Shipping Floor Standing Speakers to the US from Canada


I have a pair of floor standing speakers for sale ~($7250 CAD - 110 lbs each). I have an offer to purchase from the US. Shipping is not so bad as you have to ship via Freight and the ground services are pretty good, as long as you really package well. Double boxed and padded all to heck. The issue comes up with customs clearance.

US Customs calls this a commercial shipment because it is over $2000. A number of customs brokers and I have looked at the duties and under the US Universal Tariff Codes for 2021 (8518.22) the Loudspeakers look to be duty free. You would think life was easy, ...no way. Each broker comes up with a list of fees, bonds, extra insurance and on and on that costs $100's of dollars, not just $50. Even with no duty.

Has anyone done this process before and come up with an economic way of clearing US customs? I have tried UPS and FEDEX regarding these issues.

wbrownaudio

I think you need to go freight, and you need to deal with the freight side of their business. Fedex ground is not Fedex freight. Sometimes that's not clear to people..
Same deal with UPS. UPS Ground is not UPS Freight.

I use to send drill parts to Canada and Visa Versa. Portal 2 portal, wasn't uncommon either. They drop off at the freight distribution warehouse, and you pick up at the freight distribution warehouse. Normally there is no loading fees as long as THEY can use a forklift..

The border crossing fees were always fuzzy, wording was really important. Made in Canada, being repaired in Canada, and being sold to the US all have different cost. Just like if your Returning a repaired pair of speakers vs Selling a pair of speakers.

Ask them what the cost is for a two way there and back? Cancel the way back, as an unused warranty option. There were a couple of legal (semi-honest) options. ;-)

Regards

op,

It’s a shame they won’t handle it.

Twice I had $1,100. TT's shipped by sellers from Canada, no excessive charges.

I had a $1,000. tonearm shipped by seller from Russia, no excessive fees.

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my direct deal with UPS was lesser size/weight/value, no fees or duty.

I visited my mother’s childhood home. She is 98.

Her child size croquet set was still in the basement, 88 years after she moved out. Croquet is ’big’ in our family, and I wanted the next and following generations to play with her set.

Current owner gave it to me, simply dropped it off local UPS. UPS called me with price, I agreed, we got a few games in before it got too cold.

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Here she is, just honored by the Navy on Tuesday, Pearl Harbor Day. She worked breaking the Japanese Codes during WWII.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3yvLHyZGqM&t=795s

Here are the fees you as the shipper cannot avoid:

- Shipping charges

 

All the rest are technically the buyer, unless you are sending DDP, deliver duty paid.  The only fee that your buyer cannot avoid is taxes. Depending on state they are going to get dinged for taxes. That is difficult to avoid.

There is nothing that says you have to use UPS, of FEDEX for your brokerage services of a broker at all. You can usually do it yourself, it is just a pain. In this case however, your potential customer needs to do that.

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-418?language=en_US

 

What does matter is "who" is importing. Is it your customer, or will you be acting as the  non-resident importer? If your customer, the above is applicable. If technically you are importing as a non-resident importer, then you need to look after brokerage. There are online companies that do this cheaper than FEDEX / UPS who are easy, not cheap.