[M FUELED]

I’ve encountered someone who has a used exhaust I’d like to purchase For about $1900 plus $200 shipping but they’re in Italy and I am in TX, USA. I am worried that I’ll get screwed over with Customs fees, tariffs etc. As mentioned, this is a used exhaust system from a private seller and shipping straight to my home, no sea ports etc.

Anybody done any shipping from these countries lately that can give some advice? Thanks

[ppointer]

While I don't have any advice, I do have a little experience. I buy wine for my wife roughly every other month from a Tuscany-based winery. They use a local shipper to get it to customs in the US, where UPS then picks it up. Takes a couple of weeks and isn't cheap, but she loves the wine and it ends up costing about $15 a bottle all in. Customs has never charged us fees or otherwise given us any problem.

[KennyFSU]

I ordered a diffuser from Croatia, took 3 months total (sat in Customs for over 2 of those months).

[M FUELED]

Originally Posted by ppointer

While I don't have any advice, I do have a little experience. I buy wine for my wife roughly every other month from a Tuscany-based winery. They use a local shipper to get it to customs in the US, where UPS then picks it up. Takes a couple of weeks and isn't cheap, but she loves the wine and it ends up costing about $15 a bottle all in. Customs has never charged us fees or otherwise given us any problem.

How much is your total shipment if you don’t mind me asking. I believe they may only tax after a certain amount.

[M FUELED]

Originally Posted by KennyFSU

I ordered a diffuser from Croatia, took 3 months total (sat in Customs for over 2 of those months).

Any fees to release the item? New or used diffuser? And how much was the diffuser if you don’t mind me asking.

[KennyFSU]

Originally Posted by M FUELED

Any fees to release the item? New or used diffuser? And how much was the diffuser if you don’t mind me asking.

No fees at all, brand new for $163. It's crap though; you get what you pay for lol.

[ppointer]

Originally Posted by M FUELED

How much is your total shipment if you don’t mind me asking. I believe they may only tax after a certain amount.

Total was 140 euros for shipping three boxes. No VAT charges on the invoice and I never hear from customs.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by M FUELED

I’ve encountered someone who has a used exhaust I’d like to purchase For about $1900 plus $200 shipping but they’re in Italy and I am in TX, USA. I am worried that I’ll get screwed over with Customs fees, tariffs etc. As mentioned, this is a used exhaust system from a private seller and shipping straight to my home, no sea ports etc.

Anybody done any shipping from these countries lately that can give some advice? Thanks

@M FUELED You are close to the line between informal entry and formal entry. It's best to be far from the line on the informal entry side, or go the formal entry route. Don't get close to the line and hope it clears as an informal entry. Formal entry requires hiring a customs broker and paying duty and tariff, if one applies.

Declared value below $800 is a no-duty informal entry. You may be required to pay duty on your proposed purchase. Unless you can negotiate a price far less than what you wrote in the original post. I have purchased items from Japan and Germany in this category and have had no problems with freight, customs, duty or tariffs.


https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-impo...rnet-purchases

International Postal Service: Merchandise shipped through the international postal service is forwarded upon its arrival in the United States to one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection International Mail Branches for clearance. If the item is less than $2,000 in value and is not subject to a quota or is not a restricted or prohibited item, a CBP official will usually prepare the paperwork for importing it, assess the proper duty, and release it for delivery. This procedure is generally referred to as a mail entry. Packages whose declared value is under $800 ($100 if being sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser) will generally be cleared without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP. However, CBP always reserves the right to require a formal entry for any importation and generally exercises this option if there is something unusual about the importation, or if important documents such as an invoice or bill of sale do not accompany the item.

[upstatedoc]

Exhaust will be quarantined due to Covid

[eluded]

You will have to pay.VAT

[M FUELED]

Lol tell me about it. I had ordered a V style front lip from China for around $450. It was made out of fiberglass and the outer layer was carbon fiber. But it was just so cheaply made, hollow on the inside. Anyway, I ended up hitting roadkill with it and the front lip just shattered. In a way I was glad it wasn’t a real Vorsteiner lip cause that would’ve hurt me even more lol

Originally Posted by KennyFSU

No fees at all, brand new for $163. It's crap though; you get what you pay for lol.

[M FUELED]

Well I sure hope same goes for me lol

Originally Posted by ppointer

Total was 140 euros for shipping three boxes. No VAT charges on the invoice and I never hear from customs.

[M FUELED]

This was extremely insightful, thank you.

Do I decide between a formal or informal entry or who decides this, or what determines the type of entry it is? Being under $800 or $2000? Sorry I’m a bit confused about all this.

Originally Posted by chassis

@M FUELED You are close to the line between informal entry and formal entry. It's best to be far from the line on the informal entry side, or go the formal entry route. Don't get close to the line and hope it clears as an informal entry. Formal entry requires hiring a customs broker and paying duty and tariff, if one applies.

Declared value below $800 is a no-duty informal entry. You may be required to pay duty on your proposed purchase. Unless you can negotiate a price far less than what you wrote in the original post. I have purchased items from Japan and Germany in this category and have had no problems with freight, customs, duty or tariffs.


https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-impo...rnet-purchases

International Postal Service: Merchandise shipped through the international postal service is forwarded upon its arrival in the United States to one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection International Mail Branches for clearance. If the item is less than $2,000 in value and is not subject to a quota or is not a restricted or prohibited item, a CBP official will usually prepare the paperwork for importing it, assess the proper duty, and release it for delivery. This procedure is generally referred to as a mail entry. Packages whose declared value is under $800 ($100 if being sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser) will generally be cleared without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP. However, CBP always reserves the right to require a formal entry for any importation and generally exercises this option if there is something unusual about the importation, or if important documents such as an invoice or bill of sale do not accompany the item.

[M FUELED]

You know this based off your experience? Or what makes you say I’d pay VAT?

Originally Posted by eluded

You will have to pay.VAT

[chassis]

Originally Posted by M FUELED

This was extremely insightful, thank you.

Do I decide between a formal or informal entry or who decides this, or what determines the type of entry it is? Being under $800 or $2000? Sorry I’m a bit confused about all this.

@M FUELED Read every word on the CBP site, three times. There are documents that the seller needs to prepare. The CBP reads these documents an applies the laws accordingly.

Separate but related, what you want as the buyer is "DDP" Incoterms. DDP=Delivered Duty Paid. This means the seller pays everything and handles all paperwork. You do nothing except send payment to the seller and receive the goods at your door. DDP is the highest burden on the seller, and the least burden on the buyer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterms

Bill of lading and commercial or pro forma invoice are two important documents, there may be more. I think the commercial invoice, or simply invoice, is where value is declared. Bill of lading is a document that identifies the contents of a container (box, crate). I have imported containers into the US from Italy, the value was much higher than $2.5k and I used a customs broker.

Being as close to the line as your are, it would be an act of conservatism to go the formal entry route. Unless you can negotiate the price + shipping to arrive under $800.

Read the CBP site, and the Incoterms wikipedia site. Multiple times.

If your seller can work with UPS, FedEx or DHL, these companies have the experience to handle your transaction. You will pay a higher overall logistics price, but there is the least chance for hiccups. If you and the seller DIY the transaction, you will pay the lowest logistics cost (maybe). Chance for holdups, hiccups, detention charges and unexpected fees would be higher.

Don't skimp on packaging (crating). You will regret it. Ocean freight is the least expensive, and it's brutal. Air freight is expensive, more so when the crating is large and heavy, as it should be to ensure the goods arrive undamaged.

[zx10guy]

I've had 3 items shipped from overseas vendors. I had 2 watches from Hong Kong and a motorcycle jacket from Spain. The watches were shipped via DHL. I don't remember exactly who the shipper was for the jacket. It was either UPS or DHL. None of the items were held at customs for very long. In fact the watches were pretty much delivered overnight which was amazing. When the jacket was finally shipped, I think it took about 4 or so days total. Again it wasn't held at customs. Just processed through.

Granted all the items were below $800 in value. And I didn't have to pay any additional taxes to include VAT.

[wcr3d]

All of this is the shippers problem.

[M FUELED]

@chassis Thank you so much for the info. I will keep those links and the info you provided me for reference.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by wcr3d

All of this is the shippers problem.

wcr3d Only if negotiated with the buyer. Ex-works (EXW) Incoterms means the seller leaves the goods on his/her loading dock, the buyer takes care of everything else. Do you have first hand experience with international movement of goods over $2,000 per transaction?

From the buyer's point of view, DDP are the most convenient terms, but the most expensive. EXW terms are the least expensive, but the buyer does all the work.

[David70]

Originally Posted by chassis

wcr3d Only if negotiated with the buyer. Ex-works (EXW) Incoterms means the seller leaves the goods on his/her loading dock, the buyer takes care of everything else. Do you have first hand experience with international movement of goods over $2,000 per transaction?

From the buyer's point of view, DDP are the most convenient terms, but the most expensive. EXW terms are the least expensive, but the buyer does all the work.

This is good advice, terms of sale tell you who is responsible for what. Very important to have this clear before you pay for an item.

The company and plant I work with is in Thailand and everything they buy in the U.S. is Ex-works as they understand the system and are fine with dealing with the whole transaction. Leave it up to many U.S. companies to handle shipping/duties to Thailand and they would either charge us too much or pass on the whole transaction (too small to deal with).

[ppointer]

Originally Posted by eluded

You will have to pay.VAT

This doesn't match my experience.