Crossing Canada Border With Alcohol

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rvandrew

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Jun 12, 2012
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We're getting ready for a trip across the Trans-Canada Highway, entering Canada through Washington state, ultimately dropping back into the US in time for Sturgis.  It looks like there are restrictions on "importing" significant amounts of alcoholic beverages into Canada; in a perfect world, we would be fully stocked for a 10+ day trip.  Am wondering what experiences others have had at the border: are we likely to be searched or winked at?
 
There are strict limits on importing alcohol into Canada.  However, you can exceed the limit by paying the "import tax" on the overage amount.  I was not told that at the border when I went to Canada last summer, and wound up shipping several bottles of good wine to a friend in WA state.  Later we found out that they could have been brought in.  I don't know how much the tax is, we were never told. 
 
Legal exempts limits from the Canadian Customs pamphlet " I declare":
You are allowed to import only one of the following amounts of alcoholic beverages free of duty and taxes:

    1.5 litres (53 imperial ounces) of wine; or
    a total of 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of alcoholic beverages; or
    up to 8.5 litres of beer or ale.

That said we we were not even asked, but we had none as we don't drink. Your experience could be entirely different.

Taxes vary by province, value of the wine and its alcohol content %.

The calculator I used show a $5.00, 750 ML bottle of 8% wine brought into New Brunswick would have a $5.00 fee for taxes and duty. http://www.canadiandutycalculator.ca/

ken
 
    Since most Provinces obtain a large portion of their taxes from "sin taxes" the importation of tax/duty free alcohol has been limited for decades.  However, you can buy virtually every brand that you might want in most Canadian locations.  Maybe, those restrictions are payback for Canada supplying the US with alcohol during the Prohibition era.  ;)  Tobacco is another similarly restricted product, and US brands are not as easily found in Canada.

Ed
 
We've been in Canada for three weeks and have been buying wine locally.  The prices are higher than in the US but no so much so that we've stopped drinking (we have 2 grandsons with us which does create a reason for imbibing!)  We're not all that snooty about our wine consumption and have found several higher quality "box wines" that are quite drinkable.  A 4 L box costs ~$41-45 which is at least 1.5x what it would cost in the US.
 
When we crossed the border, we had more wine than we were allowed. Since our tastes run to the cheapest good wine we could find, we were fully prepared to throw the excess away. When we were interviewed, we told the agent how much alcohol we had, he just waved us through. YMMV
 
An update:  We entered into British Columbia and declared that we had a cooler in the trailer that contained about 10 bottles of wine, 2 bottles of vodka and 4 bottles of beer.  Told the Customs agent that a previous phone call to Customs indicated that we could carry those beverages "in transit" if Customs sealed it up.  We were told that we had been selected for a general inquiry and had to park the motorhome and go inside the customs office.  We answered some general questions (most recent visit to Canada, current occupations, the last 3 places we had lived), and then were told to enjoy our brief visit.  We are enjoying the bottles of wine that we thought were going to have to be sealed before we returned to the States later this week.

So far have stayed in Revelstoke BC, Canmore BC (Trans-Canada 1 has been repaired and no delays there) and Cochrane AB (outside of Calgary).  Spectacular scenery, weather in 70s.  On to the plains in Alberta and Saskatchewan tomorrow.
 
    A must see is the Drumheller area, the Badlands, Hodoos, and particularly the Royal Tyrell Museum.  It was one of the highlights of our western trip last year.

Ed
 
Agree with Ed. The Royal Tyrrell museum is incredible. We went there this week with our 9 and 10 year old grandsons. The exhibits are really interesting and learned so much!
 

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