How Much Is Duty from Japan to Canada? 2026 CPTPP Guide with Examples

Short answer: Japan and Canada are both members of the CPTPP, so most goods made in Japan enter Canada at 0% duty when you claim the CPTPP rate. Without the claim they pay the regular MFN rate — 6.1% on cars, 7% on tires and knives, 18% on clothing. You still pay GST (5%), and a few surtaxes apply to steel and wood cabinets from every country, Japan included.

Three things decide the bill: whether the goods originate in Japan under the CPTPP rules, whether you have the proof of origin, and the tariff classification.

1. The CPTPP rate: 0% on most Japanese goods

For goods that qualify, Canada applies the CPTPP tariff (CPTPT). On November 8, 2026 it is 0% on every product in the examples below:

Machinery, electronics and many parts are already duty-free at the MFN rate: for them the CPTPP changes nothing. The savings are on vehicles, consumer goods and clothing.

Dairy, poultry and eggs are different: the CPTPP gives Japan access through quotas, and goods over the quota pay very high rates.

2. What you need to claim it

• The goods must originate in Japan (or in the CPTPP area) under the product-specific rule of origin — usually a change of tariff classification or a minimum regional value content. Materials from other CPTPP members count toward origin. Clothing has a strict rule: in general, the yarn and fabric must also be made in a CPTPP country, so a garment sewn in Japan from Chinese fabric does not qualify.
• You need a certification of origin, completed by the exporter, the producer or you as importer. There is no official form; it must contain the required data elements. Keep it: CBSA can ask for it after the goods are released.
• The goods must travel to Canada without further processing. They can transit or be transshipped through another country if they stay under customs control there.

No proof, no preference: the goods pay the MFN rate. You can claim a refund later, within the time limit, once you have the certification. More on the agreement in our CPTPP guide.

3. Surtaxes that also apply to Japan

Canada has no surtax aimed at Japan, but some orders apply to goods from every country. In force on November 8, 2026:

• Steel derivative products — 25% (SOR/2025-267), on downstream steel goods such as screws and bolts.
• Steel above the quota — 50% (SOR/2025-148), on steel imported beyond the tariff-rate quota.
• Wood cabinets and vanities for permanent installation — 25% (provisional safeguard, SOR/2026-169), from July 31, 2026 to February 16, 2027. The CPTPP does not exempt Japan.

Japanese steel can also be subject to anti-dumping duty: check the SIMA list before ordering steel plate or sheet.

4. GST, HST and provincial tax

Tax is charged on the value for duty + duty + surtax:

• A business importing for its activity pays GST 5% at the border. In Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, a GST/HST-registered business accounts for the provincial part of the HST itself.
• A person importing for personal use pays the full rate at the border: HST of 13% to 15%, or GST plus the provincial tax — see the provincial tax guide.

5. Small shipments: CA$20

Japan is not a CUSMA country, so the CA$150 threshold does not apply. A shipment by courier or Japan Post / Canada Post is free of duty and tax only up to CA$20 (CA$60 for a gift sent by mail). Details in the de minimis guide.

Five worked examples

Commercial imports, GST at the border; rates computed by the TariffCalc engine on November 8, 2026.

1. A car made in Japan, CA$40,000 (8703.23.00), with a certification of origin

• Duty (CPTPP 0%): $0
• GST 5%: $2,000
• Total: $2,000 — without the certification: duty 6.1% = $2,440, GST $2,122, total $4,562. Vehicles also pay federal excise: $100 for air conditioning and, on fuel-hungry models, the green levy.

2. Cotton T-shirts, CA$10,000 (6109.10.00), yarn, fabric and sewing in the CPTPP area

• Duty (CPTPP 0%): $0 instead of 18% ($1,800)
• GST 5%: $500
• Total: $500 — the same T-shirts from China cost $2,390: see duty from China to Canada

3. Kitchen knives, CA$10,000 (8211.92.00)

• Duty (CPTPP 0%): $0 instead of 7% ($700)
• GST 5%: $500
• Total: $500

4. Car tires, CA$10,000 (4011.10.00)

• Duty (CPTPP 0%): $0 instead of 7% ($700)
• GST 5%: $500
• Total: $500

5. A used excavator, CA$10,000 (8429.52.00.92)

• Duty: $0 (already free at the MFN rate — no certification needed)
• GST 5%: $500
• Total: $500

Costs that are not duty

Ocean or air freight, insurance, the broker’s fee and the courier’s disbursement fee are not government charges, but they belong in your landed cost.

Get the exact figure for your product

Enter your product or tariff item, Japan as country of origin and your province in the TariffCalc calculator: it compares the MFN and CPTPP rates, shows what the certification of origin saves you, detects the surtaxes that apply and adds the right tax. Not sure of the code? Start with the HS code directory.