Duties crossing the border from US to Canada

[musicyouneed]

There was a discussion on the seller board a couple of months ago when Canada imposed a lot of extra duties on items that before didn't have them.  I mentioned that I go across the border in Blaine, WA to the US about once a month and I was going to report whether there was any change for me.  I couldn't find the discussion. 

Last month we went across and came back in a few hours with about $250 CDN worth of merchandise for 2 people, we were not sent in, just waved through.  On Sunday Sept 2 we went across and this time we only had $104 Cdn for two of us and again were waved through. No questions as to what we had.  We were only gone 5 hours, enough for some shopping and brunch.   No change for us crossing the border.  We do have nexus and declare everything and have receipts. 

[marnotom!]

If I'm understanding your post correctly, your purchases didn't exceed the personal exemption for a 48 hour or less visit, so there was no reason for border services to closely scrutinize your purchases.

FWIW, here's the original thread. How's your SIL faring?

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Buyer-Central/Stateside-Surcharge-coming/td-p/405101

[momcqueen]

Personal exemption for a 48 hour or less visit? You mean $200 for 24+ hours? There is no personal exemption for five hours of which I am aware.

[marnotom!]

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@momcqueen wrote:

Personal exemption for a 48 hour or less visit? You mean $200 for 24+ hours? There is no personal exemption for five hours of which I am aware.

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Ha ha!  Whoops, that's what I get for posting too early in the morning for my brain to handle.

I guess CBSA border agents apply the same rationale as those dealing with low value postal imports that are above the de minimis.  If @musicyouneed's purchases weren't worth scrutinizing in the past for taxes due, a few duties added to the mix probably isn't going to change things.

On the other hand, if that $250 worth of merchandise was in the form of several flats of Strub's, that might be a different situation altogether.

[musicyouneed]

Thanks for finding the original thread.  I just wanted to post that nothing had changed for us, even with the new duties.  We usually go down in the morning 8 AM and shop at walmart and a few other places have lunch and are usually back by 2PM.  Many years ago 10+, if we had $100 to declare we were usually sent in.  

[momcqueen]

At the border, I have a hard time answering the question about carrying firearms and booze without the temptation for wisecracking which I realize would be the Worst Idea Ever. The notion that I might have filled the trunk of my child car seat-laden family sedan with grenades and whisky is just so impossible and ludicrous to me. I know the border agents have to ask it. And I don’t doubt they have have found worse or weirder things in trunks. But still. Do I look like a gin-and-gun-smuggler? “No, sir!”

[musicyouneed]

Hi Mo, I found this, it happens.  

https://www.breitbart.com/texas/2018/01/31/woman-used-children-car-seats-smuggle-marijuana-mexico-sa...

[momcqueen]

Oh my gosh. 

[cumos55]

Watch several weeks of ...Border Security ... on TV...

and wake up to the reality of what happens, and what has been found.

The dogs used at the border just about track anything... and they love doing IT

[musicyouneed]

After watching that show, I don't try to get away with anything.  A real eye opener.  

[momcqueen]

I could NEVER try to pull a fast one at the border. The expression on my face gives everything away; I just don’t have the disposition to be sneaky. Plus, I knew a police officer who said he was frightened of Customs officers because they can do basically whatever they want to you. Without a warrant. And keep you as long as they like.

[femmefan1946]

I'm always fascinated by the travellers bringing in foodstuffs from the Old Country.

Since most of the Canadian episodes I've seen are filmed in Vancouver, that's mostly Chinese-Canadians with commercially packaged sausages and strange seafoods. And when the traveller cannot explain what is in the packages, due to vocabulary problems..... well, mostly they seem to get a 'naughty naughty, don't do it again' and the food confiscated.

The CBSA break room must have some strange buffets at coffee break.

I'm Scottish- we never eat anything strange. Well, my dad liked Mealie Jimmies. And there's nothing like haggis and chips on a cold day.

[wri-8727]

“The Tyrants have cleaned out most of the highway brigands. Just a matter of protecting their own interests. They want to make sure no one else robs us before they do with their border tariffs and taxes.” He spat, discreetly, into the dust of the road. “Personally I preferred the brigands. There were ways of dealing with them.”
Part 2 “Dianora”, Chapter 7 (p. 184)

Excerpt from Tigana : a 1990 fantasy novel by Canadian writer Guy Gavriel Kay.