UPS clears your parcel through Canadian customs on your behalf, and Canada requires anyone who deals with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for someone else to hold written permission. That permission is usually called a power of attorney or an agency agreement. UPS emails you the form directly, and the package waits at the border until it's signed.
The request comes from UPS, not from us. If you're unsure whether an email is genuine, look up your tracking number on the UPS website instead of clicking a link.
Even with duties paid at checkout
Your duties and taxes were collected at checkout, so you won't pay them again on delivery. Clearing the parcel through customs is a separate step, and UPS needs your permission to do it for you. That's why UPS still asks Canadian customers to sign, even when everything is prepaid. See what checkout covers.
Ordering for a business
A business importing goods for its own use is usually asked for more. The form names the business and its Business Number, and business importers also have to give UPS access to their account in the CBSA's CARM Client Portal. The CBSA sets out the rules in Memorandum D1-6-1.
Can I clear it myself?
Yes. Instead of signing, you can clear the parcel yourself with UPS and the CBSA. That's arranged between you and UPS, and you don't need to tell us. UPS can tell you how it works.
If it isn't signed or cleared
The package waits at the border, and if it can't clear customs, it's held, returned, or abandoned. Under our Terms of Service (section 21), that isn't grounds for a refund or a replacement, and if the parcel comes back to us, you pay to reship it. If yours is already stuck, see what to do when your Canadian order is held at customs.