Import Tariff Info Thread

BluegrassBrian

BluegrassBrian

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With so much new policy to digest, and seemingly endless amounts of inconsistency, I thought this might be a good idea.

For any collectors who order knives made/sent from Europe, Asia, or anywhere around the world..
Share your experience with import tariffs!

What harmonization code did the sender use?

How much was the order valued at vs. how much were you charged for import?


One thing I have done some research on and discovered is the harmonization code for pocket knives..
8211.93.00.35
 
Recent example-
A knife from France sent by the maker.
He entered the value of the knife as $350.

I don’t know if it was on purpose or not but he used three different codes/harm. numbers- each with a different duty % .

IMG_1339.jpeg
 
I bought a few off the Petrified Fish site. Some came from China. They took care of everything. The last one took me about 10 days to receive.
 
I bought some knife scales from Germany. The invoice said that I would have to pay “Import Fees” upon delivery.

The mailman only took my signature, handed me the package, and walked away. He never mentioned any fees and neither did I.
 
China is subsidizing the tariffs a long with a bunch else.

David Mary David Mary David Mary seems to have the paperwork figured out for shipments from Canada to the US.
 
I have found ,in my recent past experiences
Definitely variation,and I feel it comes from different ports of entry & the people handling it
, also the country where the package comes from. The level of service they purchase ,premium seems to help .

When the VAT threshold was lifted ,I got hit with about 51% from Italy. They held this one up for weeks & all info was there with the merch. ,as it was the previous 36 shipments prior to that timing . There was a clause about if it wasn't paid it would be seized & sold to pay the bill
About 2 months later ,same products from Italy was charged about 26% ,the message attached was if not paid it would be sent back to sender at the senders expense ( makes no sense since senders is paid already)

France ,so far I think the largest tariff bill I got was about 15% ,and most others was no tariff.

China ,finally after months a package may make it here . I'm still waiting & wondering . At one point since one of these boxes had bone or antler ,they got the US Fish & Wildlife involved . They wanted to see a Federal importation license

Right before Christmas I had two packages from France get held up over there in customs . The info they wanted to know ,on both ( from 2 different purchases) , was there any copper or Aluminum on the products

Yesterday ,a box of folders held up for clearance . They wanted to know where the steel was poured / smelt ( I think those were the terms) ,where it was from and what was it to be used for . They attached the papers and the answers were right there in front of them already . I replied via email but also called . The conversation was very short & I basically stated word for word what was already written. They were fast ,easy to deal with with good communication. I feel that was a training exercise edit in >> they asked if the pocket knives ( box labeled) were to be used ,in contact with food

It's almost as if ,in the beginning ,in the USA ,they were not prepared to scrutinize and compile tariff bills for all this stuff . IMHO it was a wild west show & basically opened up an avenue for them to do what ever they wanted and the carriers were right there working it too

After all ,your package is paid for ,approved/cleared over there ,only to get looked at again over here . Since its ( the goods ) paid for already ,either pay the ransom or ??

I don't think there's much details to this that's set in stone ,it's open season .Too many variables to even try to estimate what the goods will cost you at the end of the trail.

Good luck if you order ,I feel bad for some merchants over there , they have to be feeling it
 
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I paid $15 in tariff fees on a $200 package from Latvia. UPS said it would be $15 & $13 (maybe tariff and brokerage fee?) but only billed me for the $15 before they would make delivery.
 
Other week, received a demand from DHL in a mailed letter for $68 billed, sent to me after receiving a knife from South Africa to FL. A bit less than 10% of knife value. I recall about $18 was for DHL’s admin/processing fee to handle the duties. I didn’t care much to look at the details and just sent off a check to pay it. The knife came within two weeks of order/payment and then the letter demand about two weeks later.

I recall some years ago having paid and received a timepiece from a vintage milwatch vendor in France - and same thing - about a month later received the bill for duty. Delivery completed, then letter bill received - the item purchased wasn’t held up but was delivered first. I’m unsure what the penalty is for failure to pay but suspect I’d get a fine from US Customs if it wasn’t timely.
 
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rrrgcy said:
Other week, received a demand from DHL in a mailed letter for $68 billed, sent to me after receiving a knife from South Africa to FL. A bit less than 10% of knife value. I recall about $18 was for DHL’s admin/processing fee to handle the duties. I didn’t care much to look at the details and just sent off a check to pay it. The knife came within two weeks of order/payment and then the letter demand about two weeks later.

I recall some years ago having paid and received a timepiece from a vintage milwatch vendor in France - and same thing - about a month later received the bill for duty. Delivery completed, then letter bill received - the item purchased wasn’t held up but was delivered first. I’m unsure what the penalty is for failure to pay but suspect I’d get a fine from US Customs if it wasn’t timely.
Click to expand...

SharpBits said:
It takes FedEx around two weeks to bill for duties owed.
Click to expand...
Wow..
I’ve not used FedEx or DHL for intl shipments lately.
Crazy considering UPS alerted me immediately and made it known that delivery would not be completed until duties were paid!
 
Knife maker uses DHL out of Africa, which worked impeccably in delivering it (w tracking) to my residence. A+. I kind of expected a duty bill and got it.
 
BluegrassBrian BluegrassBrian

only vague speculation can be given regarding your question about the accuracy of the HSC codes from the knifemaker in France without you disclosing exactly what was in the box.
 
What’s probably going on is he separated the blade, scales, and mechanism into three hs codes, and labeled them all as “camping tool” in the hope of preventing “weapon” scrutiny. While the three separate codes in this case is fine, it’s definitely not a best practice to label all three components with a vague descriptor like “camping tool” because border agencies like goods described in an accurate and specific manner. It’s not illegal per se but it could be seen as deceptive and trigger the unwanted scrutiny that exporters try to avoid. I’m glad you got the knife despite this maker’s export practices.
 
Example from DHL w a tear off invoice to mail in w a check.
 

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BluegrassBrian BluegrassBrian that duty form does not look accurate.

Unless there was something other than a knife in that box, I think the seller/shipper is filling out the forms incorrectly, resulting in the levying of excessive duties.

Were there 3 different items in the box? Something appears very wrong……

The shipper is indicating the same item 3 times, and using 3 incorrect HTS. I guess some tariffs could be cumulative…?

You could consider seeking a refund, file an appeal, whatever.

The correct HTS code for a folding knife appears to be in category 8211.93.00, and the most correct looks like 8211.93.35.

Seems like the tariff rate on one folding knife should be 3 cents per item plus 5.4% of value?

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov hts.usitc.gov
 
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It was a fixed blade, w sheath, and an engraved dog tag w lanyard, and certificate w tube (technically four items, but it is three items if you break it down properly by product) and priced just under $1k all-in. My DHL invoice paperwork shows three (3) line items and each the same and priced at $200 apiece, though it’s also noted as a Quantity = Zero. So how to read it I don’t know.

I don’t mind paying $60 to the USG for having bought a knife (it could have been more, i reason, perhaps wrongly) which instead the government insists I may have been able to buy within the USA” so I have to pay a duty (which I understand is the purpose of duties assessed) (but also - um, no, there isn’t a dealer for these specific knives)(but perhaps they figure I could’ve bought any similarly priced fixed knife at that cost) but it’s the extra $17 that’s hard to figure out if it’s an acceptable fee to DHL. I’ve no idea how the seller knife maker filled out the export paperwork (I threw the box-attached customs paperwork away) but I’m certain he’d have accurately reported at least the two items, that it’s a Fixed Blade Knife With Sheath and the sold price.
 
Elgatodeacero said:
BluegrassBrian BluegrassBrian that duty form does not look accurate.

Unless there was something other than a knife in that box, I think the seller/shipper is filling out the forms incorrectly, resulting in the levying of excessive duties.

Were there 3 different items in the box? Something appears very wrong……

The shipper is indicating the same item 3 times, and using 3 incorrect HTS. I guess some tariffs could be cumulative…?

You could consider seeking a refund, file an appeal, whatever.

The correct HTS code for a folding knife appears to be in category 8211.93.00, and the most correct looks like 8211.93.35.

Seems like the tariff rate on one folding knife should be 3 cents per item plus 5.4% of value?

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov hts.usitc.gov
Click to expand...
I think you’re right.

No matter how you break it down, on purpose or not, mistakes were made.
 
I had two orders from France delivered probably weeks ago . Forgive me time is just something I can't keep track of especially as of lately

Anyhow ,weeks later ,the tariff bill that I was not supposed to get ( according to the sender ) came via email ( Fedex)

So in my experiences
All variables are not laid out up front and change as time goes by .

To me the tariff would not be so bad if you knew where you stood in the beginning of the purchase process

A few cases now the sender has assured ," All tariffs are paid up " ,but it seems whats going on is ,yes ,they may be paid on their side but once US Customs gets it ,there could easily be another bill.

Edit in ,so the last one paid ,a knife with total; bill in US $ 132 ,add surprise tariff 98 ,total cost $230
To me it was still worth it because it is very nice ,but I'd feel better knowing up front
These last two case I speak of ,the sender probably has no idea of this tariff on US side
 
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