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Successful customs broker avoidance strategies

1

1bigdog

Well Known Member
Hi All

I will soon be looking to start my project but wanted to find out the strategies used by GTA Canadians to bring in their shipments. I'm looking for specifics such as where crates can be shipped to for pickup in US near Niagara.

I tried searching the threads but nothing came up. I may have access to a flatbed occasionally and can certainly use a trailer or rent a cube van but not sure what's being saved and how much people are paying when you pick it up in US.

Thanks for any insights.

Michael B.
 
I was reading a thread on this recently ... A guy from Ottawa went down to northern NY to pick up his crates ... Apparently Van's will work with you to figure out your options ... Apparently this guy from Ottawa saved a bundle doing it that way ... Sorry but I can't find the thread right now... I think it was an older one...
 
With ABF the depot would have been Tonawanda. I brought in my tail in May. I went the decadent route and paid the 100$ for brokerage. (+HST on the total value). Assuming you pay full taxes it worked about to be a wash for me if I were to pick it up once I figured in the cost of a u-haul. (Drop off in Oakville). If you have a pickup truck or trailer your math may be different.

The decadent way a truck with a lift gate placed it gently in my driveway, and the driver had done rv drop offs before. YMMV

Derek
 
1bigdog said:
Hi All

I will soon be looking to start my project but wanted to find out the strategies used by GTA Canadians to bring in their shipments. I'm looking for specifics such as where crates can be shipped to for pickup in US near Niagara.

I tried searching the threads but nothing came up. I may have access to a flatbed occasionally and can certainly use a trailer or rent a cube van but not sure what's being saved and how much people are paying when you pick it up in US.

Thanks for any insights.

Michael B.
Click to expand...

Just had a canopy shipped from Ohio to Toronto by Abf.

Their broker phoned me regarding clearance, I said no, picked up shipping documents from ABF drove to CBS at CYYZ and cleared it myself for nothing. Took 20 minutes.

This reply is coming from Osh2014
 
It's been a while now since I got my kit, so I don't know if there are any changes. I went to Maine and picked up the entire kit at a shipper that Vans was instructed to send it to. I brought it across the border and did the paperwork at that time. I had a few things, prop etc, sent to a sufferage warehouse near where I live. I got the papers and took them to the customs office, they stamped them and I returned and picked up the package. If I were to order another kit I would check into having it shipped to a bonded warehouse this side of the border so I could handle the customs deal myself.
 
I would think the freight rate would be a savings on the US side. Many vendors will ship for free in the continental USA , so freight must be a lot less for them. Lycoming has such a deal, or at least Van's does on a Lycoming.
 
My experiences to date have yielded the following lessons:
1) if you need small parts and are not in a hurry, get the US vendor to ship US Postal Service regular service (not expedited) - this is the cheapest way and often gets to your door with no additional costs, or sometimes just the GST/HST added by Canada Post

2) shipping costs within the US are considerably cheaper than shipping to Canada (excluding any brokerage fees). Most vendors will ship quickly and cheaply to a US address. For those of us who live within a reasonable distance of the border, it's normally cheaper to "bulk up" and have multiple packages sent to a single northern-US point of delivery, then drive across the border and pick them up yourself. Average cost for me to make the trip to northern NY state is about $100. That's the brokerage fees on two small shipments. If I have 3 shipments waiting for me then I'm money in pocket just on brokerage fees, not to mention the savings on the additional raw shipping costs to Canada.

3) if shipping larger items, be very aware of the size/price break points for the various shipping companies. As an example, when we were shipping our instrument panel and interior parts the size of the box was right on the boundary between "parcel" and "freight". By taping the box tightly so it was not over that maximum dimension we saved over a thousand bucks in shipping costs.
 
petersb said:
Just had a canopy shipped from Ohio to Toronto by Abf.

Their broker phoned me regarding clearance, I said no, picked up shipping documents from ABF drove to CBS at CYYZ and cleared it myself for nothing. Took 20 minutes.

This reply is coming from Osh2014
Click to expand...

Just to clarify the scenario, I know many shipping companies go through a clearance cage at YYZ. Is that what is meant by CBS at YYZ?? I know of it but never been there. So this is the Canada Customs cage ??

Thanks for this and the insights from everyone else. I have used USPS for smaller items as well. They are just unprediactable but it's cheaper and less complications ... when it actually arrives.

Cheers.


Michael B.
 
CBSA limits for self clearance

Thanks all for the previous input.

I've just placed my first order and waiting on the empennage shipment. Started doing some final research based on everyones feedback.

Essentially, the first order I can self clear with CBSA

BUT once the order os over $2500 that option is gone. CBSA confirmed with me on the phone over $2500 must be cleared by a broker.

So the other option is what so many others have done, when I get the larger kits it's off to Townawanda with a big cube van (or my neighbours flatbed.

Cheers.

Michael B.
(just anxiously awaiting that empennage ...tick ...tick ...tick ...)
 
Must be a recent policy change, I have brought many items across myself worth a few 10's of thousands; but not in the last couple years.
 
1bigdog said:
Just to clarify the scenario, I know many shipping companies go through a clearance cage at YYZ. Is that what is meant by CBS at YYZ?? I know of it but never been there. So this is the Canada Customs cage ??

Thanks for this and the insights from everyone else. I have used USPS for smaller items as well. They are just unprediactable but it's cheaper and less complications ... when it actually arrives.

Cheers.


Michael B.
Click to expand...

The shipment was delivered by ABF to their depot at Brampton.

I picked up the import documents from ABF in Brampton, drove down to CBS at CYYZ and cleared the shipment myself. ABF was very cooperative and provided maps on how to find CBS at CYYZ

My Wing kit etc I picked up at their Buffalo depot using U haul, and cleared at the boarder, no problems
 
Hey Michael.

I'm expecting to self clear my empenage kit in the next couple of days. Not sure about not being able to clear over $2500 without a broker? I plan on doing it and have confirmed it with the customs folks. You'll hear me yelling if I am not allowed to clear my own purchases. Perhaps they meant that you would have to be the broker?

Look up suffrage warehouses online and you'll find a list of shipping companies in your area (bonded warehouses). Get your items shipped there. Get the paper work when it arrives, pay the tax at your local customs office, go pick up your stuff.

Of course I could be totally full of BS!

Good Luck.
 
petersb said:
The shipment was delivered by ABF to their depot at Brampton.

I picked up the import documents from ABF in Brampton, drove down to CBS at CYYZ and cleared the shipment myself. ABF was very cooperative and provided maps on how to find CBS at CYYZ

My Wing kit etc I picked up at their Buffalo depot using U haul, and cleared at the boarder, no problems
Click to expand...

Interesting, there are several suffrage warehouses in Markham including CYKZ itself (most likely a parts cage at one of the hangers).

VANS sent this first order via Fedex. When they checked it appeared they gave a better shipping estimate.

For the wings and fuselage I'm probably going to Townawanda to avoid the heartache.

Has anyone ever used clearit.ca ??

Cheers.
 
I just got my first tool delivered to myusaddress.ca recently. They'll store for up to one year, so I'm going to keep ordering tools as sales and deals come up, and then go pick it all up. Most convenient for people from Ottawa and eastern Ontario only though ...

My first time doing this kind of thing, we'll see how it goes!

I'm expecting I'll need to know categories of products (HS codes) and country of manufacture ... along with all the relevant values and such of course ... is that about right?
 
I have driven across the border and picked up over five aircraft kits and completed aircraft and always done the customs clearing myself. It was never suggested that I use a broker. The customs people have always been very helpful and helped with the paper work.
 
Pick it up yourself!

I have never had any of my kits shipped to Canada.

I have anything of size sent to a storage facility in Lewiston, New York.

Orion Storage
210 South 8th Street
Lewiston, NY
14092
(716)754-4346

These guys are great. For small packages they charge you $5 buck to keep it there and large ones (wing, fuse kit) they charge you $25.

I just had a canopy shipped there for $235 from Florida and a crankcase and an accessory case from Divco for $54. It cost me more to have some small parts from Van's that weighed a 1/10th of the weight of the crankcase/accessory case package.

There are a few friends that use this service. We usually have a bunch of things to pick up, one person goes down, bring your receipt and we pay the tax at the border, nothing else.

Cheers

DP
 
greatly appreciate all the strategies and suggestions.
The empennage (and other goodies, video, practice tool boxes) just arrived at the Markham sorting facility. So that didn't work at all. It's already been cleared and will be delivered later today. That was fast.

For the rest, the big stuff, I'm just going to do what most seem to do which is ship to US and pickup myself. And have the small stuff sent direct.

Again, thanks.


MIchael B.
 
I think the $2500 suggestion is a red herring. I've driven shipments in excess of $40K across the border and self-cleared with absolutely zero hassle. It's actually quite amusing to answer the CBSA agent's questions about "are you really building an airplane in your garage?" I've had a bunch of "off the record" conversations with CBSA officers about building and flying airplanes. I'm pleased to report that in each case the officer indicated the official business was concluded and that our conversation was of a personal nature and not related to CBSA business. I think one of our local CBSA folks is getting ready to scratch the airplane itch!
 
I don't live in CA, but we do ship a whole lot of stuff there regularly. We've found what already has been said to be true, but I'll also point out another thing. If you're relatively honest, it should never be a problem even picking stuff up from the US and driving it across...but if you go out of your way to try and "sneak" stuff across to avoid any taxes/fees/duties, it can be painful. Some years ago we actually had a customer get his entire instrument panel impounded due to some shenanigans. Eventually he got it all sorted out (with significant time/money expenditure), but most of our customers who are honest have no problems at all. You'll also find most US based companies fairly flexible with your requirements and packages as well.

Just my 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
 
Hi, I live in Vancouver BC and regularly ship to and from the USA. My experience is that the $2500 limit without a broker is for items going too the USA. I have not experienced a limit for private or commercial shipments coming from the USA. I can confirm that vendors in the USA can ship to a local border town for free or a lot less than to Canada, so find yourself a convenient 'parcel depot' service to receive stuff. Some even have forklifts and warehouses, others are more like UPS stores. Private shipments, even high value are easy - just declare what you are bringing in, have proof, go inside and pay GST / PST. Commercial shipments are a little different, they expect you to use the computer terminal and fill in your own B3 form. Easy enough once you have done it a couple of times.

Above all, don't get clever - I regularly see computers, camera, wine and other stuff being confiscated for not declaring. Also, the CBSA guys are not idiots, they can google the street price for stuff just as easily as you or I.

I once brought a 2000 hour engine over the border and they googled the lycoming factory price which was about 4 times as much as I paid. Even with my explanation of core values, they were sceptical.

Don
 
Thanks for the tips, mate! As far as personal experience goes, though, who would you recommend? I've has some positive experience with W2C.
 
I live in Ottawa, Canada, and have used the following options for US shipments:
1. United States Postal Service (USPS) for shipments to Ottawa. Useful for small packages, no brokerage fees, sometimes have to pay GST, sometimes just appears at the door;
2. for large items (a Lycoming Prop, for example shipped from Van's) by bonded carrier to Ottawa. Cleared customs myself - pick up shipping documents from bonded carrier, take to local customs office, pay GST, get documents stamped as cleared, return to carrier warehouse and pick up prop. Saves on brokerage fees, but pay shipping cost to Ottawa;
3. also for large items (Van's subkits), have shipped to U.S.carrier depot, pick up, declare value at border, pay GST;
4. Have package shipped to United States UPS Store near border (Ogdensburg is closest to Ottawa) and pick up at UPS Store. Cross border and declare value and pay GST. UPS Store charges $5 to receive and hold parcel for a week, and another $5 for additional weeks. Package can be shipped to UPS store by any means, vendor free shipping, USPS, UPS..;
5. Pick up at Oshkosh (Aircraft Spruce orders) and declare at border, benefiting from personal exemption.

No shortage of options.
 
This issue just keeps coming up. Get a good broker, ask them what their fees are. For me, living two hours from the border, brokerage fees are less then the cost of fuel, AND, I get that extra half day to work on the airplane.
For small stuff Do Not use UPS. Those brokerage fees will often be more then the part. FedEx and USPService are fair.
 
Don't use UPS to cross the border but shipping UPS or USPS to the UPS Store in Ogdensburg is how I bring 90% of my US shipments in (I live in Ottawa as well). If it is small they'll frequently wave you through at the border. Just don't use this technique for anything related to a business since US Customs will be looking for additional licenses/paperwork if you are moving commercial goods even for your own business.
 
Thanks Don for the recommendation to Orion. I was pretty nervous sending a GRT Efis to Orion but it went without a hitch. Best five bucks I ever spent. I was in and out of the US in 30 minutes flat. Showed my invoice to an unusually unfriendly CBS officer and paid GST only. There was no paperwork to fill out. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

Sean


Don Patrick said:
I have never had any of my kits shipped to Canada.

I have anything of size sent to a storage facility in Lewiston, New York.

Orion Storage
210 South 8th Street
Lewiston, NY
14092
(716)754-4346

These guys are great. For small packages they charge you $5 buck to keep it there and large ones (wing, fuse kit) they charge you $25.

I just had a canopy shipped there for $235 from Florida and a crankcase and an accessory case from Divco for $54. It cost me more to have some small parts from Van's that weighed a 1/10th of the weight of the crankcase/accessory case package.

There are a few friends that use this service. We usually have a bunch of things to pick up, one person goes down, bring your receipt and we pay the tax at the border, nothing else.

Cheers

DP
Click to expand...
 
Funguy said:
Thanks Don for the recommendation to Orion. I was pretty nervous sending a GRT Efis to Orion but it went without a hitch. Best five bucks I ever spent. I was in and out of the US in 30 minutes flat. Showed my invoice to an unusually unfriendly CBS officer and paid GST only. There was no paperwork to fill out. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

Sean
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that it was a good experience! Cheers!
_________________________________________
Alexandra from W2C
training courses
 
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