Import duties to USA?

[LSaupe]

Hi All:

I am new to the forum and plan on ordering a front hub conversion kit from Grin Technologies (front hub eZee kit). Has anyone in the US done this recently and have any feedback on what to expect with regard import taxes and duties? Other issues or suggestions?

Many thanks,

Larry S.
Corinth, NY

[marty]

https://www.ebikes.ca/shop/support/shipping.html

Duties, Brokerage, and Taxes
All shipments within Canada will have applicable federal and provincial sales tax (GST, HST, and/or PST) applied to the total depending on the province.

For international shipments including to the USA, Grin does not charge any taxes or fees at the time of check out. However international shipments may be subject to local taxes or import fees. This is dependent on the nature of the shipment, the manufacturing origin of the items, the final destination and the dollar value. Unfortunately we have seen a recent increase in import tariffs on items manufactured in China that are shipping to the USA.

The duty and brokerage situation is largely out of our control. Shipments going via courier (eg FedEx) will usually have the required import paperwork handled by a 3rd party and billed to the receiver at a later date. Air mail shipments are handled differently from country to country depending on the national postal service.

Any fees? Just pay em. It's part of the fun.

[aroundqube]

Some credit cards or banks charge a big fee for foreign transactions. Check out the options that are available to you for no fee.

[LSaupe]

Whats on the website sounds kinda vague. Anyone have experience with this or know how to estimate? Is it a $50 endeavor a $200 endeavor, $500?

[john61ct]

I have not heard of anyone getting hit with any tariffs, much less high ones.

In practice, across the board at the individual consumer level there is little consistency so no definitive statement can be made, other than

the odds are good there will be no import duty.

[marty]

Whats on the website sounds kinda vague. Anyone have experience with this or know how to estimate? Is it a $50 endeavor a $200 endeavor, $500?

Could hire a team of accountants to try to figure this out. Most likely they would be wrong.
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-quotes

When it comes to taxes, everyone has an opinion. These quotes reflect the opinions of their authors; their inclusion here is not an official IRS endorsement of the sentiments expressed.

"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.'' — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice

"The power of taxing people and their property is essential to the very existence of government.'' — James Madison, U.S. President

"To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men." — Edmund Burke, 18th Century Irish political philosopher and British statesman

“I am proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is – I could be just as proud for half the money.” — Arthur Godfrey, entertainer

“People who complain about taxes can be divided into two classes: men and women.” — Unknown

"No government can exist without taxation. This money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.'' — Frederick the Great, 18th Century Prussian king

"Like mothers, taxes are often misunderstood, but seldom forgotten.'' — Lord Bramwell, 19th Century English jurist

"The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.'' — Arthur C. Clarke, author

"Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying as an income tax refund.” — F. J. Raymond, humorist

A tax loophole is "something that benefits the other guy. If it benefits you, it is tax reform.''
— Russell B. Long, U.S. Senator

"Few of us ever test our powers of deduction, except when filling out an income tax form.''
— Laurence J. Peter, author

“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” — Albert Einstein, physicist

“Taxation with representation ain’t so hot either.” — Gerald Barzan, humorist

“Where there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.” — Plato

“Income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf.” — Will Rogers, humorist

[markz]

I wonder what the postage companies have responded to the OP's Q's
FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL

Another deep dive into the postage delivery system
Get your credit cards ready!

[marty]

I wonder what the postage companies have responded to the OP's Q's
FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL

Another deep dive into the postage delivery system
Get your credit cards ready!

FedEx and UPS are merging. New name will be Fed Up.

Prediction for the future. Amazon will go into the shipping business.

[nicobie]

It seems to me that it would be simple to just ASK GRIN.

[john61ct]

Amazon will go into the shipping business.

Already well underway, years now, where ya been?

[markz]

Experimental drones from a hub in a select 3M+ city is one type of shipping business, yes.
Buying vans, and tractor/trailers and airplanes is a whole nother ball game.

I need a hot dog from Doug in Shy Town.
https://www.hotdougs.com/
Watch the shipping wars pan out.

[LSaupe]

It seems to me that it would be simple to just ASK GRIN.

Yep, thats where I started, Couldnt get an answer other than see the link on their site which doesnt say much. Just looking for someone in the states that would have already been through this interaction and has feedback.

[john61ct]

Buying vans, and tractor/trailers and airplanes is a whole nother ball game.

Again been a long time.

All those "independent" firms hiring "independent contractor" drivers on 1099.

In a more civilised properly regulated country, these would be recognized for the Amazon subsidiaries and employees that they are.

It's just that capital here is allowed to shirk its social duties through legal loopholes.

[nicobie]

It seems to me that it would be simple to just ASK GRIN.

Yep, thats where I started, Couldnt get an answer other than see the link on their site which doesnt say much. Just looking for someone in the states that would have already been through this interaction and has feedback.

I see. You can always just order what you need and if it comes with excess fees just refuse delivery.

[markz]

All those "independent" firms hiring "independent contractor" drivers on 1099.

Yea I forgot about them independent Amazonian delivery people. I hardly ever buy anything on Amazon.

[marty]

Amazon will go into the shipping business.

Already well underway, years now, where ya been?

What I meant was shipping companies that I could use. If I want to send something from here to there, my choices are FedEx, UPS, or USPS. Think that in the future, Amazon will join that list.

[marty]

Determining Duty Rates
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-admi ... duty-rates

Good luck with that.

There are also duty rate calculators Don't know if they work?

Any fees? Just pay em. It's part of the fun.

[john61ct]

Amazon will join that list.

Yes likely just like AWS, which now contributes to over 70% of their profits.

But right now they don't have the delivery capacity - of atoms not bits - they need to fulfill their own promises with Prime

----
Amazon begins rolling out bigger UPS and FedEx-style delivery trucks

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amaz ... SKBN24B2EJ

[markz]

Sales in net throwers will increase once Amazon gets their drones mainstream.

[john61ct]

probably they'll just expand the definition of terrorism

[simplydata]

Yes, my credit card company (Bank of America) charged $31 extra fee for $1041 DIY kit. I guess 3% extra fee they have to pay also. I hope no extra TAX is waiting for me.

Young

[markz]

Yes, my credit card company (Bank of America) charged $31 extra fee for $1041 DIY kit. I guess 3% extra fee they have to pay also. I hope no extra TAX is waiting for me.

Young

Could be anything, maybe a currency conversion fee, any fee, cc's are famous for fee's, but you should really know 100% what that fee is for so you know about it in the future, rather then just shrug it off.

[john61ct]

Most cards charge an extra %age fee just for it being a foreign transaction.

Schwab & Fidelity don't