How to Ship Dried Shrimp to Canada Without Mould or Confiscation

Soleil Team — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Sending dried shrimp as a taste of home is something many families with relatives living in Canada want to do. However, many people have seen their parcels held or even destroyed at the border because they weren’t packed well enough to contain the smell, or because the customs declaration wasn’t clear. To make sure your gift reaches the recipient in Canada intact and delicious, you need to know how to pack and declare it correctly.

1. Choose dried shrimp that meets export standards for Canada

Not all dried shrimp clears customs easily. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) controls imported seafood very closely.

Dryness: The shrimp must be thoroughly dried by machine or in the sun. Damp shrimp easily goes mouldy during the 7–14 day air journey and is likely to be refused by customs for hygiene reasons.
Clear origin: Choose shrimp with clear labels, expiry dates and ingredients where possible. If it is homemade or bought at a traditional market, make sure it is clean, with no impurities or insects.

2. How to pack against mould and odour

This is the most important step in deciding whether your parcel will be accepted for the flight. Canadian customs is very sensitive to the smell of fresh or dried food.

Double vacuum-seal: Split the dried shrimp into bags of 500 g to 1 kg and vacuum-seal them tightly. Add a second plastic bag outside in case the inner bag leaks because of pressure changes in flight.
Use desiccant packs: Put a food-grade desiccant pack inside each bag before heat-sealing. This keeps the shrimp dry so it doesn’t “sweat” and go mouldy.
Sturdy box: After vacuum-sealing, pack the bags neatly in a strong carton. At Soleil Transportation, basic packing in a carton is included in the service, saving you preparation costs.

3. Declare the HS code and complete CBSA customs procedures

When shipping dried shrimp to Canada, accurate goods information on the waybill is mandatory so the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) can check it.

Product name: Write it in English or French on the label, for example “Dried Shrimp” or “Dried Baby Shrimp”. Don’t write a vague “Food” or “Gift”, as the parcel will be held for manual inspection.
Duties: With our two-way Vietnam–Canada service, the rate from $16/kg includes all import duties, so the recipient in Canada doesn’t have to worry about extra charges on door delivery.

4. Choose the right shipping service

Depending on the weight and your needs, you can choose:

Dedicated air service: Ideal for mixed food parcels, from $16/kg, with an average transit time of 7–12 business days.
ePacket: If you are only sending a small pack of dried shrimp with a few personal gifts under 2 kg, ePacket from just $8.50 CAD per parcel is a very economical and convenient choice.

5. Track your order and receive it in Canada

After shipping, you’ll receive a tracking number to check online. You can follow your dried shrimp from the warehouse in Vietnam to delivery in any Canadian province, with automatic updates by email or Zalo.