Official Luthiers Forum!

So I have a potential customer from the US and therefore have a couple of questions related to shipping across the border. If any of you have a simple, step by step process I would be most grateful. Otherwise here are some questions:

1. What paperwork is needed?
2. How do you manage shell products such as Paua Abalone, MOP, etc.
3. Border fees, brokerage fees?
4. Preferred shipping company? Estimated cost?
5. Insurance

Grateful for your input.
Doug

_________________
Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Canada post, man.

1) just a customs form filled out at the PO.

2) I don't use shell or anything border unfriendly, but basically just ship it is the message I get from folks that do.

3) built into the shipping cost.

4) Canada Post, 60-130$ depending on location for 5 day service.

5) Don't bother with the PO insurance. If you must, get it from Heritage, but I just skip it. The law of averages works heavily in your favor, just pack it very very well.

I ship 6-8 a month like this.

Wel, lin actual fact, if the guitar is valued at more than 2000, you are supposed to fill out a Lacey form identifying every piece of wood, its use, its latin name, country of origin, and weight or volume ... if it has shell, then you need to do one of two things, either have your client act as the importer, and have them get some paperwork in the US from the USFW (which I don't do), or get a USFW license yourself, in order to be able to export shell into the US (I do this), and fill out the appropriate paperwork. If you are using shell, and declaring its use, then you need to ship thru a specific USFW port of inspection, which, just for fun, happens to not be any of the US border crossings for use with the standard USFW licence - So I use FedEx when shipping in the the US ( as Memphis is a port of inspection (for those who don't know, everything you ship FedEx goes thru Memphis, their main hub), and it all gets "inspected" in Memphis.. however I cant safely say that most never get opened, as they clear customs too fast for that to happen, plus the boxes are not opened and re-taped - so they just stamp the form, and take the money. I use my own insurance, so I never buy the stuff at the PO or thru any courier.

depending on where, and whether or not you use a shipping service (you can get bulk rates from some resellers of shipping services), I can overnight for around 150-200 .... 3 day is sometimes cheaper , but not always (the bulk rates are geared towards using overnight, which for another 50 bucks, I prefer)

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Oh.. other forms you need ... a free trade NAFTA form, showing the guitar is made in Canada, means no duties at the other end, plus a US Importer ID form - I have shipped guitars without these before, and the customs guys will hold the shipments until they get one. Plus you need a commercial invoice ...

You can likely fly under the radar and get stuff in, and you may or may not get nabbed .... I got "advice" from a builder out west who said if they haven't stopped you yet, just keep shipping the same way ... I opted to go forth and get a USFW licence, and do all the paperwork properly - nothing has been stopped, and everything is documented and legal.

So I hope that doesn't scare you away, but that's the right way to do it ....

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks for the input but now I am completely freaked out by both the process if one does the due diligence as well as the inherent risk if one does not. Perhaps it would be better for me to turn down any US customers and stick with the Great White North.

_________________
Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

I dunno Doug, as long as their money's green.....wait, what color is Canada's dollars?

Multi colored, Sam.

Doug, I ship 6-8 a month to the US through Canada post. Mind you, they're all under 2k, and have no shell or CITES woods.

I too was scared by the daunting task of filling out a whole pile of paperwork, since it was a complete change from what I had been doing prior to Lacey coming in .. but its actually pretty easy once you get thru it, and I have basically told you what forms you need ... lots of it you can copy from one shipment to another, simply changing the address and recipient.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I have other guitars in the US, but all have entered with the purchaser. This is my first shipping by Canada Post. I have the NAFTA B232, but have two questions on "correct" answers to ensure preferential treatment of duty:

Field 7 "Preference Criterion", A through F. Is A the correct answer? Woods and tuners obviously imported, while all manufacturing (including case) is Canadian
Field 9 "Net Cost" Is "No" the correct answer?

Thanks guys.

Road trip! Sounds cheaper and more fun than jumping through some of the hoops.

I just came across with two instruments. No looky no asky. And a liter of Ardbeg for 60usd to boot!

_________________
Pat

You had me at Ardbeg!