Bill G
ArboristSite King
Who are you paying the bill to? I get shipments in from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL from all over and not once did they ask for a penny.
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The shipper usually does.
Your paying it to customs. But the broker normally handles that and you pay the broker, and or some shipping companies handle it directly.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
What I am asking is who are you physically handing the money to. When UPS, USPS, FedEX, or DHL comes to your location to deliver are you physically handing the driver money ?
Bill G
ArboristSite King
Well I have tools going out either today or Tuesday that are heading to Sweden and I will assure you as the shipper I am not paying a penny in duties. Once it is delivered in Sweden that is on the receivers end. I have gotten a ton of high end saws from Sweden and never once did the US government charge me a penny in duties. Apparently your experience varies
It depends. Sometimes it's the shipper sometimes your paying a broker to handle the fees and paper work. Years a go I got a parts lot of 350, 346, 259, and 357 shipped from Canada. I contracted a broker through DHL to handle the paperwork and he paid the fees on my behalf then sent me a bill. It was all arranged before they sent everything out. Went pretty smoothly all in all. Besides being parked in NY for the better part of a month, but thats life.
Then they lied on the customs paperwork and said it was a gift or prototype, undervalued it ect. I linked you to the website there's a calculator to figure out roughly what the duty should be. Also as I understand it the exporter doesn't pay the duty, just the importer.
Bill G
ArboristSite King
The site you linked requires a membership which I will not do. I have imported tens of thousands of dollars of parts, saws, and tools from all over the world. Not once did I pay any type of a broker nor and duty on anything I imported. I have exported tens of thousands out of the USA and never paid a broker or duty. The receiver has to deal with that in their destination country. That is the reason I always asked how they want it shipped. When I am buying from other countries I just tell them to ship it the most convenient way for them as it will not make a difference to me. In general coming from Europe they use DHL or FedEx. There are several members on this site that regularly send used saws from Europe. There is one in Japan that sends a large amount of new high end saws to the USA. I doubt he is lying on the customs forms but heck who knows. I used to use DHL weekly as I could drop them off at the airport terminal. They discontinued domestic service so it was no longer cost effective. I also would take wooden crates of saws to the UPS SCS air terminal. They would get them to Europe in 4 days with no fees to me. The return saws were sent back with no fees to me also. I am simply trying to figure out where it is you are paying a duty on an item coming in to the USA. I have never heard of that.
Bill, I'm just telling you what happens to the other 99% of us that don't have you good fortune. An exporter about never pays a duty/fee. Importers do. So yeah unless it falls under personal use or you lied on the forms it's likley gonna need the piper paid.
Here try this, it's not really searchable but has the fees and percentages in it. I would assume youll mostly be in chapter 82. You also need to remember it's up to customs descression on how it's ultimately classified.
https://hts.usitc.gov/current
Bill G
ArboristSite King
Sean, What I am asking is who did you as an importer physically pay the money to for a duty. If Jim Johnson in Norway sends you a $1000 saw via DHL, FedEx, UPS, or USPS who are you physically handing the money to for the duty?
I appreciate the link to the harmonized codes as they are a bit confusing.
The exporter does have to fill out a customs declaration. At least between the US and Canada as I have done so when I shipped saws to Ed Heard back in the day.
If you owe a duty the shipper has to pay the shipping company I believe.
If you just send it with no declaration form your begging for it to be seized or at the least detained in customs.
The broker worked through DHL. The parts shipped, I got a call letting me know what to expect. Got an invoice, called the broker back and paid him over the phone with my credit card. how it was explained to me, is DHL paid the fees to customs, the broker is the guy that handled the logistics and I paid DHL/ the broker for the import fees and the broker fee.
Yes, there are some forms to fill out, but I've never had to pay any fees as the exporter, just as an importer. I've also only shipped a few things out of country. So other then the forms and making sure the recipients information was accurate I didn't do anything other then drop the package off.
Because you used a broker.
Just for getting products from over seas. Never used one to ship anything out. But I haven't ever sent anything bigger then a saw powerhead.
My day job is buying and selling from around the world; common to work with five continents in one day.
Usually the shipping company acts as the broker for you, and your duties and fees are part of the price of shipping. On higher value shipments, it's also very common for shipping folks to contact me for an additional payment before items are delivered to me. Sometimes even months later, when customs finally caught up with them.....
I've also had customs call me, asking why zero value was attached to a shipment coming back to me, but the same shipment had value when it went out. Lady, it's zero value because it's a faulty part being returned. My apologies, you're right, I guess half a pound of scrap metal does in fact have SOME value..........
I've also had customs seize shipments and hold them for six months while they figure out what they're doing, before releasing the shipment. Customer is long since pissed off and gone by then, nothing I can do with the parts, sale is ruined. How this isn't a 4th amendment violation, I don't know, and when I asked who I send the bill for the hassle and lost sale to, I got no response. It would be tough to decide if customs or the IRS gives less of a **** about the problems they're causing you while "just doing their job."
There are ways around all of this, but we run 100% above board, and pay every single cent of tax and duty that we owe. There's enough red tape and hassle involved already, we don't actively try to find more trouble.
Usually the shipping company acts as the broker for you, and your duties and fees are part of the price of shipping. On higher value shipments, it's also very common for shipping folks to contact me for an additional payment before items are delivered to me. Sometimes even months later, when customs finally caught up with them.....
I've also had customs call me, asking why zero value was attached to a shipment coming back to me, but the same shipment had value when it went out. Lady, it's zero value because it's a faulty part being returned. My apologies, you're right, I guess half a pound of scrap metal does in fact have SOME value..........
I've also had customs seize shipments and hold them for six months while they figure out what they're doing, before releasing the shipment. Customer is long since pissed off and gone by then, nothing I can do with the parts, sale is ruined. How this isn't a 4th amendment violation, I don't know, and when I asked who I send the bill for the hassle and lost sale to, I got no response. It would be tough to decide if customs or the IRS gives less of a **** about the problems they're causing you while "just doing their job."
There are ways around all of this, but we run 100% above board, and pay every single cent of tax and duty that we owe. There's enough red tape and hassle involved already, we don't actively try to find more trouble.
Dennis Gauge
ArboristSite Operative
Well I have been buying and selling equipment all over the globe a wee bit more than 6 yearsI have never paid a duty on any item, of any any value, sent here, from any country. You apparently have had a different experience...........not sure why but heck who knows..........
It's been a while since I've been across the border into Canada so it may have changed, but US Customs ALWAYS asked "Do you have anything to declare?" looking for anything you purchased in Canada that they could charge a duty on.
I've gotten orders directly from a hobby supplier in China and the declaration form on the package was always marked "gift" even though it was something I bought and paid for with my own money. Without fail, for years until they opened a warehouse in the US.
So maybe you've just been lucky and never bought anything that required a duty, OR everyone that sent you stuff from overseas lied and marked the declaration form as "gift."
Dennis Gauge
ArboristSite Operative
Real men just peel the seal off and learn to pour. If you spill a little that's extra lube for the chain.
Ok, I misunderstood.
Typicaly duties are paid by the shipper IME.
