Tax- and duty-exempt import

You can use one of the following mechanisms to import your goods into Canada for a limited time without paying taxes and duties.  Generally, some additional conditions need to be met when re-exporting and everything that was in the incoming shipment must leave Canada at the same time in a single shipment.  The options are, in order of preference:

    • ATA Carnet

An ATA Carnet is essentially a passport for your commercial goods, allowing free entry into multiple countries for the period specified on the Carnet.  It is important to note that goods that enter Canada with a Carnet must all leave Canada at the same time.  Steps to obtain a carnet depend on the country of the shipping entity.  Carnets are generally obtained through the national Chamber of Commerce of the originating country.  We recommend that you work wiith your carrier/logistics team to prepare a Carnet for your goods.  Make sure that the period of validity gives plenty of time for the radioactive cool down of your irradiated devices.  All items on a Carnet must travel together, so if you want to get your support equipment back before your irradiated parts have cooled down, you will need 2 separate Carnets.

    • SERO (Scientific Expeditions Remission Order)

Equipment to conduct a scientific expedition can be imported duty-free and GST(tax)-free for a limited duration if your company/institution and your test team members meet certain conditions. More information on the SERO process is found at this link. 

    • Temporary admission permit against a bond or a security deposit

Under some specific circumstances and if none of the other options are possible, you may be able to import your goods temporarily into Canada by paying a security deposit which is returned when the goods leave Canada.  Please consult with the TRIUMF Logistics team to make sure you qualify for this option.  It is not generally recommended as it is slower and has many more constraints and requirements than the other options.

TRIUMF's Logistics group and our customs broker can answer your questions about what option is the best for your specific shipment and circumstances.  You can find their contact information directly on the TRIUMF Logistics webpages.

How to write a commercial invoice

  1. On letterhead from your institution, title your letter Commercial Invoice. 
  2. Write your company’s Canadian import business number (BN) on the letter, if your company has one. Note that a Canadian BN is mandatory for the SERO process or for your company to be the importer of record of any shipment to Canada.
  3. Create a list of the goods you plan to ship to TRIUMF showing the quantity of each item, the country of origin for that item, and the dollar value of the goods. Country of origin is the country where the goods were made. For example if you ship a Sony Television purchased in the U.S. from the United States to Canada the country of origin is Japan.
  4. Tally up the value of all the goods in your list and write the total dollar value at the bottom of your list. State which currency you are using, for example state the value shown is in Canadian dollars, US dollars, Euros, or which ever currency is most convenient for you.
  5. Make a brief statement as to why the goods are being sent to TRIUMF. For example, to be used in an experiment and will subsequently be returned to the originating institution on a particular date.
  6. Sign your letter.
  7. Send us a copy of your commercial invoice and attach 3 copies to your shipping documents when you ship the goods.