New Customs process at PO

[mr.elmwood]

I was there yesterday and they did not say anything. Today, a handout: Sending a parcel to the US or internationally?

Says to visit canadapost.ca/customs

I "think" all parcels will now have to have a barcode. Those barcodes small packet has been showing since last July? They now seem to have a reason. Customs scanning.

If you do not have this barcode walking in, for now, it is free. Starting in the fall the code is $2 EXTRA. Buying postage at the counter, yer gonna get hammered. They want volume mailers doing this at home.

[mr.elmwood]

[nan*55]

My PO lady told me something about this afew months ago. She also said to be sure to keep doing my labels at home, as it was more expensive at PO. She's very worried about more staffing cutbacks 😞

[ricarmic]

Hmmm this could be interesting, especially since I'm a stamps on the package kinda guy (my stamp customers expect them).

I went to the www.canadapost.ca/customs and figured out my tariff code "Postage or Revenue Stamp" 9704.00.00.00 but I didn't see any options that let me print anything resembling a barcode?

I am harbouring a wee bit of hope that all I have to do is get one of the bar codes then I can reuse it, hopefully so (ie the bar code is the bar code for that type of item, ie 9704 is stamps, 9705 is coins etc each having its own barcode.....)

I'll get my local postie to get on the case of this to see what is coming......

Just another day of adventure.....

[mr.elmwood]

I went into it a bit, and that seems to be the gist of it. The barcode identifies what it is for customs inspection or clearance.

Yeah, I never thought of you stamp people.

I'm not even sure if the barcode on small packets is that. Dianne was saying something about the hand written CN22s changing. Expedited label was different, again today. Updated.

Is Paypal shipping up to speed? There is gonna be a learning curve.

[ricarmic]

Yes my postie told me about all the new forms, I have the new US expedited, that was the only one she had new on hand at this point. She also had notification about all the other forms changing but had none on hand...yet. That's a problem with a wee post office they are 2nd fiddle usually....

[mr.elmwood]

Don't blame them. The boss said that she knows things as they pop up on the screen when she signs in, in the morning.

I knew this was all coming, last July, when the small packet labels changed.

[pjcdn2005]

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@ricarmic wrote:

Hmmm this could be interesting, especially since I'm a stamps on the package kinda guy (my stamp customers expect them).

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Based on the form that Mr Elmwood posted, it shouldn't matter if you are using stamps or not as you are just printing a barcode for customs..not an actual shipping label.

I believe that light packet is considered lettermail so that might not ever require a special bar code.

Mr Elmwood...I'm not positive but I thought that the scan code that small packet parcels stating having was so that the postal outlets could get credit for handling the package. But perhaps I was wrong.

[mr.elmwood]

So far, that code has not been scanable.

[pjcdn2005]

I see them scan it every time I bring in a small packet. They also have to enter other information though.

[ricarmic]

I know that my wee PO has to do something extra with packages with PAYPAL postage labels but I don't know what as I don't use them, so there is some extra work for the PO from that. (They find my packages faster to process than those that have the paypal labels on them at this point - but I have them all ready to roll when they get them)

Regarding stamps or not, printing the bar code is going to be a pain if I have to go to the CP site for every expedited etc I ship, unless I get lucky and it is the same each time.....

[recped]

These changes are at the direction of the UPU and the WTO and will be coming sooner or later to all International postal services in all countries.

The days of customs officers sitting in front of conveyor belts and actually looking at physical labels is coming to an end just as it has for commercial  cargo shipments.

When I started importing in the 70's you could not proceed with ANY customs processing until the goods in question has arrived in Canada AND been checked into a bonded warehouse. By the time I ended my importing in 2001 you could initiate the customs clearance at the moment the goods were checked in at the country of origin.

Postal authorities want to be able to do the same thing because as we are all well aware the single biggest roadblock to efficient International mail processing is the time lost in customs.

On the other hand, the tin foil hat crowd might say that the real reason for all of this is so that CSIS, the NSA and their equivalents can monitor exactly what we are doing, saying, buying and selling and with whom we are conducting these activities.

[ricarmic]

I'm filling out the "new" US expedited form (13-08) and amongst all the changes there is a new column along the right side now that says "HS Tariff No" - which for me is 9704.00 - I suspect that this will cover off the "special form" as it is contained now in the expedited form? (Presumably from what Mr.E says, if I didn't know mine was 9704.00 the PO later this year will charge me $2 to figure it out for me?)

[toff3]

PJ wrote: 

I believe that light packet is considered lettermail so that might not ever require a special bar code.

I would add that Small Packet is also designated as Letter Post by the UPU, even if not by Canada Post, who like to make up their own rules. Both international Small Packet and Light Packet (unique to Canada Post) require customs declarations if they contain potentially dutiable goods.

Tom

[mr.elmwood]

I am asking about this on today's weekly session. Let us all hold our collective breath.

[ricarmic]

My postie looked up some info on this. It appears there are two rounds of rolling this out to test offices between now and sometime in May when it is rolled out to all offices. It doesn't look like my office is on the test rollout list on the first round.

She wasn't sure how my situation is going to work given I'm a "stamps on the box" kinda guy....she's doing more investigating and I'll share anything that comes from that....

I remain hopeful that as long as I know my HS Tariff Number I'll be ok.....time will tell....

[rosscd57]

Yep - I sent a small package to a friend of mine. It was about 6"x4"x1" and it weighted next to nothing from Alberta to BC and it cost me $11.36. I told her this is very expensive as she put a bar code on it. I said I did not want a bar code as that would make it expedited and she said nope this is just going general post.

Wow, I can send one of my radios that weighs 10 lbs in a 16"x11"x11" box to Texas or Florida for $30.00. I really pity those who have to mail small items.

[ricarmic]

It was the x1" that got you, anything over 20mm (0.8") thick goes as a package....(you might as well have expedited it...)

[pjcdn2005]

I just printed a small packet label to the U.S. and it would not print unless I put in the HS code. I didn't see a link on that page about where to find the code so that could cause a problem for those who don't know where to find it.

The light packet label I printed didn't require the HS code.

Something to keep in mind - The label wouldn't process with the code 4202.32. I had to enter it as 420232

[odds*n*sodds]

Likewise,  Canada Post wouldn't accept the HS Code as 4911.91.  It had to be entered as 491191.