Importing from Hong Kong to Canada?

[alexander_nichols]

Any Canadians bought stuff from Hong Kong? Did you have to pay any

duty besides GST/PST/HST and the Canada Post C$5 handling fee?

Thanks!

[PatrickMP]

If the goods are manufactured in HK then you might have to pay some type of duty/tarrif.

Purchasing from the US (and I think Mexico) eliminates this due to NAFTA (provided the

goods are manufacturered in one of those two countries).

 

Other than that, and provided you use regular post (and not UPS, FedEx, etc.) I can't see

any other charges personally. If you purchase overseas, please let us know how it goes!

[alan_chan4]

I am in Vancouver and GST/PST will definitely be applied if "trapped". If they believe it's gift and valued below C$60 the packege will be GST/PST free. $5 handing free by Canada Post is minimum once GST/PST is charged.

[iwong]

I got a lens from B&H just before the Christmas holidays and didn't get charged for GST/PST. None. Zip. Just the shipping and handling fees charged by the retailer. I used Canada Post/Expresspost and I guess I just got lucky because of all the gifts in the mail system. But normally you will get charged taxes at customs.

 

Using one of the couriers (e.g. FedEx, UPS, DHL, Purolator etc.) will almost guarantee that you get charged taxes and outrageous "brokerage fees" in the case of UPS.

 

Some merchants in Hong Kong will do you a "favor" to save you from taxes if you ask them. I won't go into the legalities of that and don't know which merchants will do so. Still, if they used one of the major couriers mentioned above, the merchants words might be overriden.

[alan_chan4]

When buying from the US, just avoid any Ground (UPS/FedEx) surface should not have to pay any extra brokerage fee.

[cliff_lesergent]

There's no duty on photo equipment imported to Canada, regardless of where it comes from. It has nothing to do with NAFTA.

 

The other caveat, besides having to pay the GST/PST when the goods arrive, is that anything that proves to be defective will have to be returned to Hong Kong for warranty. Last time I checked, Canon Hong Kong offered walk-in service *only* for warranty repairs, so having to fly to Hong Kong to drop off your broken camera or lens could get expensive...

[PatrickMP]

<p style="border-style: groove">I got a lens from B&H just before the Christmas holidays

and didn't get charged for GST/PST. None. Zip. Just the shipping and handling fees

charged by the retailer. I used Canada Post/Expresspost and I guess I just got lucky

because of all the gifts in the mail system. But normally you will get charged taxes at

customs.

<P>Which province are you in?

<p style="border-style: groove">When buying from the US, just avoid any Ground (UPS/

FedEx) surface should not have to pay any extra brokerage fee.

<P>Canada post charges a $5.00 brokerage fee.