Can someone explain the process of purchasing alcohol at duty free shop when crossing into canada?
We are crossing in Baudette next week and just not sure of the process. We would be buying a few cases and maybe a bottle. Or is it just easier to buy it actually in canada?
I’d call the store directly and ask them to explain the process: 218-634-9482
I’ve only bought there once a long time ago and I’m pretty sure you still pay import duty on anything over 1.14L of liquor, 1.5L of wine, or (24) 12oz beers. You pay in the store and then someone drives it over the bridge and you pick it up at Rainy River CBSA. My opinion is just bring whatever you want from home and pay the duty, it’s not that much and is the easiest/simplest route. I’m also usually crossing in the evening and in the winter so there’s usually nothing between Rainy River and Kenora will actually be open.
Best and easiest is to buy it in Canada. Border agents do appreciate it when you come to Canada and spend money and help their economy. How do I know ? They have said it to us !!! 
I’m also usually crossing in the evening and in the winter so there’s usually nothing between Rainy River and Kenora will actually be open.
Isn’t the little store just after the last turn to Kenora still open in the evening. The one that burnt down 4-5 years ago.
Redeye I am no help on how it works, we usually hit the store I am talking about, sorry can’t recall the name of it.
Alcohol in Canada is VERY expensive.
So are smokes ! 
Alcohol in Canada is VERY expensive.
Beer yes. With the exchange rate I found the hard liquor to not be that much more than here. Bring your max allowed in beer and buy you bottle there
We’ve always done the duty free thing when we go up. We’ve always been upfront and honest about how much alcohol we are taking across and only once in all the years we’ve been going they made us pull off and go in to pay duty.
We’ve always done the duty free thing when we go up. We’ve always been upfront and honest about how much alcohol we are taking across and only once in all the years we’ve been going they made us pull off and go in to pay duty.
How much were you bringing and telling them you had per person. Almost everyone I’ve know that informed them of amount over the per person limit were ordered to pay the duty. Then again this is at the Pembina Crossing.
I know you don’t want to get caught with over the limit without declaring it. If caught you future crossing will not go well for you. Then again I’d guess a real small limit of people crossing with over their limit of booze get caught
WE always cross in Intl Falls ( only been through Baudette once during COVID and got searched there – he was training someone and told me so – no biggee – very good experience for both of us – could not have been more professional)
We always bring the max with us. 24 beers and 1 Quart or whatever ( liter).
They always ask if we brought any ….. ( insert food) and we always tell them what we have and that we are going to the store next for eggs, potatoes, milk etc then the bait shop so they know we are spending money there.
We don’t bring a lot of booze anymore as there is a pretty nice sized supply of hard liquor already and not many drink beer.
We are crossing in Baudette next week and just not sure of the process. We would be buying a few cases and maybe a bottle. Or is it just easier to buy it actually in canada?
Okay, first we have to know how many people over the age of 21 constitute “we”? That’s what determines what is or is not worthwhile.
EACH adult over 21 can bring 1 liter of spirits (technically it’s 1.14 liters, but WTF?) OR (bizarrely) 1.5 liters of wine OR 24 cans of beer (12 oz cans) into Canada as their duty-free allowance.
So it’s only “worth it” to even consider the duty-free shops if you’re planning to take more than the duty-free amount per person and even then, it’s only a savings for the amount that you are going to go OVER you per-person allowance.
I think this is where the duty-free shops make all their money because guys think buying all the alcohol at the duty-free joint somehow saves them more money.
Secondly, whether or not the duty-free shop is a good deal depends on the prices compared to your local Costco, Cub Liquor, or whatever. In some cases, it’s cheaper to buy say a good bottle of scotch at a Total Wine and then declare it and pay the duty/tax than it is to buy it from the duty-free. This is often true at airports, the prices I see there are no deal even without paying duty.
To add confusion to all this, it depends on which province you’re crossing into because some provinces like Sask have INSANE provincial taxes on alcohol that are added on top of the Canadian-wide VAT and duty.
Good example here, my father was in Costco liquor by his winter home in AZ and he ran into some Canadian guys he knew from the housing development. These guys were in a heated discussion with the liquor store manager because they were trying to buy 10 cases of Crown at really good sale price. They were trying to buy the whole stack that the Costco had. So dad asked them what the deal was because he thought they couldn’t take it back with them to Canada anyway. Not true! These guys were both from Sask and they drive down, but they go back through Alberta because the PST on liquor is lower. They declare and have to pay duty plus vat plus PST, but even that came out to be about $20 CAN a bottle cheaper than they could get it in Sask.
But ON has lower taxes, so going into ON the savings for duty free is probably minimal and there may be no savings at all depending on the base price of the liquor or beer you’re buying.
It is definitely cheaper to declare your alcohol and pay duties once you’re at Canadian customs.
The downside, it gives them more time to play “archeologist” on you and your passengers past history.
A case of pounders (16 oz king cans) is around $45 USD after the conversion rate and tax.
That would equate to around $34 USD for a case of 12oz cans (after tax).
The going rate I usually pay for a case in the US after tax is $23.
This means all in all beer is “only” about 33% more expensive when buying in Canada (if you buy pounders and compare them to a traditional case), but the numbers you see at the register are shocking/comical (because they’re in CAD).
Liquor is more expensive too, but not crazy.
The downside is you have to make two stops, because for whatever reason beer and liquor are sold in separate stores.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>walleyesforme wrote:</div>
We’ve always done the duty free thing when we go up. We’ve always been upfront and honest about how much alcohol we are taking across and only once in all the years we’ve been going they made us pull off and go in to pay duty.How much were you bringing and telling them you had per person. Almost everyone I’ve know that informed them of amount over the per person limit were ordered to pay the duty. Then again this is at the Pembina Crossing.
The only place we cross is at International Falls. It’s almost always just the two of us, me and my girlfriend and we usually bring a couple cases of beer each. Maybe we are just lucky. The only time we did have to pay duty it was just a couple minutes to run in and pay. Definitely worth the savings.
We used to go to an Ontario lodge and the owners wife would have me pickup a bottle of rum and a carton of cigarettes for her. I was shocked when she told me prices of these items in Ontario.
We never bought any booze at the duty free shop – selection back home was much better and prices were fair if you bought on sale.
Thanks guys.
There will be 4 of on this trip. Crossing into Ontario and staying in Ontario.
So to clarify I thought you could only bring one liter OR one case of beer? But what I’m reading you can bring one of each?
And also I didn’t realize you could bring more and just had to declare it and pay duty.
Thanks again.
Yes, you can bring a bottle and beer.. also 10 cigars or a carton of smokes.
Yes, you can bring a bottle and beer.. also 10 cigars or a carton of smokes.
Not according to the customs people who told us it was one or the other. I always thought you could bring both, but they said no. We had been doing it for years, but it was either last year or the year before they said this to us. THey didnt charge us a duty anyway however.
There will be 4 of on this trip. Crossing into Ontario and staying in Ontario.
So to clarify I thought you could only bring one liter OR one case of beer? But what I’m reading you can bring one of each?
Confirming: It’s “OR”. 1.14 liters of spirits (40 ounces, weird) OR 24 X 12 OZ cans of beer.
Technically speaking, a case of pounders is over the duty-free limit. With that said, they’ve never asked for total ounces or if the case of beer was 12 or 16 ouncers.
Maybe my fishing camp has the lowest fun quotient in the Canadian sub-arctic, but I don’t recall ever wanting to bring more beer/spirits than the duty free limit allowed.
Everybody keep in mind there are differing provincial laws on alcohol in boats. Some provinces DO NOT allow open containers or consumption at any time while boating. And some provinces have very vaguely stated laws that if you read them one way, seem to ban ANY alcohol on board boats, open or sealed. Read your regs and know before you go.
I always get a kick out of this topic. Price of lodging, gas, food, licenses, etc isn’t a problem, but worry about a few bucks in duty.
Maybe my fishing camp has the lowest fun quotient in the Canadian sub-arctic, but I don’t recall ever wanting to bring more beer/spirits than the duty free limit allowed.
Everybody keep in mind there are differing provincial laws on alcohol in boats. Some provinces DO NOT allow open containers or consumption at any time while boating. And some provinces have very vaguely stated laws that if you read them one way, seem to ban ANY alcohol on board boats, open or sealed. Read your regs and know before you go.
We always brought what we were fully allowed and then stopped for more. Where we fish you could not have any open containers so we did not even take it out with us. However we made up for that once back on shore. Most outings it did not take that long to catch fish and then back to the island to drink and be merry.
DON’T DO THIS: It’s been several years and things may have changed. Drove all day, got to boarder late. Decided to just buy beer in Canada and avoid the hassle. Bought beer that night. Got up next morning to buy groceries. Grocery stores were closed in Canada then. No big deal, run back to Minnesota. Coming back to Canada: “Any liquor to declare?” “Just this beer we bought in Canada last night.” “Got the receipt?” ” Uh, no.” Long story short {kinda}. Most expensive beer I ever bought.
I always get a kick out of this topic. Price of lodging, gas, food, licenses, etc isn’t a problem, but worry about a few bucks in duty.
^^^couldn’t have said it better
For the OP: for Ontario expect the duty to be roughly $10 CAD on each extra case or bottle, very minor. They’ll ask roughly what you paid for it and I always tell them $20. It’s really not a big deal at all, and I’ve also had many times where they didn’t make us come in to pay duty.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>TheFamousGrouse wrote:</div>
Maybe my fishing camp has the lowest fun quotient in the Canadian sub-arctic, but I don’t recall ever wanting to bring more beer/spirits than the duty free limit allowed.Everybody keep in mind there are differing provincial laws on alcohol in boats. Some provinces DO NOT allow open containers or consumption at any time while boating. And some provinces have very vaguely stated laws that if you read them one way, seem to ban ANY alcohol on board boats, open or sealed. Read your regs and know before you go.
We always brought what we were fully allowed and then stopped for more. Where we fish you could not have any open containers so we did not even take it out with us. However we made up for that once back on shore. Most outings it did not take that long to catch fish and then back to the island to drink and be merry.
One case a day per fella. Usually go thru at least one bottle of vodka for morning bloodies, and a bump bottle for the nightly fire. We always buy the extras up there, the Labatt blues taste different and are delicious
the Labatt blues taste different and are delicious
This is so true, the Labatt and the Molson Ice. Best tasting beer in Canada, maybe its the air. 
Where we fish you could not have any open containers so we did not even take it out with us.
That is our solution as well, no beer in boats at all.
This thread has me thinking about Canada and I can’t wait. Man that closed year just killed me, just when you really want to go to the wilderness…
Love my Canadian trips. Like my dad says, there are only 2 kinds of days fishing in Canada–good and great. He’s 81 and still looks forward to it as much as I do.
This thread has me thinking about Canada and I can’t wait. Man that closed year just killed me, just when you really want to go to the wilderness…
Love my Canadian trips. Like my dad says, there are only 2 kinds of days fishing in Canada–good and great. He’s 81 and still looks forward to it as much as I do.
Same here, and your dad is 100% correct it really is amazing up there. Hope I get up there this year. It’s been a few now.
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html
Any other questions, just pm me or ask here.
This is the link for the duty free store in baudette. Call and confirm they will be open when you’re planning on crossing.
Here’s how it works… duty free is set up after the last turn in the us, meaning duty free is set up after us customs. This way if you buy it and go back yo the states, you have to pay tax on it. It’s way cheaper, but items can be limited.
Maybe they like me ! Before we just started buying everything in Canada, for over 20 years, I have always brought a bottle of Brandy and a Case of Beer. Everybody in our group brought a bottle and beer. Probably wasn’t worth busting our chops over ! One year we had 2 young guys with us.. they brought a bottle each and at least 12 cases of beer… that year we paid duty ! It was after that we said, why haul all that stuff over the border, when we can buy it miles from the water airport.
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