How tariffs work in the vintage & secondhand market — and what’s affected
Summary: brettjet38 shares a comprehensive guide on how tariffs affect vintage and secondhand markets, particularly regarding US and Canadian regulations. Tariffs depend on the country of origin, with specific rules for items from Canada, Mexico, China, and Hong Kong. Certain vintage and antique goods entering the US or Canada are subject to tariffs, which vary by origin and value. sarahsplace100 inquires about tariffs applicable if both seller and buyer are in the US, while 8645ray seeks clarity on duty and taxes for coins sold between the US and Canada. byto253 adds information on HTS codes potentially exempting items from tariffs, emphasizing the role of customs agents in code verification.
This site explains in great detail the TARIFF rules and the effects on USED, Chinese 3rd party Sellers, and a lot of other usful information for Sellers exporting into the USA and is updated daily...
THE VINTAGE SEEKER
How tariffs work in the vintage & secondhand market — and what’s affected
How are tariffs applied to vintage, antique and secondhand products?
Tariffs are applied based on country of origin and stand even if the product is being exported by another country other than the ones involved in the trade war.
In the U.S., if the item was originally made in a country on its tariff list and is valued over US$800, the tariff applies. Duties and tariffs will also apply to items from China and Hong Kong valued at or under US$800 (currently called “de minimis”) as of May 2. For more info on that, see the section on de minimis.
As far vintage, antiques and secondhand products in North America go, these tariffs may apply to everything coming into the U.S. — including items that previously fell under free trade regardless of value, such as antiques over 100 years old — if those items are not compliant with the regulations of USMCA/CUSMA.
In Canada, the tariffs apply to a range of vintage and secondhand products (see a partial list below).
Tariffs are paid on top of any existing rates of duty.
For example, a bale is filled with women’s silk suits and dresses, all made in Canada between the 1980s and 1990s. It's valued over US$800 and heading to the States. The bale is already subject to a duty of 7.1 per cent according to the tariff rate schedule. The new 25 per cent tariff gets added on in addition to that initial 7.1 per cent.
Here are some additional scenarios:
A shop in the U.K. sells a vintage painting to a U.S. customer. The painting is valued at $1,000 and was originally created in Canada. The customer must pay an extra $250 to cover the tariff of 25 per cent, because Canadian products are being tariffed no matter where they arrive from.
A Canadian shop sells an antique coat originally manufactured in Canada to a U.S. customer visiting Canada for three days. It's valued at US$1,900 and it's over 100 years old. There's a US$800 exemption, and the remaining $1,100 receives a tariff of 25 per cent because it is not USMCA compliant. The customer must pay a $275 duty upon return to the U.S.
A Canadian shop sells a vintage armoire originally manufactured in Canada to a U.S. customer. The selling price is $3,500. The seller has a certificate of authenticity for the armoire, knows all about the manufacturer, and is able to complete a certification of origin to ship alongside the armoire. The armoire is considered USMCA-compliant by U.S. border agents, and does not receive a 25 per cent tariff.
A U.S. shop sells a vintage candelabra made in the U.S. to a Canadian visiting for the day. The selling price is equivalent to CA$130, but the Canadian only visited the U.S. for six hours. The Canadian must pay a 25 per cent surtax when returning to Canada for not meeting the in-person duty-free requirements, which is $32.50.
A Canadian shop ships a vintage hand-beaded dress originally manufactured in India to a U.S. customer. Its selling price is US$1,600. There's an exemption of US$800, and the remaining $800 in value receives a tariff of 10 per cent, because that is the rate of duty the U.S. is applying to goods from India. That's US$80. In addition, the dress might be subject to other, existing duties due to its country of origin, and its value exceeding the duty-free exemption.
A shop in Japan sells a vintage necklace to a Canadian customer valued at CA$550. The necklace was originally manufactured in the U.S. It has precious stones and is on Canada's list of made-in-U.S. items. The customer pays a 25 per cent surtax, which is $137.50.
A U.S. shop ships a vintage platter made in Mexico to a Canadian customer and the selling price was US$190. The customer does not have to pay the new 25 per cent surtax because the surtax only applies to U.S.-made goods. However, the platter may be subject to additional existing duties because its value is over CA$150.
A U.K. shop ships a vintage designer jumpsuit originally manufactured in the U.K. to a U.S. customer. It's valued at US$949. The jumpsuit receives a tariff of 10 per cent, because that is the rate of duty the U.S. is applying to goods from the U.K. That's $94.90.
byto253
·1 year agoI had missed this post before. There is a link to HS Codes that may be tariff exempt. I think this could be a good reference for codes to try in Zonos to see if items are exempt. Often it is not clear exactly which code is applicable and 2 or 3 can seem to fit. Of course you have to be confident that one of these codes is correct for the item.
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From the webpage:
In order to be considered for exemption, items must be correctly classified under the exempt headings and subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
The goods classified under the following HTS headings and subheadings may qualify for tariff exemption:
9903.01.22
9903.01.12
9903.01.03
9903.01.31
Chapter 49
3704
3705
3706
5807
8310
9701
9702
9703
9704
9705
6307.90.30
6307.90.85
8523.80.10
8523.29
8523.41
8523.49
9405.61
9405.69
Note that assigning these HS/HTS codes does not guarantee your item will be exempt. It’s up to the U.S. customs agent to decide if the HTS code supplied matches an item.
sarahsplace100
·1 year agoAnd if a Canadian seller sells an item made in the USA to a buyer in the USA...?
8645ray
·1 year agoI'd like to know this scenario going both ways. Canadian selling an American coin from 1888 to an American buyer, and just for fun, an American eBay auction selling a coin from Newfoundland 1888, or Nova Scotia 1812, or just plain Canada from 1888. If I'm the buyer in Canada, of all three of those at say $1000 each, what do I pay, what is the seller responsible for collecting, and will eBay take its 10-15% commission on the sale price only, or will they collect on the fees just as they do for shipping ?
brettjet38
OP1 year agoWhat goods are subject to tariffs?
Goods made in Canada and Mexico entering the U.S.
U.S. consumers and companies (aka importers) must pay the U.S. government tariffs of 25 per cent on all imported goods that do not comply with USMCA/CUSMA and that originate (a.k.a. were manufactured in) in Canada and Mexico for all items valued over US$800 (which is the “de minimis,” or duty-free, exemption).
According to the Associated Press, approximately 62 per cent of Canadian exports are not considered USMCA compliant. Being USMCA compliant means you can prove an item’s origin to be Canada, United States or Mexico, which is difficult to do with vintage, antiques and secondhand goods.
Goods made in China and Hong Kong entering the U.S.
U.S. consumers and companies (aka importers) must pay the U.S. government tariffs of at least 145 per cent for goods made in China and Hong Kong valued over US$800.
As of May 2, U.S. importers must also pay tariffs on all goods originating from China and Hong Kong valued at or under US$800, even if shipped from another country, as the de minimis exemption is being removed (see de minimis section below for more details).
Goods made in most other countries entering the U.S.
U.S. consumers and companies (aka importers) must pay the U.S. government tariffs of 10 per cent when importing any goods valued over US$800 originating from a range of countries other than Canada, Mexico, China and Hong Kong.
Goods made in the U.S. entering Canada
Canadian consumers and companies (aka importers) must pay retaliatory tariffs, called a surtax, of 25 per cent on certain goods made in the U.S., including clothing, jewellery and more (see a partial list below).
This surtax is applied to any shipments valued over CA$150 when sent by courier and over CA$20 when sent by mail.
The surtax is also applied to in-person border crossings: If a resident has visited the U.S. less than 24 hours, if they've brought back more than CA$200 after 24-48 hours, or if they've brought back more than CA$800 after 48 hours.
Just as with the U.S., the Canadian surtax applies even when the item has been exported from a country other than the U.S. into Canada.