[Deimos]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

I just looked at the CBSA document on lenses you should not have been charged any duty. the carrier may have charged a brokerage fee that is nothing to do with duty (always opt for usps if you have the option, canada post seems to be very good at this end)
If you were specifically charge a tarif rate question it and explain that tarif for lenses for photography if termed free under schedule XVIII (Can you tell I'm a Purchaser for a living)

http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2004/t2004-3/ch90ne.pdf

Here is what it says when I go to buy the 40mm Ltd from B&H, which I have not actually ordered yet, under the duties/taxes tab for shipment to ONT:

Duties & Tax


We calculate Duty VAT, Taxes, etc. in accordance with the laws and import regulations of the destination country. These fees are usually based on destination, item type, and country of origin, manufacture or assembly.
When you choose to have B&H handle this payment for you the order total is guaranteed by B&H 100%. There will be no additional charges or fees due upon delivery.


Duties & Tax is a tax on goods imported between countries.
When using Purolator as your shipping method, B&H applies Duties & Tax to your order in accordance with the provincial import regulations (HST, PST, GST charges) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
B&H assures you that the order total includes all Duties & Tax charges and there will be no additional charges, fees, or delays upon delivery.

Details of Duty Charges

• VAT:$0.00
• Duties:$34.00
• Other Taxes:$0.00
• HST:$44.19
• GST:$0.00
• Brokerage:$1.50
• Disbursement:$2.35
• Security & Handling:$0.50
• Carrier Surcharge:$0.00
• Total:$82.54

The lens is $339 before these charges

[eddie1960]

send them a query asking why they apply duty and send them the link to the document. I could ask my broker if lenses are subject to duty as well

[eddie1960]

i sent my broker a query. the brokerage fee is fair but it looks like they are just taking it back as duty.

[eddie1960]

i just did a trial order and got 11.40 duty and 1.68 disbursement
sounds like they are playing games

[eddie1960]

Aden is $419 right now so 339 is pretty hot but by the time yo add it up and do the exchange you save $26 based on a credit card exchange rate of 6% (the norm) I bet you could buy it from them for 399 if you showed them the bh price and have a pentax canada warranty ( i would guess a lot of Foto Source dealers would do the same)

[gofour3]

I just looked at the CBSA document on lenses you should not have been charged any duty. the carrier may have charged a brokerage fee that is nothing to do with duty (always opt for usps if you have the option, canada post seems to be very good at this end)
If you were specifically charge a tarif rate question it and explain that tarif for lenses for photography if termed free under schedule XVIII (Can you tell I'm a Purchaser for a living)

http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2004/t2004-3/ch90ne.pdf

Camera Equipment would only be duty free under NAFTA if it was made in the USA or Mexico, which it’s not.

I’ve had to pay duty and taxes on all Camera equipment & accessories that I have imported into Canada. The only way you can avoid this is having the items sent via a Postal Services, most items under $100.00 get let through with no charge. If you go with a courier you get dung every time with tax/duty & brokerage fees.

Phil.

[gofour3]

Here is what it says when I go to buy the 40mm Ltd from B&H, which I have not actually ordered yet, under the duties/taxes tab for shipment to ONT:

Duties & Tax


We calculate Duty VAT, Taxes, etc. in accordance with the laws and import regulations of the destination country. These fees are usually based on destination, item type, and country of origin, manufacture or assembly.
When you choose to have B&H handle this payment for you the order total is guaranteed by B&H 100%. There will be no additional charges or fees due upon delivery.


Duties & Tax is a tax on goods imported between countries.
When using Purolator as your shipping method, B&H applies Duties & Tax to your order in accordance with the provincial import regulations (HST, PST, GST charges) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
B&H assures you that the order total includes all Duties & Tax charges and there will be no additional charges, fees, or delays upon delivery.

Details of Duty Charges

• VAT:$0.00
• Duties:$34.00
• Other Taxes:$0.00
• HST:$44.19
• GST:$0.00
• Brokerage:$1.50
• Disbursement:$2.35
• Security & Handling:$0.50
• Carrier Surcharge:$0.00
• Total:$82.54

The lens is $339 before these charges

Yes that total looks correct. Remember duty is based on the manufacturing country of origin and not where you buy the item.

Phil.

[eddie1960]

it's not a NAFTA issue, it's what tariffs are assigned to a product not all items have a tariff. that is why i posted the relevant document from the Gov't but i am still waiting on a more definitive answer from my broker. i import items regularly for work and some items have tariffs some don't regardless of where they were made. others have sliding scales (anything to do with fabric for instance) NAFTA product can still be assessed Sheets made in the US but with Fabric Woven in China or India will have duty ( that rises as the allotted amounts get used up) it's insanely complex hence why i have a broker

From My Broker (omni trans if you want to quote them to BH Photo)

Photographic camera lenses imported into Canada are classified under h.s. 9002.11.10.10 and are duty free.

[eddie1960]

you will still pay HST and a brokerage fee for taking care of the HST and the security fee and disbursements you can't avoid it
If they offered a reasonably priced USPS option i'd take that but they don't

[gofour3]

it's not a NAFTA issue, it's what tariffs are assigned to a product not all items have a tariff. that is why i posted the relevant document from the Gov't but i am still waiting on a more definitive answer from my broker. i import items regularly for work and some items have tariffs some don't regardless of where they were made. others have sliding scales (anything to do with fabric for instance) NAFTA product can still be assessed Sheets made in the US but with Fabric Woven in China or India will have duty ( that rises as the allotted amounts get used up) it's insanely complex hence why i have a broker

From My Broker (omni trans if you want to quote them to BH Photo)

Photographic camera lenses imported into Canada are classified under h.s. 9002.11.10.10 and are duty free.

Tariffs are for business importing items into Canada and are different from an individual buying an item online or personally bringing an item across the border into Canada.

This page from eBay Canada explains the process.

eBay Canada Shipping Centre and Online Shipping Tool


B&H photo is a huge company and I’m sure they have all the Canadian rules and regulations correct. I have bough numerous Camera items over the years from B&H and I always pay duty. If you look on the papers B&H supplies to the courier, the items country of origin is always marked down and is what the duties are based on.

Example: I got some B+W filers from B&H last week and “Germany’ is indicated. So I paid duties based on the value and country of origin, which was Germany.

Phil.

[Deimos]

makes sense. hence why a lumix, maybe made in the US? has no duties while a vietnam made limited lens does

edit: lumix is made in Japan, no duties...

[farfisa]

When I order from Adorama, I use the UPS Worldwide Express option.

It's usually $40-$50, but it includes all the customs brokerage, and I never pay duty, only taxes.

I've ordered lenses (new and used), memory, and accessories, but never a camera. At least as far as I can remember

Whenever I get something shipped UPS standard (never my choice), I get a massive brokerage fee on top of the taxes. The fee is based on the cost of the item, so unless it's a super cheap item, it's more often than not much more expensive to go this route.

USPS, sometimes just gets through. First Class (from forum members usually) is sometimes quicker than Priority or Express because they don't tie it up in customs. Otherwise, if it goes through customs, I pay $5 + taxes (there's a $5 fee for charging the taxes).

[Deimos]

the lumix gift I ordered just arrived from B&H to Toronto I think I only ordered it 2 days ago, pretty good for ground shipping, no further costs or anything only paid .50 fee and hst at purchase. lumix dmc-zr3, what a sweet little compact! for the pops

EDIT: I may have the answer to why there were no duties on the made in Japan lumix I bought. The packaging is made for US AND Canadian sales, with english and french on the packaging and links to panasonic usa and canada. so maybe if it is not product made or packaged only for US consumption and has the appropriate labels etc for Canadian law, there are no duties?

[eddie1960]

gofour, there is no difference between a business or personal importing, a tariff (or duty) either is or isn't applied. According to the CBSA (customs) there is no duty on 98% of photographic equipment, that does not stop the carrier from charging a sometime extortionist brokerage fee for submitting the HST/GST/PST on your behalf and most of the courier companies are ridiculous this way. If they itemize it for you and show a duty then question them as there should be no duty. the response from my broker was for personal importation BTW as I queried about a personal purchase not corporate. My job as a purchaser requires i stay on top of this as I buy a lot of different items cross border, that is why i employ a Broker (who BTW can be used for clearance for personal purchasing as well but unless you import a lot a private broker isn't viable)
I questioned it on an ask BH thread and quoted the relevant gov't documents not reply yet

[gofour3]

Hopefully this web site below clears up this Canadian duty issue on camera equipment.

photoprice.ca: Duty on Camera Equipment

It explains why I have been dung duty on lens filters from B&H, as they were manufactured in Germany. They would be duty free if they were made in the USA because of NAFTA.

Yes it also indicated that lenses are duty free from anywhere. However I checked some of my CBSA/courier receipts and I have been charged duty on lenses I have recently purchased from Europe. So either it was an error or brokerage fees listed as duty.

Phil.