Importing Furniture from India to Canada: Compliance

Importing furniture and home goods from India to Canada

To import furniture, décor or home textiles from India into Canada you need a business number with an import-export (RM) account, CARM Client Portal access and, for release before payment, your own financial security. Goods must be safe under the CCPSA, meet coating and textile rules, carry bilingual labels and ship on ISPM 15 wood packaging.

Last reviewed 13 Oct 2026

Customs

CBSA; business number + RM account; CARM Client Portal

Release before payment

Own financial security required since 20 May 2025

Product safety

Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA)

Labels

Textile Labelling Act; Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act; origin marking for listed goods

Wood packaging

CFIA directive D-98-08 (ISPM 15)

Key takeaways

Get a business number and an import-export (RM) program account before your first shipment, and register in the CARM Client Portal.
Since 20 May 2025 a broker's security no longer covers you: post your own financial security in CARM if you want release before paying duties.
Under the CCPSA, importers must keep supplier and customer records for six years and report incidents to Health Canada within two days.
Fibre content on textile labels must be in English and French; dealer identity can be in either.
Kitchenware, towels, blankets and cotton sheets need a country-of-origin mark; furniture and lamps are not on the CBSA list.

Customs basics: business number, CARM and security

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) clears commercial imports. Its CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management system (CARM) is now the way importers manage accounts, payments and security.

Source: CBSA, reviewed 13 Oct 2026.
Item	What you need
Business number and RM account	A 9-digit business number and an import-export (RM) program account before you import.
CARM Client Portal	Register the business; the first user becomes business account manager and can give access to employees and delegate to a customs broker.
Release Prior to Payment (RPP)	To get goods released before paying duties and taxes, enrol in RPP and post your own financial security, such as a surety bond, in CARM. The transition period ended on 20 May 2025.
Classification and duty	Classify each item under the Customs Tariff and check the rate, and any preference, when you import.

According to CBSA, importers without RPP privileges must account for the goods and pay duties and taxes at the time of release, which can slow clearance.

Product safety: CCPSA and surface coatings

The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) covers most consumer goods, including furniture, décor and home textiles.

Duty	What the law says
General prohibition (s. 7)	A manufacturer or importer may not import, advertise or sell a consumer product that is a danger to human health or safety, or that is under a recall.
Records (s. 13)	Keep documents naming who you bought from and sold to, for six years after the end of the year they relate to, at your Canadian place of business.
Incidents (s. 14)	Give Health Canada the information you have within two days of becoming aware of an incident. If the manufacturer is outside Canada, the importer files the written report within 10 days.

Surface coatings. Under the Surface Coating Materials Regulations, a surface coating may not contain more than 90 mg/kg total lead or 10 mg/kg total mercury. Products for children, including children's furniture, may not have an applied coating above 90 mg/kg lead. Specific regulations also cover products such as cribs, cradles and bassinets.

Textile, bilingual and origin labelling

Rule	Applies to	Key requirement
Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations	Towels, bedding, blankets, quilts, curtains, throws, furniture slip covers (permanent label); table linen, upholstery outer coverings, cushions, rugs (permanent or non-permanent)	Fibre content in percentages, in English and French; dealer identity as name and postal address or a CA number, in either language
Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act	Prepackaged consumer products	Product identity and net quantity in both official languages; dealer name and address in either
Marking of imported goods (CBSA D11-3-1)	Listed household goods, such as towels and bath mats, blankets, cotton sheets and pillowslips, metal or plastic kitchenware, ceramic dishes and ornaments, candles and umbrellas	Legible, permanent country-of-origin mark, such as “Made in India”

The Textile Labelling Act does not itself require the country of origin unless a claim is made that the product is imported. Furniture and lamps are not on the CBSA marking list. See product labelling and country of origin.

Wood packaging: CFIA and ISPM 15

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) directive D-98-08 applies to wood packaging, including pallets, crates and dunnage, from all areas other than the continental United States. Solid wood packaging must be debarked, treated by an approved method and marked to ISPM 15. Packaging made entirely of plywood, OSB or other processed wood is exempt. Non-compliant packaging may be refused entry.

If your customers ask for timber legality papers, see FSC and timber legality in India for what Indian suppliers can provide.

Documents to collect from your supplier

Commercial invoice and packing list with tariff classifications, materials and origin per line.
Lead and mercury test reports for paints and coatings, especially on children's products.
Fibre content for every textile item and approved bilingual label artwork.
Supplier name and address for your CCPSA records.
ISPM 15 treatment details for pallets and crates, and the bill of lading.

Where inspection fits

Bilingual labels, fibre content and origin marks are easy to check at the factory and costly to fix in a Canadian warehouse. A pre-shipment inspection checks label text and placement on sampled units and cartons, finish quality and ISPM 15 marks. Coating tests go to an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab through lab testing coordination.

Clear To Load works for Canadian buyers, including Rustic Furniture Outlet. Reports reach you within 24 hours with a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared. See home textiles inspection or book an inspection.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to import commercially into Canada?

A business number with an import-export (RM) program account, registration in the CARM Client Portal, and correct tariff classification. To get release before paying duties, you must also enrol in Release Prior to Payment and post your own financial security.

Can I use my customs broker's bond?

Not for Release Prior to Payment. Since the transition period ended on 20 May 2025, importers must post their own financial security in CARM. A broker can still file entries for you under a delegation.

Must textile labels be bilingual?

Fibre content must be in English and French, except in areas where only one official language is used in consumer transactions. The dealer identity, either a name and postal address or a CA number, can be in one official language.

Does furniture from India need a “Made in India” mark?

Furniture is not on the CBSA list of goods that require origin marking, but towels, blankets, cotton sheets, kitchenware and ceramic dishes are. If a label or ad says a product is imported, the origin must then be stated.

What must an importer do after a safety incident?

Under CCPSA section 14, give Health Canada the information you have within two days of becoming aware of the incident. If the manufacturer is outside Canada, the importer must also submit a written report within 10 days.