Can we take mail across the border to ship?

[triber]

My husband has to go to the US tomorrow and I have several letter mail items to ship. Is it alright to take them across the border and mail them from there?

[momcqueen · Accepted solution]

Yes, but I believe there are forms and disclosure at the border. I've never done it so I'm afraid I don't know what forms and declarations are involved. 

[cumos55]

There was a book seller in Winnipeg  that used to take his parcels across the border to Pembina ND.... Sometimes it was up to 300  parcels per trip... and then sometimes two trips per week with a total over  500 parcels.

He had a special permit to do so...  and he had to declare what he was taking across the border.... 

The declaration was ... I understand....  on a per parcel basis.

This book seller has a business registered as a Canadian corporation.

Some other book sellers in Winnipeg also do the same....  One book seller is registered as a business in Pembina ND.

[ypdc_dennis]

If it's just letters, then yes.

[zee-chan]

Yes, if it's just letters, it should be fine. I have done it before (was going on a shopping trip with family) and I was told it's okay to put my Canadian address for the return address.

[triber]

It's not letters, it's craft books and sewing patterns that I sold on eBay, I don't want my husband to get into any problems. He told me that sometimes they ask at the border what he is bringing in. I think to be safe I will just get him to mail them in Canada before he leaves.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

[teenytrinkets]

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@triber wrote:

It's not letters, it's craft books and sewing patterns that I sold on eBay, I don't want my husband to get into any problems. He told me that sometimes they ask at the border what he is bringing in. I think to be safe I will just get him to mail them in Canada before he leaves.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

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It's not much more to send them up in Canada down to the US as letter post (providing they are not super thick and heavy).  I've sold magazines and shipped them for around $5. (Not the heavy ones though!  You can understand why the bookseller in Winnipeg needed to go to the US to ship the books - media mail is cheap in the US for heavy books).

I cross about once a week to pick up packages from online purchases and get gas.  I get asked a lot if I am leaving anything down there or shipping anything out.  When I've returned items (either by mail or to the store) I have been asked for receipts for proof.

I wouldn't take your chances - since you need to fill out forms for that sort of thing.  With a postal strike looming, there's likely going to be a lot of people sending stuff out as gifts from the US - and maybe even trying to ship out sales from there.  I think US border patrol are likely going to be asking Canadians if they are shipping out a lot more often now...

[hlmacdon]

If the value of the goods are collectively under $2500 and package(s) to a single consignee are under $800 you can fill out CBP Form 7533. You have to go through the commercial lane with all the trucks and if you don't have a transponder there is a per crossing administrative fee that is $10-15 USD range. All your goods have to be marked with country of origin on the packaging and there may be additional labelling requirements depending on the category. Certain classes of goods may require permits. Crafts people producing their own goods often run into a lot of issues at the border for example as they don't have any formal packaging and lack details on country of origin. Certain classes of goods are considered medical devices and you can't just take them over the border.

Keep in mind you aren't just taking packages over the border at this stage, you are performing a commercial importation of goods into the US. If you have sold something or it is connected to business, whether casually or formally you have commercial goods. If you don't follow procedures and fail to declare you can be expelled and permanently banned from the border. If you are unsure of procedures you can call CBP or go into their office on a crossing when you don't have commercial goods. The procedures are changing come January and now require a much more formal process involving electronic manifests being registered in the US trade system prior to your arrival. CBP staff are helpful if you ask questions ahead of time, not at the time or after the fact. They will ream you out.

If you do this regularly you need to also bear in mind you need to consider things like your car insurance policy as you are now carrying on a business involving the transportation of commercial goods in your vehicles which may impact what your insurer will cover you for. 

[teenytrinkets]

This is good info. Another thing to consider is goods purchased in the US, imported and then sold in Canada. I'm not sure of the formal rules surrounding that?

Are the changes in January part of the free trade agreement changes?

[femmefan1946]

Where the goods are purchased is much less important than where they were manufactured.

The new NAFTA program has not yet been introduced to either Parliament or to Congress, so it technically may never happen.

Duty is less important than sales taxes.

I looked on the CBSA website a couple of weeks ago and Canada has free trade agreements already in force with four pages of countries, including a recent one with the European Union and a longstanding one with Mali.

Anything you import over $20Cdn may be assessed for sales tax.

[triber]

The cost of shipping was never a consideration, I was trying to circumvent the strike areas, our city (Guelph) was shut down yesterday.

[hlmacdon]

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@teenytrinkets wrote:
This is good info. Another thing to consider is goods purchased in the US, imported and then sold in Canada. I'm not sure of the formal rules surrounding that?

Are the changes in January part of the free trade agreement changes?

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If you are bringing back product that is used in your business (even supplies like stickers, labels, or packaging materials) you need to declare that at the Canadian border and pay gst and duty if applicable. You will need copies of invoices/receipts associated with the item and you will need to fill in forms at the border. Never mix commercial with nexus. If it is used in any way, shape, or form in a business fashion declare it. Border guards take a dim view otherwise and again, will ream you out.

The changes in January have nothing to do with the trade agreement. Previously goods imported into the US that were Section 321 (below the de minimis) were exempt from having to file electronic manifests and you could use the paper forms. The US wants greater insight into what is coming in to the border ahead of time, for security reasons (allows more effective pre-screening) and frankly because there are a lot of people are abusing the system by splitting up large commercial consignments into multiple packages under the de minimis. The changes align with what they are trying to implement for all incoming goods that cross the border, whether through mail or not. This is also why you have seen a push to eliminate lettermail for sending goods as they want any goods declared as such so they can be manifested with that information sent prior to arrival.