IME, when shipping from US to Canada:
USPS/Canada Post has the cheapest brokerage fees ~ $5.00
FedEx ~ $10 + a % of the value (cost me $14 for a $160USD item)
UPS ~ $25 + a % of the value (cost me $33 for a $175USD item)
(and of course the usual GST/custom/duty)
for small packages such as a pump or a skimmer:
7~10 days via USPS Priority mail from Dallas,TX
4~5 days via Fedex ground from Fresno,CA
4~5 days via UPS ground from LA,CA
for oversize/bulky items, UPS is cheaper than USPS
the services that i experienced with UPS is horrible
HTH