<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-01-16</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000884713</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>COTT CORP /CN/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>COT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001136832</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BENADIBA MARK</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>25 PARKWOOD AVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>TORONTO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>A6</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>M4V 2W9</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>ONTARIO, CANADA</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Executive Vice President</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-01-16</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>597.615</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>24.18</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>9671.474</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Canada Life</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The common shares were acquired pursuant to an allocation under the Corporation's Executive Incentive Share Compensation Plan (the &quot;Plan&quot;) The U.S. dollar price represents the conversion of (Cdn)$29.68 to U.S. dollars on December 31, 2004, which reflects the date used for purposes of the trustee's allocation.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Represents unvested Shares held in trust that were acquired pursuant to the Plan and the Executive Investment Share Purchase Plan (which replaced the Plan) in 2003, 2004 and 2005.  The reporting individual also holds 14,524.98 Shares held directly; and 179.622 vested Shares held in trust pursuant to the Plan that vested on or before 01/02/05.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Andrea Szanto, by power of attorney</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-01-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

