Hi, I am selling some wheels to a fellow jag owner from the forum. He lives in Ontario Canada and we were hoping someone could get us/him a Canadian Customs or Import Dept telephone number to get an estimate of the Candian duty/ fees/ taxes if we ship from North Carolina my 4 25 lbs. wheels. UPS said they would ship for $50 a piece and they said the receiver may have to pay additional fees/ taxes etc upon getting them in Canada. Has anyone had experiance with this? or knowledge? Many Thanks for your Help!!!

 

I import stuff from the US and Europe all the time. It is NOT rocket science, contrary to some of the misinformation and myths that people love to spread.

There are three 'types' of charges the buyer might encounter, each is completely different from the other and must not be intermixed to be able to understand. BTW- if any of our friends in the US are feeling 'smug' about the following- don't. You're liable for exactly the same fees if you import. (So there )

1) Sales tax, called HST in Ontario. Total value of the shipment including shipping costs X the HST %.

2) Import duty. Car parts made in N.Am are exempt from duty under the terms of NAFTA. If they're made elsewhere, I believe the tariff is 7%. Use this contact info to verify:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/g...eraux-eng.html


3) Service fees. If you import the goods across the border yourself- there are none. If you have a commercial interest do it for you, expect to pay. Brokerage fees range from $5 per item to possibly $50 depending on who the buyer chooses. UPS and FedEx are notorious for springing hidden fees at the last minute so beware. See if USPS will take them.

I live about 3/4 hour from the US border and have the goods shipped to a depot on the US, so just pick them up, declare them, pay what's due and be on my merry way.

If your buyer is near the border he may wish to do the same. Expect tears and wailing if he lets UPS/FedUp/similar carriers do the leg work.

 

I've had stuff shipped UPS and they've charged me on the receiving end "customs fees" which really amount to the GST (HST in Ontario) PLUS whatever UPS decided to levy as their own service charge for having to pay the GST when bringing the goods across the border. The only time any "duty" is payable is if the goods being imported are not North American manufactured (like a JAGUAR). Duty can be another 6 or 7%.

 

THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR VERY PROMPT,HELPFUL AND DEATILED RESPONSES. i HAVE PASSED THEM O TO THE POTENTIAL BUYER.