Overview

Amazon’s Canadian marketplace provides a less saturated environment than the U.S. site, making it a strategic entry point for sellers aiming to broaden their international footprint. The platform benefits from strong brand awareness, a bilingual shopper base, and Amazon‑managed fulfillment, allowing merchants to list products quickly and reach millions of Canadian consumers. Grasping the registration steps, tax obligations, and logistics choices is crucial for anyone wanting to capture a slice of this growing market.

Key Points

• Reduced seller density — Category listings on Amazon.ca host fewer active sellers, which improves the odds of achieving organic rank for new entrants.
• Bilingual requirement — Adding French translations to titles, bullet points, and backend keywords can lift visibility in Quebec and other French‑speaking regions.
• CAD settlement — All transactions are paid in Canadian dollars, so sellers must monitor exchange‑rate swings when converting proceeds to other currencies.
• Fulfillment flexibility — Both Amazon‑fulfilled (FBA) and merchant‑fulfilled (FBM) models are supported, with FBA automatically granting Prime status across Canada.
• GST/HST duty — A Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax account becomes mandatory once yearly Canadian sales surpass CAD 30,000, and Amazon will collect and remit the tax on the seller’s behalf.
• Cross‑border shipping — Amazon’s North American logistics network permits inventory to flow from U.S. warehouses, yet using Canadian fulfillment centers often shortens delivery windows and cuts shipping expenses.

How Selling on Amazon Canada Works

1. Open a Canadian seller profile — Register at sellercentral.amazon.ca, choosing either an Individual or Professional plan; a U.S. brand can reuse its existing Amazon login and simply add Canada as an additional marketplace.
2. Submit identity and tax documents — Upload a government‑issued photo ID and provide either a Canadian Business Number or a U.S. EIN; a Toronto‑based entrepreneur would enter a provincial BN, while a New York seller would reuse the same EIN and later attach a GST/HST registration.