importing into the US

A

Andy_L

Joined
Dec 1, 2004
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we brits complain that we end up paying huge amounts for knives over here. given that there is about $1.8US to one £1 the retail price of knives might be double what it is in the US. We pay 17.5% taxes and often a handling fee to import most things (anything above £18) and have thought that you might have this as well
How much would it cost you to import a knife from the UK? say it's a custom which cost £100 how much would the tax man want?
 
Far as I know, you have to pay the retail tax on whatever the retail value is (in MA its 6%) and a customs charge depending on the value of the item. I'm not sure how much Customs charges. I've gotten things from Canada and never paid customs, but that might be a US/Canada thing. I KNOW we pay less than Brits and other EU people do. A BIG part of that is the lack of the VAT and other such taxes.
 
I was wondering if it might be different from state to state

I guess companies like spyderco will have to pay import taxes for the seki models. The trouble for us is we pay twice
 
Andy_L said:
I guess companies like spyderco will have to pay import taxes for the seki models. The trouble for us is we pay twice
Click to expand...

The high retail prices in Europe may also be caused by the European importeurs
who seem to add much "additional value" to the price of knives from US companies.

When I compare the prices in Germany with the prices in the USA, I really
can't understand the big difference in price, even when considering custom
fees, some additional taxes and transportation costs.
 
Andy_CN said:
The high retail prices in Europe may also be caused by the European importeurs who seem to add much "additional value" to the price of knives from US companies.

When I compare the prices in Germany with the prices in the USA, I really
can't understand the big difference in price, even when considering custom
fees, some additional taxes and transportation costs.
Click to expand...

Believe me, I see the same thing here in the Czech Republic where a simple frn Delica generally goes for more than $100, and a Leatherman Charge TI can go for $185. In fact, my business partner and I are putting together a business plan to start selling knives and multi-tools here online. Might happen, might not. Right now, we have the capital and an interesting idea, no more.

The frustrating thing is that I've already had conversations with manufacturers who agreed wholeheartedly that the retail cost of their products here is totally prohibitive and is keeping sales low. But when I pitched the idea, they all directed me to their in-country distributor. Now what if that same distributor is the one gouging the prices!? I think it's time to slaughter some pigs.
 
Prices in Australia are usually about 3 times the US price, slightly less for British imports. I can order over the internet, pay air freight, and still come out at 50% of the local price.
The new "free trade agreement" with the US has helped--no taxes unless the order is (generally) over $1000.
Greg
 
I think THE BIG PROBLEM is basically the Retallation tax policy/politics followed by both USA & EU about import of some products, like steel made artifacts, to try and protect their own bussines.

Do you think you are not paying a lot for european knives in the USA?:D
Look at Made in EU Böker for an example.This situation is a two ways road.

Following my feelings and experience with importers/importeurs/importadores I can tell you they are really happy lowing the prices if this make them sell more and earn more $/€. But the taxes/TVA problem are there, with the transport fees and having the risk not to sell all the products that you buy if you try to minimize these fees. You have limits. Remember we are talking knives, not the last iPod or funny, cool, "à la mode" product that "all people" want to buy. Right now we are a minority. And so we pay more in each side of the Atlantic ocean for the products coming from the other side.

I´m happy when I can sell here in Spain an american brand knife that is selling by X$ in the USA by the same X but X€. That´s just a little 20-25 % more than the USA price. But this is the exception. The usual is 80-100 % more than the USA price and even more.

So take the risk buying by internet or try to find in your area someone like me in here. I make sistematically a special price for the "friends of the house" (like I call them) or usual, very frequent costumers, who knows my way of doing the things and prefer to try in-place the products better than using the net. I will earn a lot less in the short term/time but I think this way work in the long term/time.

So do your work and I think you gonna find the way that work for you.

NS
 
Unfortunately our brothers and sisters in Europe, Are over taxed to death. We Americans whine when we pay 33 to 40 % in taxes. Our friends across the pond have bee n brought to their knees. To keep the Socialist Machine running it take lot of cash, I’m sure if you looked past the Knives that are too expensive In Europe you might also find most imported items are way higher. Separatism plays a small part, and in this so-called global economy, the playing field is far form level. I’m not aware of any European production knife companies, which can compete with Benchmade and Spiderco. So we pay 3.00$ a gallon for gasoline, while you pay over 5.00$, WE can buy a killer knife for 100.00, and you guys can, pay more but the cost of quality is subjective.
 
If you're importing a big box of knives, Customs will impose duty. That depends on the country of origin and the nature of the item. It typically runs about 2-3%. But, when an individual imports a single knife, Customs will realize that collecting the two or three dollars would cost them more than the revenue gained and just waive it through.
 
Gollnick said:
If you're importing a big box of knives, Customs will impose duty. That depends on the country of origin and the nature of the item. It typically runs about 2-3%. But, when an individual imports a single knife, Customs will realize that collecting the two or three dollars would cost them more than the revenue gained and just waive it through.
Click to expand...
would that include custom knives costing $200?

One problem is the strong pound doesn't help our custom makers. I just bought a custom knife which was made locally. I'm sure a lot of people in the US would like it but £130 or so would become about $240 plus import charges, so for a knife that costs me about the same as a Gene ingram (possibly less) would cost you guys a whole lot more. The UK makers have to make twice as many USD per knife to cover expenses of making the knife as well as living costs.
It's a real shame as it means they can't compete in the US market which is much larger then ours
 
rocktheflock said:
Unfortunately our brothers and sisters in Europe, Are over taxed to death. We Americans whine when we pay 33 to 40 % in taxes. Our friends across the pond have bee n brought to their knees. To keep the Socialist Machine running it take lot of cash, I’m sure if you looked past the Knives that are too expensive In Europe you might also find most imported items are way higher. Separatism plays a small part, and in this so-called global economy, the playing field is far form level. I’m not aware of any European production knife companies, which can compete with Benchmade and Spiderco. So we pay 3.00$ a gallon for gasoline, while you pay over 5.00$, WE can buy a killer knife for 100.00, and you guys can, pay more but the cost of quality is subjective.
Click to expand...

Sadly it is not just knives. It is everything.
Electronics, cars, just anything.
(usual excuse is "small market" here (what about "one united market of European Union" fairy tale? That should be bigger than whole US market...), but real reason are socialist governments trying to realize their perverse illusions :s)
(best is when these "socialist" bastards in government are trying to tell us that we have cheaper gas(or anything) than Germany for example. Here it costs "only" 1.4$ per liter, while in Germany it runs to $2 per liter. Sadly they usually forgot to mention the average income here is about one quarter of the German one. :| )

(btw would you believe that 17 years after so called revolution we STILL have communist party IN government? :s)
 
Gollnick said:
If you're importing a big box of knives, Customs will impose duty. That depends on the country of origin and the nature of the item. It typically runs about 2-3%. But, when an individual imports a single knife, Customs will realize that collecting the two or three dollars would cost them more than the revenue gained and just waive it through.
Click to expand...
Here they are really happy to tax and duty anything above approx. $28
Any single package. Long live bureaucracy. :|
 
For french people, when we are bying Knives over the net (from knifecenter for exemple) it is send via UPS... which claim the Tax upon delivery (and probably transfer it to French gvnt, less their fee:D )..

So if i buy a 100 usd knife, plus international delivery (let's say 17 usd), UPS is going to claim something like 30% of those 117 usd usd..
Not bad, is'nt it?

One option is to buy from a site which is "friendly user" and accept to minorate the proforma invoice, but it's probably not really legal, so i woudl never do such a thing...:rolleyes:
 
Thanks for sharing Huugh, The Eurodollar was supposed to solve allot of things. I feel blessed to hear from some one “over there”. I wonder if someone could mail you a nice Knife after receiving funds here. On another note, I wonder if Reagans out spending the Russians on defense, thus splitting up the old soviet union, I wonder if you are all still better off than if Reagan had done nothing? God Bless you Scotty
 
Oh, it is definitely way better now than when communists ruled. It is not even comparable - not because how good it is now but because how bad it was.
IMHO all communists (and these so called socialists too (especially here in Czech Republic I can't see much difference between them :s)) should spend some time in North Korea (and if they still like it they could stay there :))
 
I have bought numerous small items from Canada, Europe and Russia and never had to pay any duties. I noticed that every time, the shipped also marked the customs documents as Gift, and put a nominal value on the cn-22. Of course noting was worth more than $35, but that's my experience.

Spyderjohn- when did mass. go up to 6%? LAst time I was there it was 5%- has it been that long??
 
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