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import taxes
does anyone know where to find information on what items imported into the
U.S. require an import tax? I have found a couple of sites that offer guides for a price, but there is usually a government site that has the info for free. I have an opportunity to purchase unset carved agate cameos directly from the carving school in Germany and I need to determin if import taxes will increase my expenses. |
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#2
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On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 02:32:02 -0700, in "Jim Bello" wrote:
does anyone know where to find information on what items imported into the U.S. require an import tax? I have found a couple of sites that offer guides for a price, but there is usually a government site that has the info for free. I have an opportunity to purchase unset carved agate cameos directly from the carving school in Germany and I need to determin if import taxes will increase my expenses. you could start with http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/tic/tariff/import_duties.htm That was just the first hit from google when searching for : "U.S. Customs" + import duties No doubt, a little more work from that search, or following the directions given on the site I mention, should get you what you need. it's quite possible that for exact details, you'll have to use an actual telephone... HTH Peter Rowe |
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Peter W.. Rowe, wrote:
On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 02:32:02 -0700, in "Jim Bello" wrote: does anyone know where to find information on what items imported into the U.S. require an import tax? I have found a couple of sites that offer guides for a price, but there is usually a government site that has the info for free. I have an opportunity to purchase unset carved agate cameos directly from the carving school in Germany and I need to determin if import taxes will increase my expenses. you could start with http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/tic/tariff/import_duties.htm That was just the first hit from google when searching for : "U.S. Customs" + import duties No doubt, a little more work from that search, or following the directions given on the site I mention, should get you what you need. it's quite possible that for exact details, you'll have to use an actual telephone... HTH Peter Rowe Actually, where he wants to be, is the Web site for the Dataweb of the United States International Trade Commission! (http://dataweb.usitc.gov/) Once there, click on "Tariff Information Center" on the left, to read an introduction first. You'll end up at the "Tariff Information Center". http://www.usitc.gov/tata/index.htm Read it! Now, again on the left, click on "Official Harmonized Tariff Schedule" (HTS). This will get you to http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/index.htm Read this page! An excerpt from that page: "The HTSA provides the applicable tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States; it is based on the international Harmonized System, the global system of nomenclature that is used to describe most world trade in goods. Although the USITC publishes and maintains the HTSA in its various forms, Customs and Border Protection is the only agency that can provide legally binding advice or rulings on classification of imports. Contact your nearest Customs office with questions about how potential imports should be classified. For a binding ruling on classification, contact the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection." On this page click on "2005 HTSA - full edition [pdf]" (Center of the page). This is a large .pdf document, 2584 pages, and will take a minute of two to download, if you have a fast broadband connection to the Net. Make sure you have the latest Adobe Reader 7.0 Now do a search for "cameo". You'll find two entries; One on page 2078 you'll then find heading 9601: "Worked ivory, bone, tortoise-shell, horn, antlers, coral, mother-of-pearl and other animal carving material, and articles of these materials (including articles obtained by molding)" Subheading 9601.90 "Other" Subheading 9601.90.40 "Coral, cut but not set, and cameos, suitable for use in jewelry" Here you will see, that your rate of duty is 2.1% The second entry is in the index on page 2501, which refers to the heading above. -- Abrasha http://www.abrasha.com |
#4
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I forgot to mention, the following.
If you do decide to import cameos from Germany, have them sent via regular mail (Deutsche Bundespost) and not anything like FedEx, DHL or UPS. I import seamless gold tubing, beads and chains regularly from Germany, and always have it sent via regular mail, because that saves me a lot of money on import duties, for the simple reason, that the shipments almost always slip through the cracks of the system. Sometimes I do have to pay the import duties, and I just write a check to the mail man. Not so when FedEx or DHL are used though. Those people ALWAYS use their brokerage services to clear the packages through customs. Packages do not slip through. But that is not the bad part. They often make mistakes (actually they make mistakes practically every time), and also charge me for the "privilege" of doing this for me, even though I have never asked them to offer a brokerage service for me. They will assess import fees over the wrong amount, often make up amounts that are totally fictitious, and charge at the wrong rate. Right now I am in a dispute with DHL that has been going back to a shipment in February in which they assessed import duties over the incorrect amount, even though the required invoice was both on the outside of and inside the shipment. They even has the audacity to assess import duties over the shipping charges, and they charged a fee for "advancing the money". I refused to pay. They have been trying to correct everything since February and continue to charge me the wrong amount. I am actually beginning to have fun with it. I have told them that i will pay, when they get the bill right. That may be a while. The only times I used FedEx or DHL, has been when I needed the merchandise quickly. I have always regretted it. The downside of regular mail, is that it takes longer, typically around two weeks, sometimes a bit longer. So make sure you order in a timely manner. Abrasha http://www.abrasha.com |
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Abrasha wrote in
: Peter W.. Rowe, wrote: On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 02:32:02 -0700, in "Jim Bello" wrote: does anyone know where to find information on what items imported into the U.S. require an import tax? I have found a couple of sites that offer guides for a price, but there is usually a government site that has the info for free. I have an opportunity to purchase unset carved agate cameos directly from the carving school in Germany and I need to determin if import taxes will increase my expenses. you could start with http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/tic/tariff/import_duties.htm That was just the first hit from google when searching for : "U.S. Customs" + import duties No doubt, a little more work from that search, or following the directions given on the site I mention, should get you what you need. it's quite possible that for exact details, you'll have to use an actual telephone... HTH Peter Rowe Actually, where he wants to be, is the Web site for the Dataweb of the United States International Trade Commission! (http://dataweb.usitc.gov/) Once there, click on "Tariff Information Center" on the left, to read an introduction first. You'll end up at the "Tariff Information Center". http://www.usitc.gov/tata/index.htm Read it! Now, again on the left, click on "Official Harmonized Tariff Schedule" (HTS). This will get you to http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/index.htm Read this page! An excerpt from that page: "The HTSA provides the applicable tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States; it is based on the international Harmonized System, the global system of nomenclature that is used to describe most world trade in goods. Although the USITC publishes and maintains the HTSA in its various forms, Customs and Border Protection is the only agency that can provide legally binding advice or rulings on classification of imports. Contact your nearest Customs office with questions about how potential imports should be classified. For a binding ruling on classification, contact the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection." On this page click on "2005 HTSA - full edition [pdf]" (Center of the page). This is a large .pdf document, 2584 pages, and will take a minute of two to download, if you have a fast broadband connection to the Net. Make sure you have the latest Adobe Reader 7.0 Now do a search for "cameo". You'll find two entries; One on page 2078 you'll then find heading 9601: "Worked ivory, bone, tortoise-shell, horn, antlers, coral, mother-of-pearl and other animal carving material, and articles of these materials (including articles obtained by molding)" Subheading 9601.90 "Other" Subheading 9601.90.40 "Coral, cut but not set, and cameos, suitable for use in jewelry" Here you will see, that your rate of duty is 2.1% The second entry is in the index on page 2501, which refers to the heading above. Agate, which was mentioned by the poster is not listed there. Nor is it listed specifically in Chapter 71 which covers precious and semi-precious stones, both unworked and other. My reading of chapter 71 is that the import duty on carved agate would be zero unless it comes from Cuba, North Korea or Laos, in which case the tariff would be 10%. I'd advise contacting Treasury for confirmation, as I have been known to be wrong on occassion and like all bureaucratic documents, this one is ambiguous. -- Saint Séimí mac Liam Carriagemaker to the court of Queen Maeve Prophet of The Great Tagger Canonized December '99 |
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S=E9im=ED mac Liam wrote:
has the info for free. I have an opportunity to purchase unset carve= d agate cameos directly=20 =20 =20 Agate, which was mentioned by the poster is not listed there. =20 He mentioned "agate cameos", with agate being the adjective. So I=20 searched for cameo. Nor is it=20 listed specifically in Chapter 71 which covers precious and semi-precio= us=20 stones, both unworked and other. =20 I think you may be right. It seems that the cameos I was referring to=20 are in the same heading as other "animal" carving material, i.e. shell=20 cameos. Since he wants agate cameos, it does seem to fall under=20 precious and semi-precious stones. My reading of chapter 71 is that the=20 import duty on carved agate would be zero unless it comes from Cuba, No= rth=20 Korea or Laos, in which case the tariff would be 10%. =20 I think you may be right, the heading is 7103.99.10 I'd advise=20 contacting Treasury for confirmation,=20 No, he should not contact the Treasury Department, but rather the Bureau=20 of Customs and Border Protection, which is under the Department of=20 Homeland Security. As I suggested in my earlier post where I quoted=20 part of a page from the US International Trade Commission page at=20 http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/index.htm It says, (and I quote again): " Although the USITC publishes and=20 maintains the HTSA in its various forms, Customs and Border Protection=20 is the only agency that can provide legally binding advice or rulings on=20 classification of imports. Contact your nearest Customs office with=20 questions about how potential imports should be classified. For a=20 binding ruling on classification, contact the Bureau of Customs and=20 Border Protection." In other words, go to your local customs office. At the CBP page=20 (http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/) click on "ports", then choose your=20 state, then find your nearest "Service Port" for address and phone number= .. as I have been known to be wrong on=20 occassion and like all bureaucratic documents, this one is ambiguous. Abrasha http://www.abrasha.com |
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