Estimating Customs Duties - Any help?

[classicallydriven]

Just wondering if anyone had any good links for estimating customs duties for items purchased from the States and sent via USPS? The item I am specifically wondering about is a lot of vintage paper items (Automotive exterior color sample charts from 1930-1990) bid at $500.

Thanks in advance,
Mike.

[whoscloset]

I believe that if it is sent via USPS you will pay a flat rate of $5 + GST and applicable provincial taxes.

[classicallydriven]

Thanks! That sounds about right from past experience.

[3jcc14]

Goods that originate from the USA are duty free - so as long as your colour sample chart is US Origin (not where you bought it from but as long as the item is Made in the USA), you won't get charged duty. It is subject to GST and PST though.

[futuretech_liquidations]

If mailed via USPS then CanadaPOST will charge you their normal entry processing fees and any duties that may be applicable then GST and PST.

If they ship to you via UPS or FEDEX then you are going to be charge a minimum of US$28 plus plus plus. You can call UPS and/or FEDEX Trade Networks and they can give you an estimate of what the costs will be like.

Both UPS and FEDEX base their costs of the DECLARED VALUE of the item so the higher the bid goes the more you will pay UPS and FEDEX.

Cheers,

TIM @ FTL

[cgcgraded]

UPS have told me in the past, that they charge this (crazy) processing fee only on Ground shipments into Canada. They waive it(or most of it) on Air shipments. This fee apparently is for filling out forms.....?
I ask my sellers to please not ship to me via FEDEX or UPS.
This info is not from anything I have read. It is just based on my experience with dealing with UPS.

Andrew

[westernstargifts]

UPS charges brokerage fees which can be quite costly.

[futuretech_liquidations]

We have a UPS Brokerage account since 99% of our items are imported to the USA and I can guarantee you that even with a volume commitment on our part there fees are still way higher than CanadaPOST.

UPS makes about 70% of there annual dollars from their brokerage account services - basically it like a license to print money for them.

Same with FEDEX but even more dollars.

[3jcc14]

Does Purolator charge brokerage fees when you are sending ground shipments from Canada to the USA?

[futuretech_liquidations]

Depends, if the value is over US$200 declared on the commercial invoice then YES brokerage will be charged automatically.

It does not matter on the mode of shipment its the DECLARED VALUE AMOUNT that determines if brokerage will be charged or not.

TIM @ FTL