OT: US/Canada Customs charge?

Should be zero if all your NAFTA paperwork is in order.

In general it would depends on what the engine is for, what state it is in (new, used, rebuilt) and where it was made. Probably zero if it was made in Canada or the US or Mexico.

If I read the tariff schedule correctly, it might be 2.5% if it's made in most any other country and is a used or rebuilt engine for a car. (8407.34.14.00). Except Israel, Singapore, Australia, Jordan, Morocco, Chile etc. where it would be zero.

Of course if it's a North Korean-made inboard marine engine, it might be 35%, but probably 0% or 2.5% if it's Asian or European.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

JR, there are two items to deal with, brokerage and taxes.

If the item comes up via the postal system, Canada Post adds on $5 for the customs brokerage ($8) if via high speed mail. Obviously that won't be the case here! If you are bringing it across yourself (say on a trailer), there is no brokerage charge as long as you can satisfy the customs people that it is for your private use and not for business, and they will help you with the paperwork. If for business use you can either do the paperwork yourself (unassisted by them) or get a broker to do it. If you have it cleared by a broker they usually work on a minimum charge of about $35-50 plus a percentage of the cost of the goods converted to CDN dollars. You could be looking at over $100 for clearing this across.

As far as taxes are concerned, there is the National VAT (which we call the GST) of 6% on the Canadian value of the goods..... if you can prove it was made in the USA. If not, the free trade agreement (NAFTA) doesn't work and you will be assessed tariffs (duty) on the Canadian value, which is added on to the Canadian value, and then the GST on the whole works. If you are not from Alberta, the brokers will most likely add on your PST too, although I don't know if this is added on before, after, or beside the GST.

I do lots of importing with my business and usually do my own paperwork when the shipping isn't by UPS. There's a fair amount you have to know to get the first one right, but as usual once you know it's easy.

Good luck,

al MacDonald

Hey Al,

I read the OP as going from Canada into the USA.

Take care.

Brian Laws>JR, there are two items to deal with, brokerage and taxes.

On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:47:30 -0400, with neither quill nor qualm, Brian Lawson quickly quoth:

I wonder if a quick call to Customs (both CA and US) would clear up JR's questions...

-- Adults are obsolete children. --Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel, 1904-1991)

--

About 6 years back, uncle bought a new 40HP Honda outboard in Ste Sault Marie, Ont and brought it home to the USA. He got quite a deal and the lady from the dealership followed us to the Canada boarder crossing and got us though (no GST) and US Customs didn't seem to care.

Of course warranty work would require that the motor be returned to Candada for service but that never was needed.

Wes S

It has been a while since I have visited Canada, but I seem to recall that if you filled out a form at the border, US residents were eligible for a refund of the VAT on items they took home with them.

As I understand things, this particular rebate was only just removed a few days back by the federal government here. Supposed to save the government some multiple of milions. The best you can hope for now is that the seller (if they are dealing with taxes at all) is willing to forego any provincial sales tax on account of the product being sold outside the country. That's worth a try, anyway. I wouldn't hold my breath expecting it, either, though.

On the subject of the rebate, a few years back some enterprising auto wreckers were scamming the rebate system by claiming to have exported hundreds of cars that had been destroyed in the crusher. They were able to claim "back" the GST that had supposedly been paid out on those vehicles at purchase.

Cheers Trevor Jones

If it's exported on a common carrier, there should be no taxes at all charged (PST or GST). The seller's documentary proof if challenged by the tax authorities is the bill of lading.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany