What is duty in the US on imported personal items?

[Rick Lee]

I have a lead on a Sinn watch in Germany that would be a killer deal if I could buy it in person and bring it back without mentioning it on my customs declaration (as I've done before with no issues). The shop is willing to knock off the 19% VAT without my having to jump through all the paperwork hoops and airport stamps, since they'd be mailing it to me in the US. But it's about 3x the personal exemption amount for duty-free importation. And I don't think they're gonna mark it as a gift for me. What's the rate on this, assuming it's disclosed properly?

[Paco Anton]

I will be travelling to the US (Miami) from Spain at the end of july. I'd be glad to help out a fellow pelican if you can figure out a way.

[cashflyer]

Determining Duty - CBP.gov

Also:

Under what is known as its “301” authority, the United States may impose a much higher than normal duty rate on products from certain countries. Currently, the United States has imposed a 100 percent rate of duty on certain products of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, The Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Ukraine. If you should bring more of any of these products back with you than fall within your exemption or flat rate of duty, (see below) you will pay as much in duty as you paid for the product or products.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Paco Anton

I will be travelling to the US (Miami) from Spain at the end of july. I'd be glad to help out a fellow pelican if you can figure out a way.

Thanks, but they'd certainly charge you VAT, as you're in an EU country. It would be a PITA for you to have to mail in the paperwork for the refund, wait for them to wire it to you, etc. I'm really kicking myself for not buying the one at the Sinn factory store last Monday. Had I known how much more expensive that model is here in the US, I'd have jumped on it.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Determining Duty - CBP.gov

Also:

Under what is known as its “301” authority, the United States may impose a much higher than normal duty rate on products from certain countries. Currently, the United States has imposed a 100 percent rate of duty on certain products of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, The Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Ukraine. If you should bring more of any of these products back with you than fall within your exemption or flat rate of duty, (see below) you will pay as much in duty as you paid for the product or products.

Thanks. Looks like it's a no go then. Last time I saw this table, it was many pages into a large PDF and I still couldn't figure out how they compute it. How can they impose a 100% duty on products from WTO members? That's nuts. It's begging for fraud. Why would anyone, who's aware of this, declare stuff that could easily be called their own from home, like jewelry, cameras, clothes, etc?

[Rick Lee]

Turns out CBP is a customer of my company and I met with them years ago. I just called their PAO in charge of "Know Before You Go" and he had no idea. He gave me an 877 number to call and I'm hold now with only 28 calls in front of me. Let me kick myself again for not grabbing this watch in person last week.

[red-beard]

Tarriff Code: 9101.21.1000 (I am assuming that it is 17 jewel or more)

3.1%

[red-beard]

If you use TNT to ship it, you can arrange that they pay the duties and then charge those and the shipping to a credit card.

[Rick Lee]

Finally got through to CBP. They said anything above $2k requires extra forms that would be best done by a broker, then they gave me their broker list. I'm tiring of this BS very fast. First broker I called said to call FedEx or UPS and they'd be able to handle it. I'm making one more call and then I'm done with this.

[red-beard]

Call TNT. They will make it easy.

[Rick Lee]

What is TNT? I'll get the phonebook if I Google that.

[Rick Lee]

Another 20 min. on the phone with UPS and they can't tell me anything. I'm done with this. I have enough watches. What a ficking nightmare. I'll buy another when I go to Germany next time or find one already here on TimeZone.

[sammyg2]

huh hah huh, he said dooty.

ha ha LOL.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

What is TNT? I'll get the phonebook if I Google that.

A shipping company, like Fedex, but specializes in international shipment. Very helpful.