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Anyone familiar w brining speakers in from Canada

Hi, hope this post is ok here in the forum.

I'm very interested in buying speakers from a member across the border in Canada and could simply drive over there and pick them up. Would save me the shipping cost and paypal fees.

Are any of you familiar with any cost associated with importing used speakers into the US? I assume duty or tax would have to be paid. Not sure though if they'd even be interested in checking out what's in the car as I'd just be another guy with a German passport going to the Casino in Windsor.

Would appreciate any input as I don't want myself to get into trouble.

Thanks
krauti
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
Whether you'll need to pay duty depends on where the speakers were made. If they're of U.S. or Canadian manufacture the NAFTA agreement means you won't need to pay an import duty. If they're European, or from any country outside the territory NAFTA covers, you'll pay duty.

It's important that you have documentation about the origin and value of the speakers when you come back into the U.S. Otherwise, you're at the mercy of what a customs officer thinks. You might be able to get through without declaring them but that puts you at risk if you do get checked.
commcat
79 posts
 
Unless you have the appropriate documents to establish admission to the US, travelling on a German passport from Canada to the US virtually guarantees an extensive interview at US Immigration & Customs, with the possibility of exclusion from admission. The speakers are irrelevant. If you have any reason to be concerned about re-admission to the US then have the speakers shipped to you.
sns
3,125 posts
 
I agree with Commcat, having a German passport will likely set you up for scrutiny at US border. I've had a number of bad experiences traveling with foreigners with Visas at US border. Save yourself the hassle, get them shipped or get a US citizen to bring them over.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
I have to say my experience bears out the above comments re German passports. I went across with a pal once and we were delayed for hours. That was back in the Bush days, though. Things were tenser then. Today security seems just as tight but folks have been a lot less uptight... where I cross at least.

Uptight at the border or not, I have never had any problems taking gear across from Canada for a U.S. sale. IMHO that's the very best way to do it if you must ship ground. A delay only happened once, when I had no documentation on the goods.
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