Non-Resident Importer (NRI)

If you intend to ship regular repetitive shipments to Canada and wish to act as an importer of record, you are required to register as a Non-Resident Importer with Revenue Canada.

What is a Non-Resident Importer?

A Non-Resident Importer (NRI) is simply a company that will be considered the importer of record for shipments going into Canada, even though the company is not physically located in Canada. As an NRI, you will relieve your Canadian customers of the responsibilities of importation and be able to provide them with one landed price to their door – as if they were purchasing locally from you – by including the duty, tax, brokerage fee, and shipping cost on your invoice to them.

Benefits of a Non-Resident Importer (NRI) 

• Selling on a “delivered price” basis to Canadian customers
• Improves sales as Canadian buyers will know their final price at the time of purchase
• Removes the border for Canadian customers by creating a domestic purchasing environment
• Controls the process by managing the border, realizes on-time delivery
• Increases sales through direct marketing, accessing a greater share of the Canadian market
• Lets you stay in complete control and virtually eliminates the border for your current and prospective Canadian customers

To decide whether the program is for you, consult the Responsibilities of a Non-Resident Importer page. To see what is required to become an NRI, proceed to the NRI Registration Process step.