Are projectors still customs free into Canada?

Was the Sanyo unit made in North America? Because I thought the NAFTA states that duty is payable on all imports of commercial goods over $20 unless the good was originally made in North America.

Given that no projector I can think of qualifies under NAFTA, it likely depends on how interested the clerk is in looking it up, and how the retailer codes/identifies it. If I recall correctly, projectors can fall into either the 6% or the Free category. Only those not intended for home theatre use (i.e. computer displays) are deemed to be exempt from duty. You can search here:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/p...6-4/ch85ne.pdf

As you wouldn't like a nasty surprise, you could contact your local customs office, they will know...or being public employees, maybe not...burn!

I've heard that Customs has really started to scrutinize imported electronics of late - clamping down on incorrect coding. So sneaking by under the Duty-Free category could be unlikely.

Anyhow, if you find out for sure, please share the knowledge. While it was warranty coverage that dampened my desire to look south, I would be very happy to be proven wrong regarding customs.

Actually, projectors which can be used both with computers and with television signals qualify as FREE under tariff # 8528.69.11 00.

So effectively any projectors with an RGB port has no duty, and you just pay GST+PST? Can anyone else confirm?

Use the tariff # and all will be good. You only pay GST at the border and are "supposed" to pay PST yourself - Nobody bothers unless they live in Atlantic Canada and pay it automatically under HST rules. However, you will be hit with some brokerage fees, but these are manageable if you use UPS, Purolator, or Fedex. Just make sure your carrier/broker uses the proper tariff #.

Customs now collect both GST & PST for most (all??) provinces!!

Do NOT use UPS - their brokerage charges are insane!!! Use Fedex Ground - cheaper/faster freight cost and cheaper brokerage!!

We have e-tailers in Canada that offer excellent deals and service on projectors. On Friday, Dec. 15. I contacted "Richard" at Quebec Acoustic and made a deal for a PL Z5 + universal mount + free bulb from Sanyo. Richard was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He promised delivery would be quick - it was. UPS delivered the mount and projector before noon three days later on Monday, Dec. 18. The bulb arrived today, Dec. 20.

Total price incl. delivery: $2,200. (Being out of Quebec, I didn't have to pay PST.)

This is not a grey market product. It is fully backed by Sanyo Canada.

I would not take a chance with U.S. purchases when a superb dealer like Quebec Acoustic is offering excellent deals and service right here in Canada.

Bob

What's the deal with Quebec Acoustics not shipping or quoting EPSON projectors outside of Quebec?

That is one way to interpret it.... Unfortunately, clerks, shipping agents, and manufacturers are going to differ as to whether it qualifies more properly under another code (8528.30.29.00 [2006], or 8528.69.19 or 20 [2007], for example). The onus is on the shipper/seller to determine the appropriate number as they can suffer serious penalties for misleading Customs, intentionally or not. My decision to look outside Canada would not be based on a 6% duty making or breaking it. There needs to be significant savings associated to allow for the inconveniences: shipping, brokerage fees, the aforementioned warranty issues, etc. So I still maintain that it is something of a coin toss. If you get lucky, great. If not.... And as I sit here looking over my invoice, including the duty charge, I can think of nothing that might sway me from my position...

However, if someone can come up with a way for me to get some money back, I'm all ears...

There is no such thing as duty anymore, unless you include pst/gst in that category as many people do.. I talked to a high ranking custom official in Ottawa and they informed me that if you are still playing an extra 6% for Duty.. not related to taxes, that is incorrect for majority of items.

A lot of people just lump GST/PST into the "Duty" category

That's not correct, duties still exist although they don't aply as much as they once did.

In North America we are governed by NAFTA. For NAFTA to apply a Certificate of Origin is needed to waive duties. These don't apply to most electronics since they aren't usualy of Noth American origin. These rules apply for commericial purposes (ie. businesses).

For individuals the Certificates of Orgin don't apply and you could import from the US without duty. You may still pay the brokers fee to clear the goods through Customs, as that is a fee for processing, not the duty itself, plus the GST/PST/QST/HST.

So what can someone expect to be tacked on to the total price?

I just recently moved to Calgary from the U.S. so all this is new to me. I had a few packages sent from the US during Christmas and never received any bills.

If I were to spend around $1,000 for a projector from the US what's the ball park figure I should expect to pay on top of that? Aside from the $60-$80 shipping cost.

6% GST plus maybe but unlikely 6% duty; no pst in Alta. Check with your shipper first as someone said Fedex is usually better than UPS on brokerage.

I just received my projector from Hong Kong. I asked the seller to use tariff item
# 8528.69.11.00

Projector: Capable of being used with automatic data processing machines of heading 84.71 and with apparatus which emits television signals.

I live in Toronto and was charged the GST and PST but no duty. Note that if you pay $1,000 US, the GST and PST will be paid on the Canadian $ value not the US $ value (ie. aprox $1,180). You should also expect to pay brokerage fees to clear customs on top of the shipping fees.

What's a ballpark figure on the brokerage fees?

The place I'm looking at uses the US Postal service or UPS. Their FedEx shipping price was well over $100 while the USPS or UPS were around $60.

I did not have to pay brokerage fees as it was included in the shipping cost, but I have heard that it is around $50. I haven't done this myself but all Ebayers say ship by USPS as they have the lowest costs including brokerage fees.

USPS brokerage fee is $15, a lot cheaper than UPS or FedEX unless that is being covered in the shippers fee

UPS brokerage fee to Canada is quite expensive.

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html
follow the link it has the different fee depending on the cost of the item. Plus there is a 2.7% bond fee since they pay the duties first. UPS is a ripoff considering regular postal service only charges $5 brokerage fee.

In terms of your question regarding the duties. All electronics are essentially duty free, you only pay GST and PST. The reason for this is because Canada does not have an electronics industry to protect! The reason I know this is because when I was coming back from HK a couple of years ago, a nice customs officer told me to declare everything as books or electronics, 0 duties, in fact for books you only pay PST or GST (I can't remember which one). He told me clothes has duties of 30% or something like that (it has the highest duties), plus GST and PST.

Oh and for those who are charged duties, because of a classification, you can submit an appeal to customs (there is a form on the customs website, http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/co...utiable-e.html) and get your money back, you can also use this form if you decide to return something to a US retailer, you can claim your taxes back!

I, too, am seriously considering buying a projector from THE BEST US vendor of them all.

I was a bit concerned about additional duty, but this thread has quelled that.

Considering the present very favorable exchange rate between the US and Canadian dollar, I'm sure other Canadian buyers of projectors located in the US will appreciate this thread.

Section 84.71 from here describes "automatic data processing machines":
http://cbsa.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tar...005/ch84ne.pdf

As someone has previously reported - "Projectors" section 8528.69.11 00 from here:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-com...7-2/ch85ne.pdf

Brokerage fees vary.

For example. UPS air shipment often has zero brokerage fees. It's the UPS standard (ground) that usually has the high brokerage fees. It's similar with FedEx. FedEx ground shipping usually also has high brokerage fees.