Canada import charges
I just bought some computer cartridges from the US. The seller uses eBay International Shipping. I'm used to adding 12% (now 13%) for GST and PST but on checkout another 15% was added for "import fees". Where has this come from? It looks like a return to the bad old days of Global Shipping when random import charges were added at checkout.
10 comments
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoAlso , those tariffs are not based on where the item was purchased, but on where it was made.
Did the seller report that the cartridge was made in the USA or China or Vietnam or elsewhere?
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoOne must remember, since March, Canada has had Tariffs on a whole lotta goods coming into Canada from the USA, perhaps your item got stuck with that...
aramatic
OP1 year agoPossibly, though I've bought items from the US fairly regularly, often of greater value, and this is the first one to attract "import fees".
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 year ago@aramatic
The Canadian gov had reciprocal tariffs on items up until a few days ago. Your purchase could have been all about timing and the category it fell in. The only hope is if a purchase is made eIS is applying correctly.
Did you get an actual breakdown of what the charges were including? Also makes one wonder is eBay collecting tax and then eIS is collecting again? Technically double charging. If you have a shipment that is processed with a courier or CP and get billed at time of drop off you get an itemized invoice of those charges.
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoone also must remember that it is not necessarily the value of the item as what it is, what category it falls under as even though some of the tariffs were just recently lifted, not ALL tariffs were removed...
marnotom!
·1 year agohttps://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/international-trade-finance-policy/canadas-response-us-tariffs/complete-list-us-products-subject-to-counter-tariffs.html
Having said that, the tariff percentage seems to be 25% across the board, unless I missed something, and computer software doesn’t seem to be on the list (I was checking the 8500s). Perhaps the seller listed the item in a different category?
marnotom!
·1 year agoDo you mean 15% was added on top of calculation of 13% for GST and PST or that 15% was added instead of your 13% estimate for taxes?
Whatever the case, it looks as though eIS may now be separating carrier service fees or brokerage charges from the shipping fee. You may have been paying those fees in your other purchases, but they were folded in with the shipping charge so you didn't notice them.
aramatic
OP1 year agoThe 15% was on top of 13% GST/PST. That's quite a hit. Every US listing shipping to Canada that I look at has "DUTIES: US$0.00 - Estimate, final at checkout". Once again we're left in the dark about what amount might be added until it's time to pay, which is quite unreasonable since we've already agreed to buy the item.
john_koenig99
·1 year agoI have bought items from the US and most times they show the "zero duties at checkout" nonsense, only to be hit with import fees/duties at delivery.
Remembers that some states in the US have a reciprocal GST/HST pay agreement with Canada, and some other don't.
marnotom!
·1 year agoYou can still bail out of the sale at Checkout if you feel the fees are unreasonable, though. (That's assuming that the listing is a Buy it Now, of course.)
I tried doing a search for computer cartridges to see if I could replicate what you're seeing and all the US-based listings I could find had taxes and import charges deferred until delivery. If you feel comfortable sharing the listing number, I wouldn't mind investigating this further.