Europe to USA shipping: Delays and duty?

[Peter Klein]

U.S. members: If you've bought calculators or related items from Europe, did you have to pay duty on them, and how long did the item sit in customs?

I have ordered a Panamatik Woodstock repair kit. Shipped via DHL, it took 12 days to get to the U.S. from Germany (via Switzerland), and has now been cooling its heels at JFK airport for 6 days. And I am contemplating ordering a calculator from Swiss Micros. So I'd like to know, realistically, what the customs and timing situation is these days.

[Duane Hess]

I have orered from Europe a fair number of times. Never paid any customs. The customs forms were marked by sellers as "gift" or retail sales (via various different terms). In no case did I end up paying any customs fees. Peronsally I have no idea why.

Recently (i.e. this year and last) items have stayed in the exporting customs 1-4 days. Once here in USA it seems recent minimum retention times weres 3 days and up to 7-10 days.

[rprosperi]

There are no charges for customs/duties/import fees/etc. for buying in USA from international sellers for anything under about $2500.00.

Shipments vary from EU between as little as 4 days to 2-3 weeks depending on seemingly random factors, but no doubt where you are (East vs. West coast, near a big city or in the sticks), seasonal traffic (i.e.amount of overall shipping traffic) and COVID activity can be major factors. I live near NYC and most often a shipment from EU is 10-14 days, including from SwissMIcros.

[Jeff_Birt]

(12-04-2023 01:03 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  There are no charges for customs/duties/import fees/etc. for buying in USA from international sellers for anything under about $2500.00.

Shipments vary from EU between as little as 4 days to 2-3 weeks depending on seemingly random factors, but no doubt where you are (East vs. West coast, near a big city or in the sticks), seasonal traffic (i.e.amount of overall shipping traffic) and COVID activity can be major factors. I live near NYC and most often a shipment from EU is 10-14 days, including from SwissMIcros.

The only modification I would make to this is that certain items from China are subject to tariffs if the total value is above $800 and the broker feels like it. The broker can also then decide how to categorize the products, no matter how the manufacturer labels them, and you can really get stuck with a huge bill. FedEx and UPS love to screw people over by inflating duties while holding your goods hostage.

I tend to only have things shipped (importing) with duties prepaid now to avoid getting ripped off. I also only tend to ship anything valuable with duties prepaid to avoid the receiver getting ripped off.

[polbit]

(12-04-2023 01:03 PM)rprosperi Wrote:  There are no charges for customs/duties/import fees/etc. for buying in USA from international sellers for anything under about $2500.00.

Shipments vary from EU between as little as 4 days to 2-3 weeks depending on seemingly random factors, but no doubt where you are (East vs. West coast, near a big city or in the sticks), seasonal traffic (i.e.amount of overall shipping traffic) and COVID activity can be major factors. I live near NYC and most often a shipment from EU is 10-14 days, including from SwissMIcros.

While I always believed the $2,500 to be correct, I have now been proven wrong twice - I had to pay duties of 3% for purchases over $800 from two separate EU businesses within past 3 years.

[Jeff_Birt]

(12-04-2023 02:21 PM)polbit Wrote:  While I always believed the $2,500 to be correct, I have now been proven wrong twice - I had to pay duties of 3% for purchases over $800 from two separate EU businesses within past 3 years.

Did the items originate in China? that seems to be what triggers the lower limit.

[polbit]

(12-04-2023 02:23 PM)Jeff_Birt Wrote:  Did the items originate in China? that seems to be what triggers the lower limit.

I went back and looked at the orders. One was in fact shipped from China, but the other was a Prusa 3D printer, made in and shipped from Czech Republic.

[Eddie W. Shore]

So far I have not been charged duties (knock on wood it stays that way). It takes anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month for calculator orders arrive from Europe.

[Harald]

You are lucky.
In the other direction tariffs (ranging between 0 and 20%, luckily Calculators are at 0%) are applied if the value of the goods plus shipping exceeds 150€.
On top of that, we have to pay 19% inport sales tax on that total (or value of the goods AND the shipping costs if the total is below 150€). Then there is a 6€ fee on top of that.

So, if I buy a car part for €120 and shipping costs are 35€ you get to:

Code:


  120   goods
+  35   shipping
__________
  155
+ 4.5%  tariff
__________
  161.98
+ 19%   import sales tax
__________
  192.75
+   6   fee
__________
  198.75 total

Even better is when you are after say a battery connector:

Code:


     2.30 goods
+  10     shipping
__________
   12.30
+ 19%   import sales tax
__________
   14.64
+   6   fee
__________
   20.64  total

But you can still top that by buying via ebay and the global rippo... I mean shipping programm.
Then you have to pay ebay for the services, usually a substantial summ like another 30€. Customs in Germany simply adds those 30€ to the total cost and taxes them as well. All quite enjoyable I try and avoid buying from abroad.

[Jeff_Birt]

(12-04-2023 04:08 PM)polbit Wrote:  I went back and looked at the orders. One was in fact shipped from China, but the other was a Prusa 3D printer, made in and shipped from Czech Republic.

I'm not sure why something from the Czech Republic would have a tariff applied. So much depends on the broker doing the paperwork. If they screw up it is nearly impossible to get them to fix it. I imported some partially complete PCBs from China, shipped by DHL, paid the tariff. Did the same thing about 10 months later, same PCBs produced by same factory shipped by FedEx this time. FedEx charged 2x the tariff and I could not get them to bother to look at it. They even wanted to charge me $150 to investigate their mistake.