Import duty on a red light therapy panel from the US is often $0. Two Canadian tariff headings that plausibly fit a light therapy device, 9018.20 and 8543.70, are duty-free, though we found no CBSA ruling for LED therapy panels. What raises the price is the exchange rate, GST or HST on arrival, the courier's brokerage fee and the cost of sending a heavy panel back across the border. On a $1,500 USD panel delivered to Ontario with taxes paid at the door, that comes to about $2,500 CAD before shipping.
Who wrote this: Hale Health sells RLPRO panels in Canada, priced in CAD. We have an interest in this comparison, so every rate and fee below links to the government, courier or brand page it came from, checked on October 14, 2026. This isn't tax or customs advice; CBSA decides how a specific product is classified.
The four costs that change the price
1. The exchange rate
The Bank of Canada rate on October 14, 2026 was 1.4263 Canadian dollars per US dollar, so a $1,500 USD panel is $2,139.45 CAD before anything else. Your card issuer's rate will differ from the Bank of Canada rate, so check your statement rather than assuming the published figure.
2. GST or HST on arrival
CBSA says GST "is calculated on the total value of the goods and applicable duties" (CBSA importing guide). That's 5% GST, or 13% HST in participating provinces such as Ontario (CBSA duty and tax rates). Panels cost well over the courier thresholds, so tax applies: shipments from the US over $40 are taxed, and over $150 duty is assessed at the heading's rate, which may be zero (CBSA low-value shipments).
3. The courier's brokerage fee
When a courier clears your parcel, it charges for that work. CBSA describes these fees as "separate and distinct from duties and taxes" and outside its control (CBSA courier shipments). FedEx publishes two schedules for ground shipments into Canada: one lists $70.00 for a shipment worth $1,600.01 to $3,300, plus a disbursement fee of 2.5% of the duty and tax or $10, whichever is greater; the other lists $82.00 for the same band. UPS's fee pages wouldn't load for us and DHL doesn't publish an amount, so ask your courier.
4. Sending it back
Every US brand we checked puts return shipping on you by default, and a full-size panel is heavy. Some add restocking fees or deduct US customs fees on the way back. The brand table below has each one's terms.
Which tariff heading applies
| Heading | Description | Most-favoured-nation rate | US tariff (CUSMA origin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9018.20.00 | Ultra-violet or infra-red ray apparatus | Free | Free |
| 8543.70.00 | Other machines and apparatus | Free | Free |
| 9405.42.90 | Lamps and lighting fittings for LED light sources, other | 7% | Free |
Two headings that plausibly fit an LED light therapy panel are duty-free from any country. If CBSA treated a panel as a lamp under 9405, a Chinese-made panel would pay 7%. One of US origin would be tariff-free under CUSMA but, since September 8, 2026, pays a 50% surtax on 9405.42.90 (see below). Origin is where the panel was made, not where it shipped from: CBSA says claims for CUSMA treatment "must satisfy the rules of origin requirements" (CBSA CUSMA overview).
That surtax is the edge case: since September 8, 2026, Canada has applied a 50% surtax to several US-origin 9405 lamp items, including 9405.42.90 (CBSA notice CN 26-23). It would only matter for a panel that is both made in the US and classed as a lamp. We didn't check where each brand's panels are made; if yours is US-made, ask the seller how it ships.
A worked example
| Line | Duty-free heading | If classed as a lamp, non-US origin (7%) |
|---|---|---|
| Panel in CAD | $2,139.45 | $2,139.45 |
| Duty | $0.00 | $149.76 |
| HST at 13% on value plus duty | $278.13 | $297.60 |
| Delivered, FedEx schedule A ($70 brokerage plus disbursement fee) | $2,497.58 | $2,667.99 |
| Delivered, FedEx schedule B ($82 brokerage; no disbursement fee listed) | $2,499.58 | $2,668.81 |
Under a duty-free heading, tax and brokerage add about $360 to a $2,139.45 panel. If the same panel were classed as a lamp at 7%, the total rises by about $170. These are arithmetic from the cited rates, not a quote. Your courier, province and the panel's classification decide the real number.
If the brand collects duties and taxes at checkout instead, as Mito does on its Canadian store, the tax is in the checkout total and there's no brokerage bill at your door. That checkout total is the number to compare.
How US brands handle Canadian orders
| Brand | Checkout currency | Duties and taxes | Ships from | Returns from Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mito Red Light | CAD on its Canadian store | Collected at checkout; Mito is the importer of record, so nothing is due on delivery | A Canadian warehouse when in stock, otherwise the nearest country | Return shipping may be yours unless you bought its free-returns option |
| Joovv | USD | Not included at checkout; charged to you on delivery | The US | Return shipping is yours, to a US return centre |
| PlatinumLED | CAD storefront | "Duties prepaid" on Canadian orders; the page doesn't say whether GST/HST and brokerage are included | California | 20% restocking fee on elective returns, and return shipping is yours |
| Hooga | CAD storefront | "The responsibility of the customer" on international orders | Not stated; standard international delivery up to 20 business days | Return shipping deducted from your refund; US customs fees may apply on the return |
Mito comes out best here: a Canadian store, CAD pricing, landed costs collected up front and a Canadian warehouse. Joovv and Hooga both leave duties and taxes to you on delivery, and Joovv also prices in USD. For a side-by-side with RLPRO, see Hale vs Mito, Hale vs Joovv, Hale vs PlatinumLED and Hale vs Hooga.
Or buy from a seller that prices in CAD
Several brands sell panels in Canadian dollars and ship from inside Canada, so the exchange rate, duty and brokerage don't apply. Return shipping still can: Kala, Orion, Infraredi and Hale all leave it to you. Delivery times vary a lot:
- Kala ships free from Toronto in 2 to 8 business days (Kala shipping policy). See Hale vs Kala.
- Orion ships from Vancouver in 2 to 7 business days after processing, with no duties (Orion shipping policy). See Hale vs Orion.
- Infraredi ships from Montreal in 2 to 5 business days for in-stock orders, per its site. See Hale vs Infraredi.
- Hale sells RLPRO in CAD with free shipping, from $3,900 CAD with a stand. Our published delivery window is 25 to 30 business days, which is slower than the sellers above. Compare RLPRO sizes.
Questions
Do I pay duty on a red light therapy panel from the US?
Often not. The likely headings, 9018.20 and 8543.70, are duty-free. You will still pay GST or HST on the value, and usually a courier brokerage fee unless the seller collected those at checkout. CBSA decides the classification of a specific product.
Does Mito ship to Canada?
Yes. Mito runs a Canadian store priced in CAD, collects duties and taxes at checkout as importer of record, and ships free from a Canadian warehouse when the item is in stock there.
Does Hooga charge duties to Canada?
Hooga's shipping policy says international shipments may be subject to duties and taxes, which are the customer's responsibility. Expect GST or HST and a brokerage fee on delivery.
Does PlatinumLED charge duties to Canada?
PlatinumLED says Canadian orders ship from California "with duties prepaid". Its page doesn't say whether GST or HST and brokerage are included, so check the checkout total.
Is Joovv cheaper in Canada?
Joovv prices in USD and doesn't include duties or taxes at checkout; they're charged on delivery. Convert the price at your card's rate and add tax and brokerage before comparing it with a CAD price.
What's the cheapest way to avoid surprise fees?
Buy from a seller that prices in CAD and either ships from Canada or collects all landed costs at checkout. Then the checkout total is what you pay.