Duty on Jewellery From the US to Canada: A US$3,000 Bracelet Lands at CAD 4,946 or More
The bank rate is only the start. Where the piece was made decides the duty, your province decides the tax, and the courier and your card each take a cut. Here is the full arithmetic, from the rules in force on October 14, 2026.
The author is the founder of Draco Diamond, which sells lab grown diamond jewellery in Canadian dollars, delivered duty paid. Rules and rates come from CBSA, the Customs Tariff and carrier fee pages, read October 14, 2026. This is general information, not tax advice.
A US$3,000 bracelet costs CAD 4,267 at the bank and CAD 4,946 at the door
A US$3,000 tennis bracelet bought from a US site and couriered to Ontario costs about CAD 4,946 once it arrives. The bank rate says CAD 4,267. Tax, a courier fee and a card fee make up the gap.
| Line | Made in the US or unmarked | Made outside North America |
|---|---|---|
| US$3,000 at 1.4222 | CAD 4,266.60 | CAD 4,266.60 |
| Duty | CAD 0 | CAD 277.33 at 6.5% |
| HST, Ontario, 13% | CAD 554.66 | CAD 590.71 |
| DHL processing fee | CAD 18.00 | CAD 23.87 |
| Card currency fee, 2.5% | CAD 106.67 | CAD 106.67 |
| Landed cost | CAD 4,945.93 | CAD 5,265.18 |
| Above the bank rate | 15.9% | 23.4% |
That is the good case: a piece made in the US, or carrying no mark of origin. A piece marked as made outside North America also pays 6.5 percent duty, and the tax is then charged on the duty as well.12
In that second case the same bracelet lands at CAD 5,265, 23.4 percent above the bank rate. Both cases assume free shipping from the US site and delivery by DHL Express, paid by a CIBC card.34
The figures use the Bank of Canada rate of 1.4222 on October 13, 2026. CBSA converts at the rate in force on the day the parcel ships, so the total moves with the dollar.56
When is there no duty on jewellery from the US?
When the piece counts as North American. Under CUSMA, a personal purchase from the US enters duty free if it is marked as made in the US or Canada, or carries no mark that says otherwise.
The rule sits in the CUSMA Rules of Origin for Casual Goods Regulations. Goods acquired in the US qualify when they are marked as US or Canadian goods, or when they are unmarked and "there is no indication that the goods are not the product" of either country.1
A piece marked as made elsewhere pays the duty for its country of origin. For gold and platinum jewellery, tariff item 7113.19.90, the general rate is 6.5 percent. Silver jewellery, 7113.11.90, pays 8.5 percent.2
So ask where a piece was made before you compare prices. For a piece bought in the US, the marking of origin decides whether CBSA charges duty.
Loose lab grown diamonds are a different line. Synthetic diamonds, tariff item 7104.91.00, are duty free under every tariff treatment. They still pay tax.2
Small parcels have their own thresholds. By courier from the US, goods up to CAD 40 enter duty and tax free, and goods up to CAD 150 enter duty free but taxed. Above CAD 150, duties and taxes apply.7
By mail the threshold is CAD 20 from any country, the US included. Almost any piece of fine jewellery sits above both lines, so plan on paying tax.7
The tax is charged on the price plus the duty
Import tax is not charged on the sticker price. CBSA charges GST, or HST in harmonized provinces, on the duty paid value: the converted price plus any duty. Your province sets the rate.
Import tax at the border on a CAD 4,267 piece
No duty, made in the US or unmarked. Canadian dollars, by province or territory, with the combined rate.
Source: provincial rates under CBSA Memorandum D2-3-6, applied to US$3,000 at the Bank of Canada rate for October 13, 2026. Arithmetic: Draco Diamond.
CBSA collects the provincial share at the border in every province that charges one. Alberta and the three territories pay GST only.8
Duty raises the tax as well. In Ontario, 6.5 percent duty on a CAD 4,267 piece adds CAD 277, and the HST charged on that duty adds another CAD 36.
Quebec charges its 9.975 percent QST on the same value as the GST, so a Quebec buyer pays close to 15 percent at the border, about the same as Atlantic Canada.8
Courier and card fees add the last 3 percent
The courier charges for paying the tax on your behalf, and your card charges for the currency. On a US$3,000 order the two add about CAD 125, close to 3 percent.
DHL Express charges customers without a DHL account CAD 18.00 or 2.75 percent of the duties and taxes it processes, whichever is higher.3
FedEx charges 3.10 percent of the duty and tax it advances, or CAD 12.00 if that is greater, since July 20, 2026. Canada Post charges CAD 9.95 for each item that owes duty or tax.910
Card issuers add a foreign currency fee. CIBC charges 2.5 percent of the converted amount on both purchases and refunds, so a return costs the fee a second time.4
| US price | At the bank rate | Landed | Above the bank |
|---|---|---|---|
| US$500 | CAD 711.10 | CAD 839.32 | 18.0% |
| US$1,000 | CAD 1,422.20 | CAD 1,660.65 | 16.8% |
| US$3,000 | CAD 4,266.60 | CAD 4,945.93 | 15.9% |
| US$5,000 | CAD 7,111.00 | CAD 8,238.63 | 15.9% |
The flat courier fee weighs most on smaller orders. A US$500 piece lands 18.0 percent above the bank rate; a US$5,000 piece, 15.9 percent.
"A US$3,000 bracelet costs CAD 4,267 at the bank rate and CAD 4,946 at the door. The 16 percent between them is tax, a courier fee and a card fee."
Garrett McMartin, Founder, Draco Diamond
What changed for US jewellery in 2025 and 2026?
Twice in two years the rules moved. A 25 percent surtax on US made jewellery came and went in 2025, and a new 2026 surtax list left jewellery off. Today the duty rules are back where they began.
From March 4 to August 31, 2025, Canada charged a 25 percent surtax on US made jewellery under tariff items 7113.11, 7113.19 and 7113.20. It was repealed on September 1, 2025.11
A new surtax order took effect on September 8, 2026, at 15, 25 or 50 percent on a list of US goods. The list includes no jewellery and no diamonds, which sit in chapter 71 of the tariff.12
The trade agreement itself holds for now. At the July 2026 joint review the US declined to renew CUSMA, but the agreement stays in force until 2036 and its tariff treatment is unchanged, according to the law firm Blakes.13
Rules this changeable are a reason to check the date on any landed cost you read. Every figure on this page was checked against its source on October 14, 2026.
How to compare a US price with a Canadian one
Convert at today's rate, then add what the border adds. Five steps turn a US sticker price into a fair comparison with a Canadian price that already includes delivery.
Use the Bank of Canada rate for the day. CBSA converts at the rate in force on the day the parcel ships, so a quote can drift before it lands.
Ask where the piece was made. Made in the US or unmarked enters duty free; marked as made elsewhere pays 6.5 percent in gold or platinum and 8.5 percent in silver.
Apply GST, HST or GST plus provincial tax to the converted price plus any duty, from 5 percent in Alberta to 15 percent in three Atlantic provinces.
Allow CAD 18 or more for the courier's processing fee and about 2.5 percent for your card's currency fee. Some issuers charge that fee again on a refund.
Some US sites collect Canadian tax at checkout and ship duty paid. If the site does not, the courier collects before it hands over the parcel.
Run the numbers before you compare designs. With a landed cost about 16 percent above the bank rate, a US price that looks 10 percent cheaper can arrive as the dearer piece.
Keep the receipt and the tracking record. They are what you need to dispute a charge at the door that should not have been made.
A delivered duty paid price in CAD needs no arithmetic
A Canadian dollar price that ships delivered duty paid already includes the border. There is no conversion to guess, no courier fee at the door and no currency fee on the card.
Draco prices in Canadian dollars and ships every order delivered duty paid. Import duties and import taxes are paid by Draco, nothing is collected at delivery, and any applicable sales tax is shown at checkout before you pay.14
For scale, Draco's 5 carat round brilliant tennis bracelet lists from CAD 2,920 in 10K gold. 14K gold adds 18 percent and platinum 45 percent.
Every Draco piece carries 30 day returns, the Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee, free resizing, and free insured worldwide shipping to 25 markets, delivered duty paid with nothing collected at the door, and signature on delivery. Each piece is IGI certified, E to F colour and VS2 or better, and ships with its report, which can be verified free at IGI.org.
Browse lab grown diamond tennis bracelets, earrings and pieces under CAD 2,000, all priced in Canadian dollars.
Cross border, answered
Do I pay duty on jewellery from the US?
Not if it is made in the US or carries no mark saying otherwise: under CUSMA it enters duty free. You still pay GST or HST above CAD 40 by courier. A piece marked as made outside North America pays 6.5 percent duty in gold or platinum and 8.5 percent in silver.
How much tax do I pay on jewellery shipped from the US?
Your province's import rate, on the converted price plus any duty: 13 percent in Ontario, 14 to 15 percent in the Atlantic provinces, 14.975 percent in Quebec, 11 to 12 percent in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia, and 5 percent in Alberta and the territories.
What is the duty free limit for courier shipments from the US?
CAD 40 for duty and tax together, and CAD 150 for duty alone. Above CAD 150, both apply. By mail, the limit is CAD 20 from any country, the US included.
Why did the courier charge me a fee?
Couriers charge for paying duty and tax on your behalf. DHL Express charges CAD 18.00 or 2.75 percent of the duties and taxes, whichever is higher, to customers without a DHL account. FedEx charges 3.10 percent with a CAD 12.00 minimum. Canada Post charges CAD 9.95 per item.
Is there still a surtax on US jewellery?
No. The 25 percent surtax on US made jewellery ran from March 4 to August 31, 2025. The surtax order that took effect on September 8, 2026 does not list jewellery or diamonds.
Are loose lab grown diamonds duty free in Canada?
Yes. Synthetic diamonds, tariff item 7104.91.00, are duty free under every tariff treatment. GST or HST still applies above the low value thresholds.
References
- Justice Laws Website, CUSMA Rules of Origin for Casual Goods Regulations (SOR/2020-156), accessed October 14, 2026.
- Canada Border Services Agency, Customs Tariff 2026, Chapter 71, January 1, 2026.
- DHL Express Canada, Customs Services, DHL Express International Customs Clearance Services, accessed October 14, 2026.
- CIBC, CIBC Mastercard consumer pricing, April 10, 2026.
- Bank of Canada, Daily exchange rates, US dollar to Canadian dollar, October 13, 2026.
- Canada Border Services Agency, Memorandum D13-2-3: Exchange Rate for the Calculation of the Value for Duty Under the Customs Act, accessed October 14, 2026.
- Canada Border Services Agency, Low value shipments: duty and tax thresholds under CUSMA, November 25, 2025.
- Canada Border Services Agency, Memorandum D2-3-6: Non-commercial Provincial Tax Collection Programs, April 8, 2026.
- FedEx Canada, Shipping and Courier Rate Changes: 2026 Updates, accessed October 14, 2026.
- Canada Post, Customs duty, taxes, and exemptions, accessed October 14, 2026.
- Justice Laws Website, United States Surtax Order (2025-1), SOR/2025-66, archived, March 4, 2025.
- Canada Gazette, Part II, United States Surtax Order (2026), SOR/2026-186, September 23, 2026.
- Blakes, U.S. Declines to Renew CUSMA at First Joint Review: What Businesses Need to Know, July 10, 2026.
- Draco Diamond, Shipping policy, accessed October 14, 2026.
Send us a comparable band and we will beat it almost every time
Same IGI certified specification, direct pricing, 55 to 71 percent below Blue Nile's listed prices on fancy shape tennis bracelets (October 2026). Founder reviewed, no obligation, a quote back in one to three business days. Every Draco band is IGI certified, E to F colour, VS2 and better, with 30 day returns, a Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee, free resizing, free insured worldwide shipping to 25 markets, and signature on delivery.
