The Fee Structure Isn't One Price
When an importer calls a customs broker in Montreal asking "what do you charge," they're asking the wrong question first. Broker pricing isn't like warehouse in/out rates posted on a rate card. It moves based on four variables: what kind of declaration you're filing (PARS pre-clearance vs. CAD after arrival), whether goods hit a CBSA exam or move straight to release, whether you need tariff classification advice before the shipment lands, and whether you're a one-off or an account with volume commitment.
Most brokers price one of two ways. Transaction-based pricing, where you pay per CAD filed or per import shipment cleared. Retainer-based pricing, where you pay a monthly flat fee (or quarterly) and the broker handles all your inbound clearances up to a certain volume or complexity cap. A Montreal broker handling port-of-entry cargo — stuff coming straight off a container at Port of Montreal — typically charges differently than one handling airfreight or truck cross-border because the stakes and timeline are different.
What Transaction Pricing Looks Like
Transaction-based brokers in the Montreal market typically quote you one of two ways: per-shipment flat fee, or a percentage of duties/taxes paid. A straightforward, pre-cleared import that hits the dock with a PARS release and zero exam usually runs CAD 150 to CAD 400 in broker fees, depending on complexity. That covers the CAD filing, tariff classification confirmation, and the coordination with CBSA to release before your container hits our dock.
If the shipment flags for a physical exam, add CAD 200 to CAD 600 on top of that. The broker has to coordinate with CBSA for the exam slot, ensure documentation is ready, and sometimes supervise the opening. A declared value of CAD 50,000 that draws duties and excise gets hit harder than a declared value of CAD 5,000 in the same product category. Some brokers tie a percentage fee to the duty/tax owing — anywhere from 4% to 8% of the duties calculated, so if your CAD shows CAD 10,000 in duties, that's CAD 400 to CAD 800 in broker fees on top of the declaration fee itself.
Retainer and Volume Pricing
An importer moving 20+ containers a month into Montreal typically negotiates retainer pricing. That ranges from CAD 2,500 to CAD 7,500 monthly depending on whether all shipments are straightforward electronics (low exam rate, clean HS codes) or whether you're importing apparel, kitchenware, or food products (exam rates run higher, classification disputes are more common). The retainer usually covers unlimited CAD filings and PARS submissions, but exam overages and specialist work (duty ruling requests, CITT appeals, tariff classification disputes) still invoice separately.
Retainer doesn't mean you're paying the same whether you move 10 containers or 50. Most brokers build in volume breakpoints: CAD 3,500/month if you're between 10–20 containers, CAD 5,200/month for 21–40 containers, and CAD 7,000/month for 40+. The broker is betting you stay consistent. You're betting classification complexity doesn't spike.
Hidden Costs and Add-Ons
Beyond the CAD filing itself, expect line-item charges for work that seems like it should be bundled but isn't. PARS pre-submission — the broker reviewing your invoice, HS codes, and declared value before filing — sometimes costs an extra CAD 50–100 per shipment if you're on transaction pricing. If your goods need a tariff classification ruling before import (e.g., you're importing something ambiguous under CETA and want advance confirmation of the rate), that's a specialist service: CAD 800 to CAD 2,500, plus 4–6 weeks turnaround waiting on CRA.
Bond adjustments cost money too. If your RPP bond (the cash or letter-of-credit security CBSA holds for your imports) needs sizing or restructuring, the broker coordinates with your bond provider and charges CAD 150–400 for that admin. K84 reconciliation (the annual account reconciliation form) runs CAD 200–500 depending on how messy your year was. Exam supervision is billed separately: CAD 300–600 per exam, sometimes higher if the examination takes multiple days or requires a specialist inspector.
Why Pricing Varies So Much
Montreal brokers price differently because they compete on different things. Some compete on speed and accuracy (they'll file a PARS release before your drayage driver even leaves Port of Montreal), which commands a premium. Some compete on tariff expertise and ruling work (they'll fight a duty assessment that saves you CAD 30,000), which justifies higher retainer fees. Some compete on volume discounts (handle 100 containers a month and your per-unit cost drops). A broker specializing in perishables (reefer containers, food imports, health inspections) charges more than one handling dry cargo only, because the compliance surface is wider.
The Montreal market also competes against brokers in other gateways. Port of Montreal importers sometimes shop rates with Toronto brokers or cross-border brokers at Windsor, though drayage costs usually make that math fail. Most importers end up using a broker within 30 minutes of Port of Montreal or 401 corridor because the coordination with our dock, drayage windows, and release timing is too tight to outsource to a phone call with someone across Ontario.
What You're Actually Paying For
Broker pricing isn't just paperwork. You're paying for someone who knows CAD filing requirements and CBSA release triggers. You're paying for them to catch a tariff misclassification before the shipment arrives so CBSA doesn't flag it for exam later (exams cost you 2–4 days of dock dwell and thousands in demurrage at Port of Montreal). You're paying for after-hours coordination when your shipment arrives Tuesday night and needs release Wednesday morning so your cross-dock cutoff doesn't slip. You're paying for someone to argue your duty assessment if CBSA gets it wrong.
If you're doing this yourself, in-house, you're not paying broker fees, but you're paying someone's salary to learn HS classification, CARM requirements, bond administration, and the CBSA's release-before-payment triggers. You're also paying in risk: a misclassified CAD draws penalties and delays that a broker eats as part of their professional liability.
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Getting Quoted and Negotiating
When you ask a Montreal broker for pricing, tell them your shipment profile: containers per month, top 5 product categories (or HS codes if you have them), declared values, whether you need tariff rulings, and whether you want PARS pre-clearance or post-arrival CAD. They'll quote you transaction rates and a retainer option. The retainer will always look cheaper per-shipment if your volume is consistent, but it commits your cash monthly. Transaction pricing is more flexible but costs more per unit if you're moving steady volume.
Pricing is negotiable, especially above 20 containers monthly. Most brokers will drop 10–15% off the published tariff if you commit to a 12-month retainer and you're clean (no exam repeat flags, no tariff disputes, no missing documentation). They won't drop much more than that unless you're moving 100+ containers or you bring them a complex commodity category where they know they'll get 2–3 years of steady work.
One more thing: if a broker quotes you a flat rate that seems too cheap (under CAD 100 per shipment for complex goods), ask why. They might be cutting corners on PARS review, or they might be betting you'll pay overages on exams and rulings later. We see importers get burned by that math every quarter. Learn more about Fengye Logistics. Learn more about warehousing services from FENGYE LOGISTICS.
Originally published at https://www.fywarehouse.com/news/what-customs-broker-montreal-pricing-actually-costs-a77feadd.
