Clearing freight through customs?

[Detritus Mulm]

I've got some pond equipment that is FINALLY being shipped and it will be coming by freight. The vendor said that I could just take my invoice and go to the customs office and pay any taxes/duty and that the freight company would release it once I showed them the clearance?

But I assume that I have to be in the same place (customs office) as the freight when I pay the taxes? It would be great if I could go to any customs office and pay, but I highly doubt it's that simple. Plan B would be to have the freight company use their broker, but I have no idea about their rates. If it's anything like UPS :swoon: then it will be worth the aggravation to do it myself. Although I don't recall dealing with customs at all, the last time I received a freight package. But that was many brain cells ago.:Celebrate:

I'll ask the freight company, but with all the fish you guys have shipped, I thought you might be able to help.

[Melody]

Most of the couriers just go ahead and do it and then charge you. They used to call but I haven't had them do it in years. They show up on your doorstep and hold the parcel ransom. FedEx includes their fees in their price so if it's them, you've already paid for them to broker it. I think UPS is the only one that still charges at the door, and they have the highest fees.

I'm not sure where one goes to pay the taxes, but when it comes through the airport it's all done through the resident Customs office. Then you go to the specific airline's cargo office to pick up the package.

[Detritus Mulm]

I could not find the tracking #, so I called. The guy did not provide a commercial invoice, so it will sit until he does. The shipper does not do customs, so I have to provide a broker or do my own clearing.

It will not be here in time for my holidays as it stands now.

[Melody]

The declared value should be on the shipping label - that's usually what they go by. It shouldn't be able to leave the office of origin without that. The invoice would be necessary if you already paid the taxes and needed to prove it. You can use a Paypal receipt too. That said, I haven't picked shipments up like that before so it may be different. What a pain for you!

[GaryofMontreal]

I know at Trudeau International, we have to go to the airline to get the papers, then drive to customs to present the papers and the money owed, then drive back to the airline for the shipment. They usually aren't close together, depending on the airline.

[vince0]

I know at Trudeau International, we have to go to the airline to get the papers, then drive to customs to present the papers and the money owed, then drive back to the airline for the shipment. They usually aren't close together, depending on the airline.

yup, sounds like quebec alright... although im not sure if its any different here lol

[OldMan]

Another option, if you are driving to the border anyway, is to have the package shipped to a location just across the border and pick it up yourself. That way you and the package arrive at the border together and you can do the customs thing in person.

[Detritus Mulm]

Another option, if you are driving to the border anyway, is to have the package shipped to a location just across the border and pick it up yourself. That way you and the package arrive at the border together and you can do the customs thing in person.

Not a bad idea, but it's already in transit (sort of).

[Detritus Mulm]

I know at Trudeau International, we have to go to the airline to get the papers, then drive to customs to present the papers and the money owed, then drive back to the airline for the shipment. They usually aren't close together, depending on the airline.

I guess it's coming by air, but I'm supposed to pick it up at the freight terminal after I clear customs. I already have a copy of the invoice (Excel), but I assume customs will want more than that? Since the freight company would not ship it without a 'commercial invoice'. So is it the 'commerical invoice' I have to present to customs? Will customs fill out the paperwork or could I be proactive and do some paperwork ahead of time?

On a fishy note, I hope to try this thing out on the indoor pond before I re-plumb it for the outdoor pond. s/b serious overkill, but at least I'll get a chance to see how it works. :-)

[GaryofMontreal]

just thinking it through - what I described is the procedure for live fish, and maybe good old inert machinery can skip a stage. The whole process is fast, it just involves a little chugging around between points A and B and A again. Once you're in, the only thing to slow you down is your own inexperience (at least for me). The system moves.