Cross-border shopping between three countries in Canada, Mexico, and the United States has been robust. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has reduced barriers and tariffs, facilitating cross-border trade. Each day 2008, $2 billion of cross-border trade was conducted between Canada and the United States alone. Consumers take part in cross-border trading to broaden their product selection, gain access to a larger market place, or take advantage of currency volatility. Online commerce has taken on a more prominent role in recent years and gives consumers a convenient platform for cross-border shopping. However, additional border costs such as duties, brokerage and shipping are not always disclosed up front or even known to the retailer, leading to a situation where the final cost of an item can greatly exceed expectations. Dedicated cross-border shopping solutions such as Canada Post's Borderfree program existed to mitigate these problems with varied success.Canada Post sold "Borderfree" in 2012: https://www.borndigital.com/2012/03/02/canada-post-sells-off-cross-border-e-commerce-platform-borderfree-2012-03-02 In the end, caution is necessary to determine the final cost of goods before purchase.
