How Do You Prepay US Import Duties Cheapest?
Summary: greenhuman79 asks for advice on how to pay the lowest import duties when shipping packages from Canada to the US. clemowbooks suggests using eIS for shipping, which allows buyers to cover duties, while flipistics and mandicrafts recommend options like Zonos, Chit Chats, and Stallion Express. uwantuneedgiftsandgoods shares that managing tariffs can be complex and suggests sticking with eIS to avoid complications. Discussions also cover using HTS codes and concerns over international shipping challenges, especially to Europe.
Hello everyone!
Does anyone know how and where I can pay the cheapest import duties before I send my package to the US?
I’m shipping from Canada and would like to know if there’s a way to prepay the duties at a lower cost before the package reaches the US.
Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 😊
mandicrafts
·1 week agoYou can use a Cross Border shipper like Chit Chats or Stallion. Their label rates are generally quite low, and they only charge the actual tariff plus $1.88 + .21c for the brokerage.
Otherwise, you can use Canada Post but you need to use the zonos app first to prepay the tariff and brokerage and obtain the zonos code to input in the CP label flow when you buy it. Or you can sign up for the zonos account where they bill you after the fact and give you a key code to load into your CP account on the CP site. That key code can also be loaded into the Netparcel site to buy CP labels and there, they will show you the estimated amount that you will be billed by zonos after it clears customs.
sapphyres-designer-jewellery
·1 week agoI like using Stallion because all fees are shown up front. Unless Customs decides I used the wrong code, I know what's going on and no nasty surprises. I don't think I'd like to have Zonos bill me later, I'd be afraid they'd pick the wrong code requiring me to pay tariffs when there are none. (And I'm really irritated that Cdn stamps have tariffs to the US, no other country's stamps are tariffed). I sell coins, and some have tariffs and some don't, I like to sort that out in advance. I've checked my billing every now and again and never saw any major adjustments.
mandicrafts
·1 week agoYes, that's why, if I use CP for the USA, I use Netparcel with my integrated zonos acount. They show the estimated tariffs. You do have to know the HTS tariff code though. There is no search on netparcel. I sometimes use the zonos photo app just to determine the HTS code, or the HTS code look up on Chit Chats if I don't know the HTS code. I keep a record of the CP labels I do, and what I am charged by zonos is always within a few cents of the estimate I was shown.
sapphyres-designer-jewellery
·1 week agoThat's good that they are accepting your declaration as shown. I think they get too many parcels to scrutinize too much, and they can Xray stuff to see what's inside if it matches what's declared.
Now my current problem is lack of sales to Europe since the fee, I ship with Stallion and that's prepaid, but they could be thinking they will get hit with that. And also with the new packaging laws, perhaps my listings are just hidden from EU buyers.
mandicrafts
·1 week ago · EditedI discovered my collectible Vintage Steiff mohair teddy bears and animals are blocked from the UK whether I've listed on .ca or .com. A repeat buyer happened to mention to me she hadn't see any Steiff in my store since Xmas. I have 750 Steiff listings!!! I told her to log on to .com, she did and I sold 3 items to her!!!
One was listed on .ca, and ONLY EIS was showing for it to the UK. So I had to list it on .com for her. It's crazy the hoops we have to jump through these days, for a sale!
uwantuneedgiftsandgoods
·1 week agoI currently only use EIS as I was shipping to the USA using a Flat Rate Policy via Chit Chats . However with ever changing tarriffs and different tarrif codes now recieving new tarrifs at basically any time DT wants to you need to know your store inside and out and stay consisently updated on new costs, new fuel surcharges, and have to adjust policies based on new tarrifs when using flat rate or its easy to lose money. Also if you enter a wrong tarrif code it can play havoc and even lead to large fines and not being able to ship to the USA again. It xan be done and you could save some money for buyers but it can get complicated through the border. Zonos does work but again you will have to make flat rate policies for eaxh tarriff code and weight to make sure to not loose money. Also to stay updated on changes everyday. Im just usuing no muss no fuss EIS the buyer will either pay or wont. Everything clears the borders. Also shipping to other countries without EIS has gotten crazy to EU countries as well. Registering packagaing in the EU and Green laws. To be honest EIS just takes the guess work out of it. Honestly its just the times we are in and personally i just use EIS and im better safe then sorry. Also Chit chats has some hidden drop off fees that need to be entered into flat rate policies. It just gets crazy to be honest.
flipistics
·3 weeks agoYou can use Zonos along with Canada Post. Some places do allow you to prepay with UPS as well (Click Ship, for example). If you live in a major city near the border, a cross border shipper like Chit Chats or Stallion Express is also an option.
If you have access to it and don't want to deal with the rapidly changing tariffs at the moment, you can also just use eIS and consider international orders as a bonus right now.
clemowbooks
·3 weeks agoAs a new seller you may not feel confident about this, but we can ship goods domestically by letterpost if the package is less than 500 grams and 2cm thick.
But
The letter rate does not include tracking.
My products are cheap enough that I send them untracked to Mississauga and have never lost one but it would not destroy me if one did not arrive.
john_koenig99
·3 weeks agoThe OP is asking about shipping directly to the US, not domestically.
clemowbooks
·3 weeks ago · EditedShipping by eIS can be the cheapest method, including direct shipping by courier or Canada Post/Zonos.
And if eIS charges all import fees, including any Trump Tariff to buyer, which is how it should be, then all the Canadian seller is paying is the domestic shipping to Mississauga.
And If you can in addition use discounted postage stamps, which can be purchased here on eBay a further bonus.
What the customer pays might be higher. But that's the customer's problem.
greenhuman79
OP1 week agoYes thank you ❤️ though mine qualifies for the eBay International Shipping ...however sometimes ppl from US buys it directly so... i was looking for a cheaper option...other than Zonos :o) but thank you for your advice, much appreciated! 😇🍃
clemowbooks
·3 weeks agoUse eIS.
You pay only to ship to the Mississauga plant where your responsibility for delivery ends
The buyer pays the taxes, duties, and tariffs that his country charges its residents .