Aerospace Components
Aircraft parts need Transport Canada design approval — or a recognized foreign equivalent — before they can be installed, independent of customs clearance.
Get a Aerospace Components RateHS 88
Aircraft parts chapter
TCCA PDA
Transport Canada's own part design approval
FAA PMA
Recognized as equivalent under bilateral agreement
0%
Additional CPTPP saving — already Free at MFN
TCCA Part Design Approval
Aircraft parts need a Transport Canada Part Design Approval — or a recognized foreign equivalent — before installation, regardless of customs clearance
Under CAR 521 (Part V, Subpart 21 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations), a replacement part needs either a Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) Part Design Approval or a Federal Aviation Administration Parts Manufacturer Approval (FAA PMA) — the two are recognized as bilaterally equivalent under the Canada-US Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement. Clearing CBSA doesn't substitute for this: a part without one of these approvals isn't legally installable on a Canadian-registered aircraft even after it's cleared customs.
Source: Transport Canada, Canadian Aviation Regulations CAR 521; FAA/TCCA Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness. Last verified July 2026.
Relevant HS Codes
| HS Code | Description | MFN | CPTPP | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8805.10 | Aircraft launching gear and parts thereof; deck-arrestor or similar gear and parts thereof | Free | Free | — |
| 8805.21 | Ground flying trainers - air combat simulators and parts thereof | Free | Free | — |
| 8805.29 | Ground flying trainers - other, and parts thereof | Free | Free | — |
| 8807.10 | Propellers and rotors and parts thereof (parts of 88.01/88.02/88.06) | Free | Free | — |
| 8807.20 | Under-carriages and parts thereof (parts of 88.01/88.02/88.06) | Free | Free | — |
| 8807.30 | Other parts of aeroplanes, helicopters or unmanned aircraft | Free | Free | — |
| 8807.90 | Other parts of goods of heading 88.01, 88.02 or 88.06 | Free | Free | — |
Source: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2026/html/00/ch88-eng.html
Canadian Import Process
Confirm design approval
Confirm the part carries a TCCA Part Design Approval or an FAA PMA before booking — CBSA clearance doesn't establish airworthiness eligibility.
CBSA examination
Goods clear against the commercial invoice and HS classification.
Customs release
Shipment released to the importer.
Installation eligibility confirmed separately
The receiving MRO or operator confirms the part's approval basis before installation — a separate step from customs release.
Worked example
80kg of propeller/rotor parts, Singapore to Toronto
A 80kg shipment of propeller and rotor parts (HS 8807.10) needs to move from SIN to YYZ. The fastest confirmed routing on that pair today is China Airlines through TPE, at 2-3 days (TPE freighter connection, limited to Mon/Thu departures).
Before booking, UAL confirms the parts carry a TCCA Part Design Approval or an FAA PMA — the documentation an MRO will need before installing them on a Canadian-registered aircraft, independent of the customs process.
HS 8807.10 is already Free at the standard MFN rate, so no CPTPP claim changes the outcome here. CBSA clears the shipment against the commercial invoice and HS classification; airworthiness eligibility is confirmed separately by the receiving MRO.
Why ship aerospace components through UAL
Design approval confirmed before booking, not assumed
We check for a TCCA Part Design Approval or FAA PMA reference before tender — not a customs-only compliance check that misses the airworthiness question entirely.
MRO-critical timing, respected
Aerospace parts are often AOG (aircraft-on-ground) or MRO-schedule critical. We route via whichever carrier has the transit time that timeline actually needs.
Routing chosen on merit
We're not tied to one carrier's capacity for aerospace freight. Routing is chosen on which carrier can actually meet the handling and timeline this cargo needs.
Frequently asked questions
No — clearing CBSA doesn't establish airworthiness eligibility. A replacement part still needs a Transport Canada Part Design Approval or a recognized foreign equivalent before an MRO or operator can install it.
Aerospace Components · 7 HS codes · CPTPP savings on 0 codes
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