[sdiy] Shipping PCB's overseas -- Canada

[The Peasant]

> I apologize in advance for going OT here, folks, but all this
> discussion about N. American customs has got me wondering...
> 
> What the hell happened to NAFTA?  I thought it was supposed to eliminate
> duties on goods crossing the US-Canada border.  And I'm not picking
> on Canada specifically because I know this kind of thing happens on
> stuff going the other way too.

Free trade means that we do not pay *duty* on imports, but sales tax (GST) and 
provincial tax (PST) applies to ANY purchases, whether within the country or 
imported.
 
> Are the customs people slapping charges on stuff that is supposed to
> be duty-free?
> 
> Have the governments found weasel-worded ways to tax the goods
> without it being considered "duty" as such, hence dodging the NAFTA
> rules?
 
No, and no. Other than the $5 CDN postal customs service charge, you only pay 
the 7% GST and your provincial sales tax, if applicable. Here in resource-rich 
redneck Alberta we have no provincial sales tax, so I just pay 7%.

Other than that there should be no duties or other brokerage fees when sending 
items by mail to Canada from the US. And on small packages you may pay nothing 
at all. For example, my 2SA798 transistors arrived this week with no customs or 
tax charges whatsoever.

Take care,
Doug
______________________
The Electronic Peasant

www.electronicpeasant.com