Tariffs on secondhand goods from the US to Canada?

[Elusive Sounds]

Any Canucks have experience on buying used gear from the US since the recent tariffs have been in place? Are you getting hit with huge surcharges? What if the gear is originally made in the US?

 

 

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

There shouldn't be, but I haven't done anything from US to Canada since the tariff war started.  There are no Canadian tariffs that I'm aware of, and the US has been imposing import tariffs, not export taxes.  Pretty much all electronic gear is duty exempt in Canada, regardless of country of origin, and I don't believe the tariff war has changed that.

 

Going the other direction (Canada to US) is where the tariffs are relevant.  But CUSMA still applies for goods manufactured in US or Canada (or Mexico, but not a lot of sound gear gets made down there).  It's a huge paperwork headache to prove CUSMA compliance, but I've successfully sold and shipped used Zaxcom gear (US made) into the US without tariffs.  Brokerage fees have gone up however, and they get charged regardless.

I would try talking to Trew Audio, (and maybe see if they have any used consignment items that suit your needs).  They ship a lot of used gear cross-border.  Dion (Vancouver-based, but the Canada-wide manager) is the person to talk to if you can get hold of him.

[johngooch]

I have received a bill from UPS for tariff on new items that I purchased in Canada...