North America
Packaging design & custom boxes for Canada brands
Yes: we design packaging for brands in Canada and make it in our own factory in Pakistan, from MOQ 500. Bilingual-ready packaging design and custom boxes for Canadian brands, made in our own factory and shipped to your address, warehouse or 3PL.
Last updated
- MOQ 500
- Own factory
- Ships to Canada by air & sea
Canada at a glance
- Our experience
- 15+ years in packaging
- Currency
- Canadian dollar (CAD)
- Label language
- English, French
- Units
- Metric
- Labelling authority
- Health Canada, CFIA and Competition Bureau
- Air shipping
- Approx. 6–10 days
- Sea shipping
- Approx. 30–45 days
Shipping times are approximate. Transit time after dispatch. Exact time and cost confirmed with your quote.
Packaging design
Packaging for Canada
Bilingual packaging is the defining feature of the Canadian market. Most mandatory text must appear in English and French, which roughly doubles the information on the back of pack. We plan the panels for both languages from the first concept, so the front stays clean and the French is not squeezed in at the end.
Many Canadian brands sell into the US as well, and a US label will not work unchanged in Canada. We design shared front panels with country-specific back panels, so one system covers both markets.
Canadian brands often face long distances inside the country as well as from overseas, so durable mailers and compact packaging help with both freight and domestic courier costs. Retailers may also ask for French-first packaging in Quebec, so we keep layouts flexible enough to lead with either language.
Designed for Canada
Layouts planned for English and French text and local labelling, with first concepts usually within 48 hours.
Made in our own factory
Rigid and printed boxes from 500 units, with a digital proof and 3D mockup before print.
Shipped to Canada
By air for speed or by sea for volume, assembled or flat-packed.
Labelling and compliance
Labelling in Canada
Most consumer packaging in Canada must show mandatory information in both English and French. Food labelling is overseen by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act covers many non-food products. Quebec has additional French-language requirements.
Last reviewed: 28 October 2026
- Bilingual English and French mandatory information on most consumer products.
- Metric net quantity, with rules on placement and type size.
- Food labels use Canada's own Nutrition Facts table format, different from the US version.
- Front-of-package nutrition symbols are being introduced for some foods high in sodium, sugars or saturated fat.
- Cosmetics list ingredients and must be notified to Health Canada.
Official sources
- CFIA: Food labelling for industry
- Competition Bureau: Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act guide
- Health Canada: Cosmetics
General information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on your product. We lay out the text you supply; final regulatory review stays with you and your adviser.
Shipping
Shipping to Canada
Air freight
Approx. 6–10 days by air
For launches and urgent stock. Delivered to your address, warehouse or 3PL.
Sea freight
Approx. 30–45 days by sea
For production volumes. Usually to a port, then onward by road.
Transit time after dispatch. Exact time and cost confirmed with your quote.
Ship flat, save space
Canadian brands often store stock in one warehouse and ship coast to coast. Flat-packed collapsible rigid boxes save space at every step.
Delivery terms: agreed in your quote. Boxes are packed in export cartons, assembled or flat.
Ordering
Ordering from Canada
- 01
Brief and quote
Send your product, quantity and where it will be sold in Canada. We reply within 24 hours with questions, a recommended box and a fixed quote.
- 02
Design for the market
Concepts on 3D mockups, with space planned for English and French text and the information required in Canada.
- 03
Proof and approval
A digital proof with dieline, colours and copy, plus a 3D mockup. Nothing is printed until you approve.
- 04
Production and delivery
Made in our own factory, packed in export cartons and shipped to Canada by air or sea, assembled or flat.
Plan ahead
Busy seasons to plan for
Packaging for these peaks should be designed, approved and shipped well in advance. Tell us your launch date and we plan backwards from it.
- The holiday season in November and December
- Black Friday and Boxing Day sales
- Valentine's Day and Mother's Day
Checklist
Packaging checklist for Canada
- Prepare mandatory label text in English and French with your adviser.
- Show net quantity in metric units.
- Check product-specific rules with Health Canada, CFIA and Competition Bureau.
- Consider mailer box or lid & base box, popular with Canada brands.
- Choose air for launches and urgent stock, sea for production volumes.
- Read our guide: Net weight on packaging: rules and placement in the US, UK and EU.
Popular packaging
Popular with Canada brands
Mailer Box
Roll-end tuck-front mailer in corrugated board.
Lid & Base Box
Two-piece rigid box: a base and a separate lid that slides over it.
Folding Carton
Custom-structure paperboard cartons: crash-lock bottoms, sleeves with inserts, multi-packs.
Collapsible Rigid Box
Rigid box that ships flat.
Tuck End Box
Folding carton with tuck flaps at each end.
Magnetic Closure Box
A hinged lid with a front flap that closes on hidden magnets.
Design services
Industries
Industries we serve in Canada
Cities
Where we deliver
Toronto
Canada's largest consumer market, with many beauty, food and e-commerce brands.
Vancouver
Home to the Port of Vancouver, Canada's busiest port for Pacific sea freight.
Montreal
A key market for French-first packaging and Quebec language rules.
Guides
Guides for Canada brands
Net weight on packaging: rules and placement in the US, UK and EU
Where the net quantity goes, which units to use and how big it must be on packaging for the US, UK and EU, with minimum height tables.
Packaging for international markets: what changes and how to plan
How to adapt packaging for export: regulations, languages, units, culture, retail and shipping, and how to design one system for many markets.
CBD packaging requirements in the US, UK and EU
How CBD is regulated in the US, UK and EU, what that means for claims and labels, and how to plan CBD packaging that can adapt as rules change.
FAQ
Questions from Canada
- Does Canadian packaging have to be bilingual?
- Most mandatory consumer information must be in English and French. Quebec has additional French-language rules. We plan space for both from the start.
- Can I use my US label in Canada?
- Usually not unchanged. Canada uses its own Nutrition Facts format, metric units and bilingual text. We design shared fronts with country-specific backs.
- Who pays duty and GST on boxes shipped to Canada?
- Duty and GST or HST are assessed on import. Your customs broker confirms the amounts.
- Do you design cannabis or CBD packaging for Canada?
- We design outer boxes and labels from the text you supply. Canada has strict cannabis packaging rules, so your adviser must confirm every element.
- Can you print French and English on the same box?
- Yes. We lay out both languages and check legibility at actual size.
- Can you design French-first packaging for Quebec?
- Yes. We can lead with French and keep English as the second language, following the text your adviser approves.
- Which currency will my quote be in?
- Tell us your preferred currency when you ask for a quote. We confirm the currency and payment terms in the quote itself.
- Air or sea: which should I choose?
- Air for launches and urgent stock; sea for production volumes where the timeline allows. We quote both so you can compare.
- Can collapsible rigid boxes reduce my shipping cost?
- Yes. They ship flat, so many more fit in each carton, which cuts freight volume and storage. We compare assembled and flat options in your quote.
Packaging for your Canada launch
Tell us what you are making and where it ships. We reply within 24 hours with a design route, a box recommendation and a quote.
- Quote reply within 24 hours
- First concepts in 48 hours