Your Guide to Bonded Sufferance Warehouses
Whether you’re new to importing goods or looking to up your importing game this year, having a solid bonded sufferance warehouse working for you may be the key to hitting those 2023 business goals. Bonded warehouses play an important role in keeping the movement of goods into Canada as easy and efficient as possible. Let’s take a look at how bonded warehouses work and what you should be looking for when choosing.
What is a Bonded Sufferance Warehouse?
A bonded sufferance warehouse is a privately owned storage facility regulated by the CBSA for short-term storage of imported goods that have not yet cleared customs. Shipments that are transported to these warehouses remain under customs control and only goods that have had security bonds posted are eligible to be stored at these warehouses for a maximum of 40 days.
However, there are a few exceptions that have reduced stays listed below:
- Perishables with a limited expiration day – Max 4 days
- Prescribed Substances – Max 14 days
- Firearms, weapons, and tobacco – Max 14 days
- Spirits – Max 21 days
When and Why Should You Use a Bonded Warehouse?
Businesses involved in trade activities would benefit from using a bonded warehouse including:
- Importers and exporters
- Tradeshow or exhibition presenters or companies that import goods for tradeshows and export those same products subsequently
- Companies that import goods and perform minor changes to them
- Companies that import goods for export afterward
There are many advantages to using a trusted bonded sufferance warehouse.
- You can defer paying all duties and taxes on goods until the goods are released for Canadian consumption or exported.
- Enjoy long-term storage of goods at a warehouse that offers a variety of warehousing options.
- Rest assured that your goods are kept safe and secure in a highly secured facility
- Take advantage of reduced shipping and processing costs by utilizing service options available at the bonded warehouse.
What should you be looking for when choosing a bonded sufferance warehouse?
- A One-Stop-Shop Process
You can choose multiple logistics partners to take care of your many shipping needs, but that would be far from the best choice. From transporting your container from the port of entry to a bonded warehouse and either storing the goods afterward or further processing and moving the shipment via LTL or FTL to its final destination, having one trusted partner to perform the entire process efficiently and seamlessly allows you to reap the benefits of not having to juggle multiple logistic partners.
- Experience and Up-To-Date
Time is money and having a bonded warehouse that is both an industry leader and well-versed with the changes in the logistics industry and regulations on a global scale helps to both minimize and mitigate risks. Given the ever-changing landscape that we’ve been used to for the past three years, pivoting and knowing when to do so often helps businesses dodge costly bullets.
- Provides a Variety of Services
Depending on the season of your businesses, you may not be needing additional services that a bonded sufferance warehouse provides at the moment. But, having those options available allows for flexibility if your business needs them. Warehousing, container trucking, LTL/FTL services, and access to rails may prove to be immensely valuable down the road, and having a trusted partner that you’ve already worked well with is always better than testing and finding a new one.
From LTL and FTL trucking, destuffing, packing, and palletizing, to short and long-term storage, having a one-stop-shop logistics partner working for you is the best option. Being a leading provider in container trucking and bonded sufferance warehousing in BC, we have authorized access to all major ports and rails in Metro Vancouver, 300 trailers, and equipment to fully support all our customers. From monitoring documentation issues and free time for demurrage and detention to securing the best reservations, we are here to provide exceptional customer service 24/7!
Our LTL (less than truckload) and FTL (full truckload) services are also able to transport your freight to major destinations across Canada including Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. Contact us at (604)-276-9044 or info@sandhartrucking.com to learn about how we can help you grow your business in 2023.