No duty, but GST, PST, and brokerage fees.
How Much Are Canadian Customs on US Made Imports
Since many Canadian Goners import US made stuff from the US, is there a Canadian duty on those goods? I was under the impression that US made goods are not subject to duty under the NAFTA agreement. Please, comment if you have direct experience. Thank you!!!
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The have an import duty on everything. I sent a pair of used Paradigm Atoms up there some years ago, and the unfortunate purchaser ended up paying slightly more than a new(canadian made) pair would have cost him. That was my first experience with their rip-off..., uh- I mean: Their tariff system, or I would have warned him. |
There is no Canadian duty on U.S.-made audio gear. NAFTA assures that. However within Canada there are federal and provincial sales taxes imposed on every purchase except some held to be basic necessities. Audio gear is not held to be a basic necessity, so taxes have to be paid when you buy it, no matter whether you buy it in the States or in Canada. That means that when any audio gear crosses the border from the U.S. to Canada it will come with a tax bill based on its declared value. There may be other fees also. If the gear wasn't made in a NAFTA country it may have another 6% duty imposed. In addition there may be brokerage fees, depending on the carrier's policies and rates. |
If the goods are manufactured in the USA, no duty. You will have to pay GST and Provincial tax unless you live in Alberta where there is no sales tax. But if the origin of the product is manufactured elsewhere then you will have to pay import duty. The duty percentage will vary according to origin of product and the type of product. You can save money by acting as your own broker. It is very simple to do as long as you have the time. I have found that the brokerage fee from UPS typically was the highest. When I bought my turntable I had to pay import duty (French turntable). |
If you ship via USPS there is no brokerage fee. DO NOT use FedEx or UPS if you can help it. I usually get my items shipped to a postal office in Washington and drive across from Vancouver to pick up the purchase. Obviously, they are used items. I have only had to pay the sales tax (which is stupid, considering you don't have to pay sales tax on used items from Canada). No questions regarding the origin of the item and no duty thus far.. Incidently...sorry for hijacking the thread.... for Americans purchasers, does UPS and FedEX charge a brokerage fee on items sent from Canada? Any other special levies or charges? |
Tobias is correct. I believe that you can import speaker drivers or spare parts from other countries (outside NAFTA) without import duty - however all finished products (like a speaker) get the 6% or sometimes higher "import duty" if not "manufactured" in NAFTA or a special status trading partner. (so technically you should pay import duty on a used US Brand player that says "Made in China" on it) Companies can get around some of these rules by manufacturing most everything overseas and then doing "final assembly" in the US. |
After a few costly experiences, both ways, I do not ship to or from Canada. I do buy from Canada, but I insist that the seller ship the item from a US town. If they can't do that, I do not buy. I do buy from the UK, and find, even with duty and shipping cost some items can be landed for 20% less then us dealer prices in my state. But lately, with the exchange rate being high, I've stopped. |
Tiger, and other anti-Canadianites...lol..I don't understand why you wouldn't ship to Canada. We're like best buddies. It's your choice of course, but aren't the inherent risks (non-payment etc) the same with a US purchaser. The shipping seems pretty straight forward. USPS being the best option because there is no brokerage fee. I did return some vitamins once (first time buying over the internet) because the UPS brokerage fee was more than the value of the goods... And the valuation declaration is the same as declaring value for insurance purposes. All applicable taxes are the responsibility of the buyer upon arrival of package. Since it's the buyer who forwards the money first, wouldn't all the risk be on the buyers' side? Us Canadians like having access to the very large US market, and with the US dollar the way it is, it's all gravy..... talk about pent up consumer demand. Thank you George and Dick. |
If you ship via USPS there is no brokerage fee. Not quite right: There is a CDN$5 brokerage charge on any standard mail parcel that is charged with PST/GST, and a $8 charge on EMS parcels. Its just that for UPS and Fedex those charges are higher (starting at around $15 for packages above $20) and depend on the declared value. |
Correction. Canada Post do not charge a "brokerage" fee. It's a "handling" fee and yes it is $5.00. Regardless, this is MUCH cheaper than what the UPS and Fedex thugs charge. If you purchase from the US, insist that they ship the item to Canada by USPS. I have noticed over the years that an item with a declared value of under $60.00 will be delivered to your door by Canada Post with no GST/PST or handling fee. My observation anyway. |
For completeness, here is the offcial Canada Post information: Canada Post "Handling fees" Thus $5 for standard and priority parcel, $8 fee for EMS (Express mail) parcels. There is no charge for items, where no duty, PST or GST is payable, i.e. items below CDN$20 are always free. By the way, the same is true for Fedex and UPS: There is no "brokerage fee" for items below CDN$20: UPS fee guide Oh, and UPS does not call these "brokerage fees" either but instead "Entry Preparation Charges" ;) |
