Post by Biker Jacket Jones on Aug 2, 2010 11:29:28 GMT -5
babuchanan chiming in again. I've got a general time-frame of when I might be able to order a theoretical jacket, so I'm reexamining all of my currently available options. One issue I've yet to tackle is, if I go with Wested, how I'm going to handle any import duties. I'm hoping some of the more experienced members here can give me some advice or relate to their own personal experiences. Let's take the jacket in question, a custom Last Crusade Crystal Sculls Jacket.
First, how much can I expect to be paying to get such a jacket imported? Is it a percentage of something? I've been looking online to see what the current tariffs and rates are so I can get a general idea, but the excessive red tape and bureaucracy is making shifting through all of the available information a chore. For example, CBP.gov tells me that I could get overcharged if I don't declare the item myself. Well, okay... how do I do that? Who do I contact and when? Any personal experiences here? And what is the rate for importing something like this, anyway? United States International Trade Commission has some tables, like the one here, that offers rates for a multitude of goods, but it doesn't go into detail on how to use the document in the first place. Using the search function in Adobe Reader will find "Coats and jackets:" in "Other" in section 4203.10.40. The "Rates of Duty" column has a "1" sub-column with with two other sub-columns: "General", which has a rate of 6%, and "Special", which lists a bunch of letters representing what I guess to be other countries being either free or 4.8% if you happen to be importing from "E" (England?). "2" under "Rates of Duty" has a substantially higher rate of 35%. What rates do I apply, in what order, all at once added together,...
Yeah, I know, that's a lot, but like I said, the bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe.
Does anybody have any advice, or a previous experience from which I might be able to learn how much I'm going to pay for customs?
Second, how am I going to pay for the import? Is it going to be included in my check out at Wested (seems unlikely, since that would mean the money would go to Wested/England, not the United States)? Am I going to pay at the Post Office?
Third, is there a way to lessen the import cost (I linked to the CBP website that said I could declare the item myself to lessen the cost, but that just leads back to that USITC table calculation and the issue of to whom I declare)? Can I eliminate the cost altogether somehow? The people at The Fedora Lounge have reported such random occurrences with customs, so I was wondering if there was anything I could do myself to reduce the cost. Should I just forget the whole thing and let the bureaucrats do their thing?
Again, I would appreciate any help in this matter.
First, how much can I expect to be paying to get such a jacket imported? Is it a percentage of something? I've been looking online to see what the current tariffs and rates are so I can get a general idea, but the excessive red tape and bureaucracy is making shifting through all of the available information a chore. For example, CBP.gov tells me that I could get overcharged if I don't declare the item myself. Well, okay... how do I do that? Who do I contact and when? Any personal experiences here? And what is the rate for importing something like this, anyway? United States International Trade Commission has some tables, like the one here, that offers rates for a multitude of goods, but it doesn't go into detail on how to use the document in the first place. Using the search function in Adobe Reader will find "Coats and jackets:" in "Other" in section 4203.10.40. The "Rates of Duty" column has a "1" sub-column with with two other sub-columns: "General", which has a rate of 6%, and "Special", which lists a bunch of letters representing what I guess to be other countries being either free or 4.8% if you happen to be importing from "E" (England?). "2" under "Rates of Duty" has a substantially higher rate of 35%. What rates do I apply, in what order, all at once added together,...
Yeah, I know, that's a lot, but like I said, the bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe.
Does anybody have any advice, or a previous experience from which I might be able to learn how much I'm going to pay for customs?Second, how am I going to pay for the import? Is it going to be included in my check out at Wested (seems unlikely, since that would mean the money would go to Wested/England, not the United States)? Am I going to pay at the Post Office?
Third, is there a way to lessen the import cost (I linked to the CBP website that said I could declare the item myself to lessen the cost, but that just leads back to that USITC table calculation and the issue of to whom I declare)? Can I eliminate the cost altogether somehow? The people at The Fedora Lounge have reported such random occurrences with customs, so I was wondering if there was anything I could do myself to reduce the cost. Should I just forget the whole thing and let the bureaucrats do their thing?
Again, I would appreciate any help in this matter.
