steveohan said:
Great, thank you!
How detailed was your list?
I'm being really detailed in some areas (electronics), but kind of unsure about others. Clothing for example- do I have to list every piece of clothing we are bringing? Or can I just write 'Clothing, 100 pieces' and then mark it with a value?
Same for books. Do I have to note titles, or can it be more broad?
The moving company that packed us up in Korea knew exactly what to do and prepared a list for us as they packed and sealed it all up. I just attached it as an appendix to the B4 form and CBSA was happy with that. You don't need to be very specific. A box of kitchen items was just described as "Kitchen Items". You should attach a ballpark value to it but again, no need to be that meticulous about the number.
A box of books should just be described as "Books". The CBSA agent who processed our B4 in Vancouver basically told me that when the goods arrive, they will take a cursory look at the boxes to see if they generally match up with your list. She said they are really looking for people trying to sneak in big ticket items like cars, etc. I'm not even sure they did that simple examination in our case. My guess is that they didn't even open the shipping container.
One thing to be careful of (we, and someone else in this thread, had this experience) is when your moving company asks if you mind if they throw "a few boxes" belonging to another customer, in with your shipment. Don't agree to that. The moving company is trying to skirt customs for someone else's goods. Don't let them talk you into that.
