CANADIAN MACROMOLECULAR CRYSTALLOGRAPHY FACILITY

Overnight shipment of dry shipping dewars is generally reliable within Canada. However, there can sometimes be unforeseen delays due to weather or other factors.

Please send dewars well ahead of time - they should arrive at CLS at least a day before your beamtime. If you have beamtime early in the week, note that there are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Holidays so shipments should be made the week before. Additional care and advanced planning is needed for shipments from outside Canada, as delays may occur due to customs inspections.

Shipments Within Canada

Users are responsible for costs of shipping dry shippers and dewars both to and from the CLS. "COD" shipments are not accepted. Address packages as in the following example:

CANADIAN LIGHT SOURCE
ATTN: MICHEL FODJE / CMCF
44 INNOVATION BOULEVARD

SASKATOON SK S7N 2V3
CANADA

Phone: 1-306-657-3657 (CLS Shipping and Receiving)
Fax: 1-306-657-3533

  • Dry shipping dewars must be emptied of excess liquid nitrogen to be classified as non-hazardous. Users are strongly encouraged to ship dry shipping dewars without any excess liquid nitrogen. Any dewar with excess liquid nitrogen must be shipped as hazardous materials; contact CLSI Shipping and Receiving for additional information.
  • If you are sending a hard drive, simply label it with the principal investigator's name, wrap it in a protective wrapping, and include it somewhere in the dry shipping container. See Data Transfer Options for more information.
  • Please upload your sample details to MxLIVE as soon as possible during shipping. You can also create labels automatically and upload tracking information..
  • CMCF staff always fill dewars with liquid nitrogen upon arrival, and will keep your dewars topped up with nitrogen while on-site.

Return Shipments

After your data collection is complete, CMCF staff will help arrange the return shipment of your dry shippers with our shipping department. The information that is used, including address and courier account number, must be provided in your MxLIVE account profile. You are responsible for keeping this information up to date. If you are not using MxLIVE, please complete the Shipping Order Form and provide it to beamline staff, or leave with your dry shipper. The most important information required is:

  • Your FedEx or other courier account number.
  • The correct return address.
  • Shipping speed (optional).
    • *Overnight shipping is fast and recommended if you want to keep your crystals in good shape for future use.
    • Ground/economy shipping may cost less but may take a week or more, so your crystals may not survive.
    • 2-day shipping might be a good compromise.
    • *If nothing is indicated, overnight shipping will be assumed. Please allow sufficient time for outgoing shipments.

Shipping from the United States

For shipping to and from the United States, the information for shipping within Canada applies. In addition, you will need to use one of the following options for brokering your shipment through Canada Customs:

Option 1: (Recommended) Use CLSI customs broker, Thompson, Ahern & Co.

Users will be invoiced for applicable customs clearance charges (typically less than $25 CAD, plus GST). Indicate to the courier company that Thompson, Ahern & Co. will broker the shipment. Include three copies of the following paperwork with your shipment and forward a copy to shipping and receiving and the broker along with the courier tracking number.

  • Commercial Invoice (USA) - example - adjust relevant fields including:
    • 1. Vendor (shipper) name & address
    • 2. Date of shipment
    • 8. Transportation information
    • 11. & 13. Quantity (estimated number of samples is acceptable)
    • 16. Weight
    • 20. Originator name & address
    • other fields as needed for your particular shipment
  • USMCA/CUSMA Certificate of Origin
    • To avoid excess customs fees, packages from the USA with goods originating in the USA should include this.

Option 2: Use courier as broker

You may have the courier broker your shipment through customs. Include three copies of the following paperwork with your shipment:

  • One Time Agency Agreement (available from shipping company).
    • Be sure to contact the shipping company for advice on filling out their forms to avoid delays.
  • Commercial Invoice
    • It is important that a reasonable value be declared for the dry shipper, usually about 200$ each.
  • USMCA/CUSMA Certificate of Origin

Contact CLSI Shipping and Receiving one week prior to the arrival of your dry shipper from an international location to inform them of the shipment. They may be able to deal with issues arising at Canada Customs. They can also advise you regarding details of filling out the required documentation and current regulations. It is the responsibility of the CLS User to keep track of the status of shipments.

Shipping from the European Union

For shipping to and from the European Union, the information for shipping within Canada applies. In addition, you will need to use one of the following options for brokering your shipment through Canada Customs:

Option 1: (Recommended) Use CLSI customs broker, Thompson, Ahern & Co.
Users will be invoiced for applicable customs clearance charges (typically less than $25 CAD, plus GST). Indicate to the courier company that Thompson, Ahern & Co. will broker the shipment. Include three copies of the following paperwork with your shipment and forward a copy to shipping and receiving along with the courier tracking number.

  • Commercial Invoice (EU) - example - adjust relevant fields including:
    • 1. Vendor (shipper) name & address
    • 2. Date of shipment
    • 7. Origin of shipment
    • 8. Transportation information
    • 11. & 13. Quantity (estimated number of samples is acceptable)
    • 16. Weight
    • 20. Originator name & address
    • other fields as needed for your particular shipment

Option 2: Use courier as broker.
You may have the courier broker your shipment through customs. Include three copies of the following paperwork with your shipment:

  • One Time Agency Agreement (available from shipping company).
    • Be sure to contact the shipping company for advice on filling out their form to avoid delays.
  • Commercial Invoice
    • It is important that a reasonable value be declared for the dry shipper, usually about 200$ each.

Contact CLSI Shipping and Receiving one week prior to the arrival of your dry shipper from an international location to inform them of the shipment. They may be able to deal with issues arising at Canada Customs. They can also advise you regarding details of filling out the required documentation and current regulations. It is the responsibility of the CLS User to keep track of the status of shipments.

International Shipping

For shipping from all countries other than Canada, the United States or the European Union, please contact CLSI Shipping and Receiving.