Date:         Mon, 12 Aug 2002 13:01:22 -0400
Reply-To:     Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@SYMPATICO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject:      Re: NAFTA SHAFTA
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Harmon Seaver wrote:

>    I thought the point of NAFTA was that you would no longer have to pay any
> customs between US/CAN?? I buy stuff from Canada and don't pay customs, in fact
> we've had several shipments recently from Canada & Denmark -- no customs.
>    And in fact we are currently looking at buying a couple of highticket items
> from Canada (a $3K woodstove for one and a bed almost as costly) and are assured
> there will be no duty.
>    So what's wrong with the Canadian side?

Harmon
They aren't charging any customs duty. They are charging federal and provincial
sales taxes. And these taxes are on goods NOT bought in the province or Canada
even.
It is probably illegal but you can't take the government to court. They do not
tax
goods going out of Canada so you are ok on your purchases. I think this is their
point in making these sales tax charges - promoting exports and discouraging
imports.
Gotta lov'm
Larry

>
>
> On Mon, Aug 12, 2002 at 09:51:20AM -0300, Malcolm Stebbins wrote:
> > Be glad it didn't come UPS or you'd have another $50 customs clearance charge.
> > NEVER use UPS (untill they change this policy).  M
> >
> > On 11 Aug 2002 at 20:32, Lawrence Johnson wrote:
> >
> > > A minor RANT and a warning to fellow Canadians about the pitfalls of
> > > buying from our southern brothers and sisters. Or how I learned to
> > > love the NAFTA AGREEMENT.
> > >
> > > I bought Vanagon parts from a famous Vanagon parts supplier in the
> > > U.S. of A. for a total of $16.90. The famous supplier charged me $8.75
> > > for S&H (packed in a box with "DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE" label still on the
> > > side). Canada Customs charged me $2.23 in sales taxes. Canada Post
> > > charged me $3.15 for the favor of shipping it to Customs. All $ is US
> > > Bucks. For a grand total of $31.03. That is a 83½ % markup over cost
> > > thanks to our fearless leaders who carved out NAFTA - Free Trade my
> > > ASS.
> > >
> > > But I'd pay anything to keep Fritz happily rolling down the road.
> > > Larry
>
> --
> Harmon Seaver
> CyberShamanix
> http://www.cybershamanix.com