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Coasting Trade Services
PF Collins has extensive knowledge of Canada’s Coasting Trade Act and years of experience in obtaining Coasting Trade Licences for foreign and non-duty paid vessels.
The Coasting Trade in Canada
Coasting Trade refers to commercial marine activities conducted within Canadian waters. In areas above Canada’s continental shelf, these activities must be related to the transportation, exploration, or extraction of minerals and non-living natural resources from the continental shelf.
The Coasting Trade Act is designed to support Canadian marine interests by reserving Canada’s coasting trade for vessels that are Canadian-registered and duty paid, with a few exceptions. The legislation allows for the temporary importation of foreign or non-duty paid vessels under a coasting trade licence when no suitable Canadian-registered vessel is available. These licences are issued by the Minister of Public Safety to Canadian residents who apply for permission to bring a foreign-flagged vessel into Canadian waters for a specific activity or service over a set period.
Coasting trade licences are issued only when no suitable Canadian vessel is available for the required service. While Canadian-registered vessels are given priority, there are provisions for temporarily allowing foreign or non-duty paid vessels to enter Canadian waters when necessary to meet the required scope of work.

For your convenience, we have written a comprehensive article and downloadable reference guide dedicated to helping you with importing vessels into Canada’s Coasting Trade.
Our Services
Our Customs & Consulting Specialists can help you navigate the intricacies of Canada’s Coasting Trade Act to get your vessels where they need to go.
Our Coasting Trade Services cover your project from start to finish and include:
- Application Preparation (Canada Border Services Agency, Canadian Transportation Agency, all Marine Agency Services, etc.)
- Preparation and presentation of import documentation and researching legislation & regulations applicable to the import process including the Customs Act, Customs Tariff Act, Excise Tax Act, Coasting Trade Act, and regulations of any other government departments
- Payment of any applicable duty and tax
- Immigration Consulting for considerations including preparation and submissions to Service Canada of validations and work visas for foreign crew
- Obtaining inspection and compliance certificates
- Completion of contract services including exportation of vessel
- Ships Agency Services to support operations
Custom Brokerage & Consulting
Looking for other customs services? Our fully licensed Customs Brokers, Customs Consulting, and Trade Compliance Specialists can help you with your import and export needs.
We’re Here to Help
We offer a full line of international trade and logistics services to meet all of your business needs. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for and need assistance with your importing and exporting activities, give us a call at:
Or send us a message – We’ll get your request where it needs to go!