Import duties

[Tartan Hiker]

I posted this question in another forum and got no responses, so maybe here is a better spot.

I'm considering buying fabric from a Canadian source, and I have no idea what to expect in import duties. Total value will probably be in the neighborhood of $400.

I just received a smaller amount of fabric from F&K in Canada and there were no duties at all. The declared value on that package was $100, although I paid a good deal less for the fabric.

Does anyone here know if I will be hit with a duty charge on this next purchase, or is the value still too low for Customs regulations to kick in?

And I have tried to look at all the online Customs pages. Not terribly helpful unless you're a commercial importer.

Thanks a bunch

[McMurdo]

I'm really not sure about going the other way but I have been able to get up to about $200.00 worth of merchandise up here from the US without ant problem of course I have been dinged with duties on less, so I don't really know if there is any kind of formula, I would suspect you just have to go on the luck of the draw.

[The Wizard of BC]

Please tell the person shipping your fabric to send it via the Postal Service.
Do not use UPS, FedEx or any other private service as that will almost guarantee the full duty and taxes will be applied to your order.

Almost every fabric source in Canada also has an outlet in the US. Ask your supplier if it can be shipped from withing the US.

[Kilt TN]

I have had fabric mailed to me from Canda and Scotland, and never had a problem.

[gilmore]

Please tell the person shipping your fabric to send it via the Postal Service.
Do not use UPS, FedEx or any other private service as that will almost guarantee the full duty and taxes will be applied to your order...

So very true.

[O'Neille]

From the CBP- "Packages whose declared value is under $200 ($100 if being sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser) will generally be cleared without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP. However, CBP always reserves the right to require a formal entry for any importation and generally exercises this option if there is something unusual about the importation, or if important documents such as an invoice or bill of sale do not accompany the item."

And this snippet- "The duty rate for many items typically bought in an on-line auction is zero, however, CBP may charge a small processing fee for mail imports that do require the payment of duty."



Reference: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/in..._purchases.xml

[Tartan Hiker]

Thanks folks.

[James MacMillan]

I've ordered fabric from Canada three times, and never paid anything extra. All were sent via the postal service!

[Robinhood]

What happened to NAFTA? Isn't trade
between USA and Canada supposed to
be "free?"

[Colin]

What happened to NAFTA? Isn't trade
between USA and Canada supposed to
be "free?"

We had been asking that same question for years on this side of the border. I usually get hit with more extra $$$$ for shipments from the US than I do from the UK and Europe.