My experience with shipping electronics across the U.S. border for factory upgrades or other for the most part has been completely hassle free there and back....
Shipping Canadian made electronics for repair or upgrade should be equally hassle free.
Key wording on Customs documents is {warranty repair}
Anything other then that you will be subject to extra charges and taxes.
Company's should know this when shipping your repaired / updated component to other countries.
As for the other, buying electronics ect.there is no other way around taxes and other fee's only if you have the seller low ball the actual price payed, or have it written up as warranty repair.....
Look at Fed Ex, UPS and other courier's including both Canadian and U.S. governments as pirates with these taxes and extra fee's, this including the trade between our countries the money involved is huge.
Extra tax revenue for the government and extra gravy for the couriers.
I strongly suggest when in dought call U.S. Customs or if your anywhere else in the World call your countries customs office and ask a few questions.
As for customs flagging your parcel for inspection this can and will delay delivery, also there are over zealous customs agents that will find fault with anything they can, because they can.
Both our countries are fighting a war also both our countries have other unrelated problems with import and exported illegal goods.
On a differant note.
Just like most countries there are regional difference's, bias, be it north and south or east and west of any given country ,one extreme example is north and south of Ireland.
French speaking Quebec has and will always be a thorn in the side of the rest of English speaking Canada.
Rodman we both live in great countries, don't let a media source form your opinion of another nation.