A customer in Canada has just ordered a handicraft from your Vietnamese store on Etsy or Shopify. You have two choices: pack it and ship it right away, or use stock already stored in Canada to process the order automatically. For anyone new to cross-border selling, choosing between shipping each order individually from Vietnam and using a fulfillment service in Mississauga is a tough cost question. Each option directly affects your cash flow, delivery speed and customer satisfaction in North America.
How the two shipping methods work
To make the right financial decision, you first need to understand how each option works in practice.
Shipping individual orders from Vietnam to Canada
With this option, you only act when someone places an order. You pack the product at home or at your workshop in Vietnam, then find a carrier to ship it to Canada. For small parcels, gifts or personal items under 2 kg, you can choose ePacket from just $8.50 CAD per parcel. For heavier goods, you can use duties-included air freight from $16/kg. Average transit time from Vietnam to Canada is 7 to 14 business days. This method doesn’t require you to invest in stock up front, which reduces inventory risk.
Using a fulfillment service in Mississauga
Instead of shipping each order separately, you combine all your goods into one large shipment, pack it in standard cartons and send it for storage at the Soleil Transportation warehouse at 2446 Cawthra Road, B1U8, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5A 3K6. When an order comes in on a marketplace, the order details are sent to the system. Staff at the Mississauga warehouse pick, pack and label the item for domestic delivery to the customer. This fulfillment service costs from just $5 CAD per order.
A detailed cost comparison
To make it concrete, let’s run the numbers for a typical fashion accessories shop with 100 orders a month, each weighing about 500 g.
| Criteria | Shipping individually (ePacket/air cargo) | Fulfillment in Mississauga |
|---|---|---|
| Base shipping cost | From $8.50 CAD per parcel (ePacket). 100 orders = $850 CAD. | 50 kg sent in bulk to the warehouse by air (from $16/kg) = $800 CAD. |
| Handling and packing | Done at home (costs time, effort and money for tape and boxes). | From $5 CAD per order (includes storage, picking and basic packing) = $500 CAD. |
| Domestic shipping | None, as parcels go straight from Vietnam to the recipient. | Included in the service, or use domestic Canada shipping from $35 per parcel for large items. |
| Customer delivery time | 7 to 14 business days. Customers wait a long time. | Just 2 to 5 business days within Canada. |
| Import duties | Soleil Transportation’s shipping price includes import duties. | Import duties are included when the bulk shipment enters the Canadian warehouse. |
| Risk of lost orders | Higher, because of the long journey through several international hubs. | Very low, because the goods are already in Canada and closely tracked. |
When you add up the direct and indirect costs, shipping each order individually seems to need no up-front stock investment, but it takes a lot of time to handle the paperwork and you risk cancellations because of slow delivery. Using the Mississauga warehouse, on the other hand, shortens delivery times, which brings more reviews and more repeat sales.
New regulations that directly affect shipping costs
Whether you ship individually or store stock, the latest import and export regulations have a big impact. Knowing them helps you avoid unexpected fines.
New rules on certificates of origin
From August 1, the authorities apply new rules on which office accepts certificate-of-origin applications. For household businesses and small companies that want tariff preferences when exporting to Canada, filing with the wrong office delays clearance at the border. If you ship 100 different orders individually, preparing and proving origin for each one is extremely complicated. If you consolidate goods into one shipment to the Mississauga fulfillment warehouse, you only need to complete the certificate-of-origin procedure once for the whole shipment.
Changes to export goods classification
On July 30, 2026, Vietnam applied new rules on classifying export goods to simplify procedures. Even though the process is shorter, shop owners who pack their own goods and don’t learn the new classification are likely to have their goods held for inspection at the Vietnamese border. Using an all-in-one service from a professional carrier means your goods are declared correctly from the start, so you avoid storage fees caused by holds.
Tighter rules on prohibited goods
A recently issued decree added many items to the list of goods banned from export and import, especially affecting dried foods, cosmetics and personal items. When shipping with Soleil Transportation, remember that drugs, cash, dangerous goods and cremated remains are completely banned on every route. Food and devices containing lithium batteries are subject to separate controls on each air route. Shipping these products individually without understanding the rules can easily lead to confiscation, destruction and the loss of all your costs.
Special notes for technology and electronics
From July 13, individuals and shop owners selling products with security features, storage devices, hardware or smart technology must declare the correct regulated code for civil cryptography products. If the code is wrong, customs will stop clearance. This hits shops that ship individually especially hard, because a single held order leads to airport storage fees and the risk of administrative fines.
Pressure from ocean freight rate spikes
Ocean freight rates are currently volatile and soaring, putting huge cost pressure on sellers. To protect cash flow and the customer experience, small shops are moving from ocean freight to consolidated high-speed air freight. With Soleil Transportation’s air rates from just $16/kg, combined with storage in Mississauga for domestic deliveries, you avoid the ocean rate storm and keep transit times from Vietnam to your customers in Canada to just 7 to 12 business days.
Which option is right for your business?
There is no single best option, only the one that fits your shop’s stage of growth.
Keep shipping orders individually (with ePacket from $8.50 CAD per parcel) when:
- Your shop is new, with fewer than 15 orders a month and no steady pattern yet.
- Your products are highly personalised, made to order for each customer, and can’t be produced in bulk for storage.
- You want to test how the Canadian market responds to a new product line before making a big investment.
Switch to fulfillment in Mississauga (from $5 CAD per order) when:
- You reach 20–30 orders a month with steady growth.
- You sell standard-sized products that are easy to pack and often bought again, such as clothing, accessories and small decorations.
- Your customers often complain about long delivery times, or you want to expand into the US market (Soleil Transportation ships within Canada and to the US from $35 per large parcel; US recipients pay any import duties).
To start optimising your shop’s operating costs, review your product list and work out the standard packed weight and size of each item. Contact us on +1 888-998-5199 or email your product details to info@soleiltransportation.com for a detailed cost breakdown to help you make the best business decision.
