New Customs process at PO

I was there yesterday and they did not say anything. Today, a handout: Sending a parcel to the US or internationally?

 

Says to visit canadapost.ca/customs

 

I "think" all parcels will now have to have a barcode. Those barcodes small packet has been showing since last July? They now seem to have a reason. Customs scanning.

 

If you do not have this barcode walking in, for now, it is free. Starting in the fall the code is $2 EXTRA. Buying postage at the counter, yer gonna get hammered. They want volume mailers doing this at home.

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Re: New Customs process at PO


@sistersweird wrote:

 

Wonder why there was no heads up from ebay?

 


That's exactly my criticism!  Surely a couple of days' notice and some basic explanation or links to information would have been reasonable.

 

One suggestion:  if you, like me, sell a variety of items, you might want to take the time to do a once-through review of the HS code categories that might apply to you, and print those tables out.  Go through them with a highlighter and mark the ones you're mostly likely to need.  Put the printouts somewhere handy so you don't have to do a search on the internet every time you ship.

 

If you go to the Industry Canada Site, the main search page has all the major category headings listed.  When you click on a major heading, you'll get the chart for all related codes.  You can then click the "drilldown" icon at the right-hand side to get sub-codes if you need to get more specific.  I found it a lot easier and more logical to work downward from the major headings to the detailed code charts than doing a search for a code for every individual item.  You'll probably discover that most of your products will fall under 2 or 3 main categories, so you'll only need to print charts in those categories to get the detailed codes. 

 

It may mean more time spent up front, but will be less time and frustration in the long run.  It took me about an hour to find and print the charts I need and highlight the codes I'll be using.  I found about 70 codes that may apply to my items, and 50% of those are in one category chart.  I've put my printouts of the code charts in a little binder next to my computer.  I guess it will be there from now on...

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Re: New Customs process at PO

Sorry, I should have added the link:

 

http://www.ic.gc.ca/cgi-bin/sc_mrkti/cid/cid_e.cgi?func=start_search&search_type=by_product

 

This page shows all the major categories (A through U), so you can work down logically from each applicable one and print the charts you'll probably need.  Just click on any of the blue lines of text (forget the search boxes), then click the appropriate sub-headings that pop up to get the detailed charts.  You can probably eliminate a lot of them right off the bat.  I think this is a lot less frustrating than trying to work up your own code list one item at a time.

 

Hope this helps!

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Re: New Customs process at PO

Much better sight that the other two I had ben looking at.  It has a more comprehensive view - all at one time - I will print some pages for sure, thank you!!

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Re: New Customs process at PO

Just thought I would post what I learned today. Apparently US ebay Sellers who ship International are not subject to this burden. They are told that "the HSN is aimed at commercial shippers and packages under $2500 are exempt from some of the hoops." Go figure.

imageelf
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Re: New Customs process at PO

Light Packet and Small Packet are classified as parcels, not letters. If you take them to the PO, they have to use parcel to calculate postage same as on the Canada Post site

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Re: New Customs process at PO


@old.crows.nest wrote:

Just thought I would post what I learned today. Apparently US ebay Sellers who ship International are not subject to this burden. They are told that "the HSN is aimed at commercial shippers and packages under $2500 are exempt from some of the hoops." Go figure.


Not exactly. US sellers selling international have to print off some sort of 3-4 page form and included copies in the shipment. They have always had to do that. Their system is far more complicated than ours for international.

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Re: New Customs process at PO


@mr.elmwood wrote:

@old.crows.nest wrote:

Just thought I would post what I learned today. Apparently US ebay Sellers who ship International are not subject to this burden. They are told that "the HSN is aimed at commercial shippers and packages under $2500 are exempt from some of the hoops." Go figure.


Not exactly. US sellers selling international have to print off some sort of 3-4 page form and included copies in the shipment. They have always had to do that. Their system is far more complicated than ours for international.


Hi 🙂

 

The italics is a quote from a US Seller. I asked for help regarding my area of Selling on a Group devoted to those kinds of items thinking what better place to ask only to be told that they (US Sellers) are not required to use the HSN codes.

imageelf
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