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Import Process Fees Payment Method Our Policy

Before You Buy

If you are buying tropical fish from Indonesia there is a process you must follow in order to get them. First thing is to find your breeder or seller or get advice from us on quality suppliers and then select your fish from supplier. Then contact us to see if the fish is an allowed species or that we are permitted. Check fees and logistics (shipping) with us before purchasing.

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How does Transhipping work in Canada?

If you have made your purchase on eBay / AquaBid / Facebook or Instagram or any other source and you paid the seller in Asia (x) amount for shipping, this only covers getting the fish sent to us in our cargo shipment. You still have other costs involved before you get your fish. Those costs include local shipping fee to your physical location, insulated box & our transhipping service fees which cover import fees, taxes, cargo, work & time).

CFIA Rules

The Transhipper is a commercial importer responsible for getting fish imported & cleared with Canada Customs at CBSA office using import number, permits & business license. The shipment can be anywhere between 45-100 kg or more. The importer pays the taxes to customs and cargo fees to receive shipment from cargo company.

Once the transhipper returns with shipment the fish are sorted and re-packed into their individual insulated boxes for shipping the next day to all customers.

We must collect all the fees from customers prior to shipment arriving .

Note: if a package was sent in a persons name via a courier coming to Canada it would be destroyed when it hits Canada. We can only import live animals as a commercial shipment with CFIA (Canada Food Inspection Agency) rules.

6 Easy Steps to importing your fish.

Here are 6 simple steps on how Transhipping your fish works. Essentially your fish are being sent along with many other customers orders in one large commercial shipment to us. We then re-distribute the fish as a service.

1.

Choose Your Fish

Dont know where to buy? Check out our Marketplace Directory. Or not sure about seller? Contact us. Verify fees and logistics before making purchase.

2.

Deal? Pay For Your Fish

Pay the seller cost of fish and local transhipping fees in Indonesia. Seller will then register your fish with local Transhipper and pay them the shipping fees.

3.

Pay our Transhipping Fees

Customers are invoiced import fees and shipping costs as soon as we receive your registration on our shipping list. We collect all our transhipping fees before or by the closing date of the shipment.

4.

Fish are sent to ECA-Tranship

Your fish are received by the transhipper in Indonesia and then sent in our cargo shipment with other customers fish. You are then notified by Indonesian Transhipper of shipment departure to us.

5.

We Receive Fish

We will receive your fish in our cargo shipment 1 day before sending to you. Fish are always sent the next day after we receive them.

6.

Delivery to you!

Before sending fish to you we will update you of their status and progress of departure. All customers are updated via email when fish ship which includes tracking webpage.

Once you buy your fish and your seller has confirmed is sending to us, please contact us as soon as possible to confirm everything. Once we receive your name on the registration list from the Indonesian Transhipper (JBG) we create an invoice. Invoices must be paid no later than 2 days before arrival of shipment.

Indonesia Fees 

These are the shipping fees from Indonesia to Canada by our Transhipper JBG.

Med Bag 12x25cm $6 USD (per bag/fish)

Small Bag 9x20cm $7 USD (per bag/fish)

Large Bag 15x30cm $32.50 USD

How Much Will It Cost?

ECA Tranship Fees $ + repack ? + Box Fee $ + UPS Shipping Rate $ + Tax (depends on your area) = $ Your Total

Box Fees

Early Spring/ Late Fall $10 CAD (includes heat pack if needed.)

Late Spring Summer Fall $7.00 (no heat pack)

Repack Fees

Repack fee means that the fish are released in a temp holding tank overnight and then re-bagged with extra oxygen the day we ship.

Individual larger fish like Oscar, Flowerhorn, DAT. $5.00 per bag.

Pleco : $2.50 per bag

Shrimp : $4.00 per bag

Small fish like Wild Betta, Gourami, Molly, Guppy or Platy $0.75 per bag.

Taxes Canada 2025

Below is the Taxes charged by province that you can expect on your invoice and use in your calculation.

AB, BC, SASK & MB 5% GST only

NB, NFLD, NS, ON & PEI 15% HST

QC 5% GST & 9.975% QST

 

Transhipping Fees

These are the import & handling fees in Canada by ECA-Tranship.

Betta

• 1 fish $10 CAD
• 2 or more $8.50 CAD each
• 10 or more $7.00 each

Guppy

• $4.25 CAD each
• 10+ $3.50 each
• 20+ $3.25 each

Swordtail-Molly-Platy

• 5.00$ CAD each
• 10+ $4.25 each
• 20+ $3.50 each

Flowerhorn or Oscar (Large Fish)

• SM 8-10 cm $10.00 each CAD

Others

• Pleco $4 each

Shrimp

20x40cm bag $10 each

Heatpack

Additional heatpack $4.00 each

Local Pickup :

Yes local pickup is available and I encourage this. If your in Montreal, Ottawa or area you can pickup your fish the same night or next day.

Shipping – UPS Express (Next Day)

Shipping Rates:

Rate can be lower or higher depending on how many fish and your location. Contact us for the exact rate. All fish are sent with UPS Express (next day in most cases).

2 Day Shipping:

If your location is estimated at 2 days and weather is too cold we can ship to a UPS Access Point (UPS Store). To find a location near you search from this site https://www.theupsstore.ca/store-finder/

Invoices must be paid no later than 2 days before shipment arrival.

I only accept e-transfer (Interac), send to denny@ecatranship.com No Paypal , Credit Card or other methods. Sorry.

Here is why: Fees are too high, delay to receive funds and Paypal can withhold my funds or reverse payment. 🙁 For Credit Cards I do not have a payment processing system and again there is a 3% that is lost on the total.

Thank you for understanding 🙂

Our Policy:

1) DOA (Dead on Arrival) is covered by the overseas seller.

When your shipment arrives, we inspect all packages for any DOA and inform buyer & seller if there are any deaths. If there is a DOA then the buyer will need to take this up the seller.

We do not repackage your fish unless it is deemed necessary. THIS WILL VOID THE SELLER DOA GUARANTEE. If there’s a problem with the fish, the seller will be notified.

2) WE INVOICE CUSTOMERS FOR THE SHIPPING AND HANDLING FEE(S) FOR YOUR FISH. THE BALANCE ON THE INVOICE MUST BE SETTLED AND PAID IN FULL 2-3 DAYS BEFORE WE SHIP FISH TO TO YOUR ADDRESS.

An invoice will be sent to your email address provided to us by overseas Transhipper prior to the arrival of your fish, typically 48 to 72 hours before. We can contact your seller and work with them directly if requested. It is advisable that you also give us all of your information (email, address, phone number) ahead of time as well as the number of fish you have purchased, this way we can provide the estimate to you quickly and avoid any delays once your fish arrive in Canada.

IF you do not claim the fish and / or fail to arrange for shipment & PAYMENT or local pick up within 48 hours of their arrival, we reserve the right to hold your stock and you forfeit the rights to your shipment / fish.

3) WE DO NOT REFUND FOR SHIPPING FEES AND SERVICE IN CASE OF DOA. YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE UP DOA ISSUES with YOUR SELLER.

When your fish shipment arrives, we will turn it around and send it off within 24 hours after initial CANADA arrival (unless you make arrangement with us prior).

4) We are always willing to work with you. (In some cases it may be necessary to house your fish for a an extended period after arrival). Please contact us ahead of time to make such arrangements if it is absolutely necessary.

5) REFUNDS

Transhipping fees and UPS shipping fees are both non-refundable.

Refunds to transhipping fees are only applied in cases where we received less fish then you already paid for on your invoice