Cross-border Insurance for Canadian Companies Operating in the U.S.
Cross-border Insurance for Canadian Companies Operating in the U.S.
When your business crosses the border, your insurance program should as well.
Canadian companies with U.S. employees, operations, or assets, face insurance requirements that are fundamentally different from what they have in Canada. Workers' compensation, commercial auto, healthcare and liability all work differently in the U.S., and gaps in coverage can mean significant financial exposure, regulatory penalties or both.
HUB International has a licensed presence on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, across all provinces and states. That means you get one team working across both markets and a program built locally around your real risk environment.
Where the coverage gaps hide
Expanding into the U.S. is often more complex than it looks from a risk and insurance standpoint. Here's where Canadian companies encounter coverage gaps:
In Canada, workers’ compensation is a provincial, government-administered system. In the U.S., it’s governed state-by-state, largely private and carries significantly higher litigation risk. Your Canadian Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) program does not extend south of the border, leaving room for added exposure.
U.S. auto liability limits, coverage triggers and claims environments vary by state and differ materially from Canadian standards. For example, fleet coverage that works in British Columbia (BC) or Quebec (QC) may need adjustment to meet coverage requirements in certain U.S. states, and Canada's provincially administered insurance system means fleet coverage is placed province by province, limiting opportunities for national consolidation. Having one program with a single insurer allows streamlined management and substantial savings.
Canada’s provincially administered healthcare system doesn’t follow your employees to the U.S. American employers carry the cost of healthcare directly, often exceeding $17,000 U.S. per employee, per year. For companies scaling their U.S. headcount, this can become one of the largest insurance cost lines. Organizations that build benefits planning into their cross-border strategy early are positioned to manage this cost proactively.
Regional risk factors in the U.S., including earthquake, wind and flood exposure, differ significantly from Canadian markets. Property programs and general liability placements need to reflect local requirements and insurer appetite.
What makes HUB different
Most insurance brokers route cross-border placements through a single Canadian office or an insurer's cross-border desk. The result is a program built around what is convenient for the broker, not what is best for the client.
HUB operates differently. With offices across North America, our brokers work where your operations are. Because the U.S. is a deeply regional insurance market, involving the right team in the right markets makes a material difference. Not just in coverage quality, but in cost. For clients with significant U.S. operations, our approach has delivered savings measured in the millions of dollars.
One team across both countries. Every placement built around your interests.
Areas of Expertise
Our cross-border capabilities span the full spectrum of your risk program:
Property placements, liability, risk coverage and premiums, both in Canada and the U.S.
State-by-state U.S. placements, including private, government and monopolistic states.
Coverage in all states, provinces and territories.
Competitive, compliant benefit programs for Canadian and U.S. employees.
Management liability and professional liability placements across both markets.
Cross-border construction placements and surety bonds.
Talk to a cross-border specialist
For Canadian companies operating in the U.S., HUB delivers peace of mind on what matters most, one team on both sides of the border, protecting your business through unrelenting advocacy and tailored insurance solutions. Fill out the form below and we'll put you in touch with the right cross-border team to review your current coverage, pinpoint the gaps and close them.