Tests with Zonos

[steve-02]

I tried using the Zonos app and at this point it is useless. All shipments default to being made in China regardless of attempts to edit the details to correct it. Hopefully this gets corrected soon.

I did have success using the Zonos desktop version and got some encouraging results.

I sell 2nd hand, usually vintage items made in the US or Canada. From the test details I entered into Zonos it appears that any item made in the USA can be shipped from Canada without incurring tariffs.

Also, media items (aka cds, dvds, vinyl records etc), books, magazines, artwork and sculptures...all of these items appear to be able to be sent to the US regardless of what country they come from. 

This is all encouraging, however I'm going to take it with a grain of salt for now until I have or hear about some real world accounts of items crossing the border without being hit with tariffs or being denied entry by customs.

[chicweb]

I'm waiting for eBay to come up with an integration of some sort, but I might give it a look, to see how it works.

[lacemaker3]

@steve-02,

Is the Zonos charging the ad valorem rate (the actual IEEPA tariff rate according the country of origin), or the specific duty rate ($80 if the tariff rate is less than 16%, $160 if the tariff rate is between 16% and 25%, or $200 if the tariff rate is over 25%)?

[wilsonharborsales]

Whether or not Zonos uses the ad valorem is almost irrelevant because CBP can recategorize and apply the flat rate. Canada Customs is notorious for reclassifying HTS and applying a higher duty rate to the item.

[lacemaker3]

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@wilsonharborsales wrote:
Whether or not Zonos uses the ad valorem is almost irrelevant because CBP can recategorize and apply the flat rate. Canada Customs is notorious for reclassifying HTS and applying a higher duty rate to the item.

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No, I don't think so. According to the wording in EO 14324, for international postal shipments, the "transportation carrier" has to collect and remit the payment before the package reaches US Customs, and:

Sec. 3 (a): "... Each transportation carrier shall apply the same methodology across all covered shipments during any given period ..."

The specific duty methodology will only be available until Feb 28, so they may have been proactive and started out with the ad valorem method. It would be cheaper, also, for many lower-cost packages.

I think they have done it this way, because USPS doesn't have the manpower or the processes in place to handle collecting duties/tariffs for all the international packages they deliver. It was bad enough when it was just the ones worth more than $800. So they have decided to get out of that business.

[steve-02]

It appears to be applying the ad valorem rate.

[lacemaker3]

Thanks, @steve-02 !!

[phc64]

The zonos.com website currently has an "Australia Merchants: Click here to register for a verified account" link right at the top of the page, but I see no such link for Canadian merchants.

[dinomitesales]

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@phc64 wrote:

The zonos.com website currently has an "Australia Merchants: Click here to register for a verified account" link right at the top of the page, but I see no such link for Canadian merchants.

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The web version of the Zonos app is supposed to be accessible via app.zonosprepay.com

However, at the moment, I'm getting a big "404 NOT FOUND" error screen.

It's confusing, because if you go to the general Zonos website, or Google Zonos-related things, it takes you to pages that are intended for merchants to purchase and utilize the Zonos services. There is very little information that relates to customers trying to utilize Zonos services.