Raise duty-free limit for Ukraine
Petitioners ask Canada to raise the duty-free limit for packages from Ukraine to at least CAD $150. The government responds that targeted exemptions and de minimis rules provide relief and limit broader increases.
Why we would sign this petition
- Would reduce customs costs for Ukrainians receiving used personal effects, lowering immediate financial burdens during resettlement.
- Would align Canadian treatment with Ukraine's duty-free threshold and the petition's trade and humanitarian aims.
- Would simplify cross-border family support and reduce reliance on case-by-case exemptions or temporary remission orders.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Raising the threshold could widen the de minimis exemption, risking revenue loss and unfair competition for Canadian retailers, as the government notes.
- Higher thresholds may overwhelm customs capacity and complicate duty and tax collection, increasing administrative burdens.
- Existing measures—gifts exemptions, settler allowances and the Ukraine Goods Remission Order—may address needs more precisely than a broad threshold increase.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Whereas: More than 200,000 Ukrainian nationals have entered Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program, fleeing war and seeking safety; Many of these individuals face significant financial and emotional challenges while resettling in Canada, including the high costs associated with importing personal belongings from Ukraine; Canada's current duty-free limit for international packages remains at just CAD $20, a threshold unchanged since it was lowered from $60 on September 1, 1992, under the Customs Tariff Amendment; Ukrainians are often subject to customs duties when receiving used personal items sent from family members in Ukraine, adding unnecessary financial burdens to already vulnerable individuals; The Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) aims to reduce trade barriers and facilitate humanitarian support, particularly for those affected by the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine; Ukraine currently allows duty-free packages from Canada valued up to EUR €150, which demonstrates goodwill and support for cross-border family and humanitarian connections; Raising Canada's duty-free threshold for packages from Ukraine would align with these shared trade and humanitarian principles and promote reciprocal support for Ukrainian families. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to raise the duty-free limit for packages sent from Ukraine to Canada to at least CAD $150.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Finance and National Revenue Signed by The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne Canada’s customs framework broadly allows for new settlers to Canada to import their own personal and household effects free of customs duties and taxes. New settlers can also declare goods that will follow their arrival to benefit from this framework. Additional information is available on the website of the Canada Border Services Agency at: www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-2-1-eng.html. For goods sent by others to these new settlers and other Canadians, there are a number of exceptions to the assessment of customs duties and the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax that can be utilized: Since 2017, Canada and Ukraine have benefited from open, liberalized trade in goods produced in our countries under the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. The free trade agreement was broadened in 2024 to enhance economic cooperation by covering additional areas, including trade in services and investment. The Government of Canada has also complemented the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement with the Ukraine Goods Remission Order since June 2022, which provides additional temporary and comprehensive duty relief to Ukrainian goods imported into Canada. This order provides a very broad scope of what qualifies as a Ukrainian good that can benefit, along with more flexible shipping options. This remission order may also be used for casual goods sent from Ukraine to Canada if the goods meet the conditions of the order, such as being made in Ukraine. Gifts or casual donations that are sent by foreigners abroad to residents of Canada, without any payment or other compensation, also benefit from an exemption from customs duties and Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax for goods valued up to $60. For goods valued more than $60, the first $60 is not subject to customs duties or Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax. For goods that are not a gift and for which there has been some form of payment, the de minimis framework may apply. Under this framework, goods valued at $20 or less imported by courier from countries other than the U.S. or Mexico, and by mail from any country, are not subject to customs duties or Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax. This framework balances the ability to import into Canada low-value parcels on an occasional basis with maintaining a level playing field for retailers in Canada, which must pay any applicable duties and taxes on goods they import for sale, and collect applicable sales taxes on goods sold in Canada, regardless of the value of the transaction. The de minimis framework is most commonly used with e-commerce purchases from foreign retailers. In May 2025, G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors recognized a significant increase in international low-value shipments being imported was creating a number of risks, such as overwhelming customs controls and duty and tax collection, revenue leakage, and inequity for retailers. While this issue is broader than the de minimis framework, some economies are reassessing their de minimis thresholds, with the European Union having eliminated its €22 sales tax exemption in 2021, and proposing to eliminate its €150 customs duty exemption as of 2027.