Canadian Customs

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Is anyone here an expert on Canadian Customs? I'm delivering 2 sets of window frames to a dealership in Montreal on February 5th. Want to cross the border with no drama. Picking them up and bringing to US, there was a little drama but $100 later I was on my way.

Since these were Canadian and I only "repaired" them, I don't think there should be any customs duty, maybe something administrative like the $100 to bring them here.

Any ideas?

[David]

Hopefully someone chimes in with more experience than me but here's mine. I drove into Canada several years ago to inspect a piece of equipment we were buying in Toronto. I had no paperwork on me besides my passport and that was big mistake. I tried to explain that we were spending $300k on a new product from Canada but that didn't help much. After about 30 minutes they let me through but they made it sound like it wasn't going to happen. So I'd take all the paperwork you can.

Driving back into the US: Me "Do you need to see any paperwork?" US Border patrol: "No, go on through."

[Cloggie]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Is anyone here an expert on Canadian Customs? I'm delivering 2 sets of window frames to a dealership in Montreal on February 5th. Want to cross the border with no drama. Picking them up and bringing to US, there was a little drama but $100 later I was on my way.

Since these were Canadian and I only "repaired" them, I don't think there should be any customs duty, maybe something administrative like the $100 to bring them here.

Any ideas?

Canadian Border Services are the absolute worst in the free world, I travel to Canada for personal reasons frequently and about half the time I get stopped and asked all sorts of stupid questions.
I was once required to pay $5 in duty as I was slightly over the allowance....nuts.

Make sure you have the exit paperwork showing that they were originally in Canada, all legal like, then a receipt for the work you did, the value of the "added value" and explanation of what was done.

So...the windows were worth (guessing) $3000 leaving Canada. You did work on them/improvements with value $1000 with supporting documentation.

They will want to charge you for the value added $1000, which for a citizen if they bring as personal goods, under the 7 day allowance of $1600 (likely hard to prove they are personal), so you probably have to find out the class of goods windows are (CBSA website or broker can do that), which will have a tariff rate associated.

They will then want to charge you the tariff on the improvement plus likely the goods and services tax of 5%.

...or they will just sniff at you and let you by.

One word of warning, these guys have all the sense of humour of a rock, they will throw you in jail for having a firearm in the vehicle, they can tear apart your vehicle without requirement to put it back together again. They do not need reasonable cause, they can detain without charge.

Just smile, be totally honest, hope for a good agent and....who knows, you could pass straight through.

There is a supposed "free trade" between the two countries.

D.

[Zeke]

With that kind of treatment, stay out. If you go, tell them to spend more of their time at their shores stopping immigrants bound for the U.S. Apparently our guys aren't up to the task.

[yellowperil]

Don't forget your passport, don't bring a gun, be nice.

Good luck.

[Rusty Heap]

Is shipping an option just declaring (cough cough) value to be"estimated"? not like you need a large paper trail?

[908/930]

I would just email them, they should be able to give all the info. I don't think there will be any duty because of NAFTA, but likely GST on service value.

[Cloggie]

Originally Posted by 908/930

I would just email them, they should be able to give all the info. I don't think there will be any duty because of NAFTA, but likely GST on service value.

Definitely a possibility, I must admit I just gave up importing myself other than personally....just hire a broker.

D.

[stevej37]

Here's my experience with Canadian Customs..

First week after graduation...a buddy and me decide to take a 3 week camping vacation to Nova Scotia and back in my 66 Chevelle. W.MI to Detroit and then the tunnel to Canada...on the the other side of the turnnel in Windsor, the first Canadian customs agent didn't like the looks of us with hair down to the middle of our backs and orders us out of the Chevelle.

First thing he does is push all our gear to the side in the back seat so they he can squeeze his fat azz in there and pushes his hand down in between the back seat and the seat cushion and sweeps it across and pulls out a couple pot seeds.

He orders us into the cement block building beside the car and a couple other cops order us to strip....then spread. They didn't find anything in or on us, the car or our clothes.
I remember looking out the small high window in the building and seeing my car with all it's contents spread out on the tarmac in rows. When we were released, all was back in order in the car. Couldn't even tell that anything had been done.

The whole ordeal took less than an hour and we were on our way to NS again.

[1990C4S]

I would take the frames as sample material indicative of the quality of your work. Don't declare them, they are yours and you intend to bring them back home....and have emails with your customer to confirm that's your intention.

I crossed the border every week for several years. Only had one incident, I brought something for a friend and I had no idea of the value.

Keep your car interior clean and neat when you cross, do not bring any alcohol or tobacco, and make it very clear that you are visiting for a set time, not 'working', and only discussing the potential for future business. with one customer.

Or ship it UPS ahead of time.

[Bugsinrugs]

Back in 1970 I drove to Alaska with a buddy. I hid some pot in the truck and brought a can of pipe tobacco with me. Didn’t have one problem getting across the Canadian border. Even with long hair I was treated nicely. Oh.. the pipe tobacco explained the rolling papers.

[zakthor]

I've travelled a bunch by car and by boat. I've never had a problem. One time I drove into vancouver and back within 2 hours to buy a used bicycle for my wife. My truck was scattered with tools because I'd spent the last weekend rebuilding a fence in the usa.

Guy wanted to hear the story about the piles of nasty old tools and fasteners but then just wanted to talk about my truck and the prices of the north van neighborhood I'd just visited.

I hear so much about border trouble so I guess I'm due to have a problem some day but wow have they ever been nice to me over the past 30 years. I guess if everything you have on you looks like it could go to the junk yard they just wave you through?

[908/930]

If you walk into the office and they are not busy you are in trouble, lol. And don't feel like you are special if they ask lots of questions and make you feel like you are doing something wrong, us Canadians get the same treatment.

[908/930]

Under CBSA D8-2-10

They will possibly charge tax on value of the goods returning so keep total part value as what your repair is.

Goods Repaired in a Free-trade Partner Country

6. Goods that are returned to Canada, other than vessels of tariff item No. 9971.00.00, regardless of country of origin, after having been exported for repair or alteration to a free-trade partner country, are customs duty-free under tariff item No. 9992.00.00. The tariff item applies whether or not the repair is performed under a warranty. Parts incorporated into the repaired goods are not classified separately. If the repair was not a warranty repair under paragraph 3(j) of the Non-taxable Imported Goods (GST/HST) Regulations, GST/HST is payable on the value of the repair, including any new parts. For additional information on tariff item No. 9992.00.00 see Memorandum D8-2-26, Goods Returned After Repair or Alteration in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Israel or Another CIFTA Beneficiary, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Jordan or Panama. For additional information on tariff item No. 9971.00.00, see Memorandum D8-2-25. Canadian Vessels Repaired or Altered in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Israel or Another CIFTA Beneficiary, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Jordan, Panama, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or Norway.

[Zeke]

I was with a Formula 5000 team in 1969 and we traveled to Trois Rivières for the race and of course St. Jovite for the race at Mont Tremblant. I think we crossed the border in MI and came back thru VT. Everyone was carrying hash somewhere. I couldn't afford to buy anything makin $25/week working or driving anytime I couldn't find a place to sleep, which was not often. So I was clean.

They were not on to the Wittington's yet so very well could have been in the intake manifold. I didn't know or care (should have). We didn't get into any difficulty until we reached Virginia. Long hair didn't cut it there, but the race car was a great ambassador. We made a beeline due west stopping only for gas. As long as we opened the doors to the trailer, we could get gas.

I think customs was similar. Of course they wanted to see the inside of the trailer. I'm sure they all thought it was an Indy car, but we'd tell them whatever they wanted to hear.

The best part was the truck was stolen brand new off a lot in the San Fernando Valley. Our owner/driver did things like that. He added a few feet to the chassis and bought a cabover van body. So it looked like a million other van bodied trucks. White to boot, what could go wrong?

Long month.

[KFC911]

Eh

[matthewb0051]

Go thru the Trout River Port of Entry in Northern NY. It is out in the sticks and you may have better luck.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Cloggie

Canadian Border Services are the absolute worst in the free world, I travel to Canada for personal reasons frequently and about half the time I get stopped and asked all sorts of stupid questions.
I was once required to pay $5 in duty as I was slightly over the allowance....nuts.

Make sure you have the exit paperwork showing that they were originally in Canada, all legal like, then a receipt for the work you did, the value of the "added value" and explanation of what was done.

So...the windows were worth (guessing) $3000 leaving Canada. You did work on them/improvements with value $1000 with supporting documentation.

They will want to charge you for the value added $1000, which for a citizen if they bring as personal goods, under the 7 day allowance of $1600 (likely hard to prove they are personal), so you probably have to find out the class of goods windows are (CBSA website or broker can do that), which will have a tariff rate associated.

They will then want to charge you the tariff on the improvement plus likely the goods and services tax of 5%.

...or they will just sniff at you and let you by.

One word of warning, these guys have all the sense of humour of a rock, they will throw you in jail for having a firearm in the vehicle, they can tear apart your vehicle without requirement to put it back together again. They do not need reasonable cause, they can detain without charge.

Just smile, be totally honest, hope for a good agent and....who knows, you could pass straight through.

There is a supposed "free trade" between the two countries.

D.

Good confirmation of my plan, thank you, that is for the paperwork leaving and invoices for work done. The tariff rate is what I was hoping to avoid.

And I'll leave the Browning at home.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

I would take the frames as sample material indicative of the quality of your work. Don't declare them, they are yours and you intend to bring them back home....and have emails with your customer to confirm that's your intention.

I crossed the border every week for several years. Only had one incident, I brought something for a friend and I had no idea of the value.

Keep your car interior clean and neat when you cross, do not bring any alcohol or tobacco, and make it very clear that you are visiting for a set time, not 'working', and only discussing the potential for future business. with one customer.

Or ship it UPS ahead of time.

I wish I could do this but frames, chrome and fans & housings are going to Porsche Classic Factory Restoration for two 1970 S's they are doing. The absolute worst case scenario is everything is confiscated if I'm not 100% truthful. And I'm not paying duty, Porsche is, I just want a smooth drive-through.

good advice on neat, clean, etc. Always is. Being presentable always works to your favor.

Funny story, probably 20 years ago back when there still were things such as 911 parts cars, I drove up to Mississauga and loaded my pick-up so much parts were spilling over the bed walls, all tied down, and towing a parts car. US. Customs asked how my trip was. I said great, they said have a nice trip back to MA and I rolled on through.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

Go thru the Trout River Port of Entry in Northern NY. It is out in the sticks and you may have better luck.

That may be a good option, thank you.