If you live in Canada and in need to take a boat all the way across the US/Canada border or buying and importing a boat from the U.S. is not difficult task as it may seem from the beginning. According to Boat Export USA, It is not that hard for an individual to go to US and buy a boat. There are a few important things to you must get in all in order. You need to get the owner to sign over the original title and give it to you. You will also need a signed and notarized bill of sale that should cover the boat, motor, and any other gear attached to the boat (stereo, GPS, depth sounder, outriggers, etc.). Before you cross the border to Canada, you must fax a copy of the boat title to U.S. Customs minimum of 72 hours in advance prior to crossing the Canada / U.S. boarder. Customs will do a “title search” on the boat. Make sure your boating documentation has the name of the OEM, lists where the boat was manufactured and has the date the boat was manufactured. We suggest getting a local Canadian customs broker hired to help with the paperwork. You also need to call the Canadian Registrar of Imported Vehicles to have the trailers Vehicle Identification Number VIN verified ahead of time as the Registrar of Imported Vehicles program staff have often found cases were the VIN numbers don’t match. Before you cross back into Canada with your new boat, you must report to United States Customs. Assuming everything checks out with the title Search and inspection, U.S. Customs will stamp the title document and you can move on to Canadian Customs. You will then produce your stamped title document, registration and sales receipts for the boat. You will pay provincial sales tax of 7% (PST) and you can now request to license your boat in Canada. At that point it is a Canadian boat. You then go through Service Canada and apply for vessel numbers. Now, if your case is the other way around, and you live in the States and are interested in purchasing a boat from Canada, the process is just as simple, but it varies slightly. Buy it with all of the necessary papers stating that you are importing the boat. You do not pay any duty at that point. It will be inspected and serial numbers will be matched. When you go back to your state, that is when you will pay the boat fees. But because of the value of the Canadian versus the U.S. dollar, that is almost never done. It would not be beneficial for a U.S. Citizen to buy a boat in Canada because due to our currently strong dollar, they could get a boat from the U.S. at a similar (or more competitive) price. The prices of the boats drop in the U.S. because it becomes cheaper for them to buy across the border. Unless the boat was manufactured in Canada and the dollar dropped, it wouldn’t be a good deal. Whether you live in Canada and want to buy a boat in the U.S. or vise versa, the process itself, is pretty cut and dry. It’s really not that difficult. Though it may appear to be, either way, it’s relatively simple. But as a helpful guide, be sure to talk to Canadian Customs first, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles and an insurance agent before buying and importing a boat from US to Canada. They will provide a great deal of help if you have any unanswered questions. Contact Boat Export USA Team for more details!