Name calling is not very scientific fact and figures please
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37.5% duty charged on Ascilab speakers shipped to US [Resolved]
- Thread starter MarkS
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You should add a [solved] to the title and a link to the AsciLab response within this thread.
I bought a bike in Italy. A custom made bike. When it was finished, they shipped it to me. US customs sent me a bill via the transportation company for the tariff. If I didn’t pay, no delivery of the bike.
It’s not complicated.
How does this contradict anything I wrote? You are making the exact point I made. Your bike was detained at customs -as is done with EVERY G*D*MN international good- until import tax of whatever appropriate amount is paid. Some here say Fedex advances the payment. I have never once had that experience, personally or in business. I was notified whatever I bought was held in customs until import taxes were paid. That way, it is my personal decision to say "nah, the seller never told me this, let them get it back." You can't do that if Fedex prepays for you. And it'd be nice -actually a legal requirement in CA- to tell you additional taxes will/may apply.
Maybe some have such a great business relationship and a standing agreement with Fedex. I am just stating:
1. Fedex or any other shipping company have never been nice enough to pay my import fee in advance.
2. It is highly questionable by the (foreign) company to no mention potential additional taxes anywhere in the legally binding sales contract, especially when conducting business internationally. That's why many, and I mean MANY, companies state they can not ship to certain countries. It could easily impact their ability to ever conduct future business in the country if they violate consumer protection laws, which among other things state that sales contracts are legally binding.
Personally I would never buy goods from a company in a foreign country that don't have any "legal presence" in the country I live in. Not even because of this over-lengthy discussion we are having about import duties, but because of concerns about practical things like warranties and service and liability. Let the original post in this thread also be a warning about that. I think interested buyers are well advised to wait until Amir sets up shop as their US representative.
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Ok
I am in the US. I planned to buy something from the EU that was advertised on Amazon US. Then I clicked on the shipping link and found, in part, this:
You will be listed as the importer of record for customs purposes. You are also responsible for paying any taxes, customs duties, and fees levied by customs and tax authorities (“Import Tax and Fees”) which are triggered when a shipment is imported into your shipping address.
When you order products from Amazon Global Store, an estimate of the Import Fees will be calculated on your order and collected from you ("Import Fees Deposit" or "Import Charge"). Import Charges are a fixed amount for all customs-related processes and costs, including Import Fees paid to customs authorities on your behalf. Import Charges may not represent the actual amount paid to customs authorities.
You authorize us to designate a carrier (“Designated Carrier”) to act as your agent with respect to the International Products and the relevant customs and tax authorities, to carry out the customs clearance for the merchandise, process and pay the applicable Import Tax and Fees, and provide any other information pertaining to you or your order to any governmental authority in the U.S. or abroad, as may be requested. The Import Fees Deposit will be used, on your behalf, to reimburse the Designated Carriers for the Import Tax and Fees that they have paid on your behalf to the appropriate authorities. To obtain details regarding the actual Import Tax and Fees, or to obtain documentation or receipts in connection with customs clearance, you may contact the Designated Carrier specified in your shipment confirmation.
You will be listed as the importer of record for customs purposes. You are also responsible for paying any taxes, customs duties, and fees levied by customs and tax authorities (“Import Tax and Fees”) which are triggered when a shipment is imported into your shipping address.
When you order products from Amazon Global Store, an estimate of the Import Fees will be calculated on your order and collected from you ("Import Fees Deposit" or "Import Charge"). Import Charges are a fixed amount for all customs-related processes and costs, including Import Fees paid to customs authorities on your behalf. Import Charges may not represent the actual amount paid to customs authorities.
You authorize us to designate a carrier (“Designated Carrier”) to act as your agent with respect to the International Products and the relevant customs and tax authorities, to carry out the customs clearance for the merchandise, process and pay the applicable Import Tax and Fees, and provide any other information pertaining to you or your order to any governmental authority in the U.S. or abroad, as may be requested. The Import Fees Deposit will be used, on your behalf, to reimburse the Designated Carriers for the Import Tax and Fees that they have paid on your behalf to the appropriate authorities. To obtain details regarding the actual Import Tax and Fees, or to obtain documentation or receipts in connection with customs clearance, you may contact the Designated Carrier specified in your shipment confirmation.
PristineSound
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Hold on, weren't you the one responding to me first? Shouldn't I be asking you: can we be done?
You know how engineers hate arguing with non engineers who are 100% convinced power cables make a difference…
This is religion to you, it’s not to me. You’re not interested in an exchange of ideas, your just interested in the dogmatic defense of your religion.
It’s really not very interesting, kind of like the cable wars aren’t really interesting after the thousandth time.
I apologize that I said I thought your responses to others’ posts were pedantic; and your mastery of economic theory is impressive.
Can we be done now?
I apologize for trying to have a conversation with substance, your BS in Economics degree is very impressive, the way how you eluded arguments that you started, quite impeccable in fact.
This is like Amazon handles it. But that's quite unique.
Why all the name calling and angst over a policy that you disagree with? I don't like tariffs or any taxes for that matter but the reality is governments need to raise money one way or another and at the end of the day taxes are all the same. I have 2 points which are tariffs are only part of the new policies and that tariffs are not by themselves inflationary and in fact are most likely deflationary. This is standard economic theory which is far from cut and dried like "Ohms law". Time will tell but at this point the most reliable forward looking economic indicator, which is the stock market, has concluded that tariffs and the new US policies are not going to be a big issue. When it comes to economics "muddle through" is by far the most likely outcome and gloom and doom or euphoria are seldom useful ways to think about the future.
FedEx did NOT pre pay. They told me they would pay ONCE I paid them the invoice. They acted as an agent for Customs.
Standard economic theory? Please. Tell me which economic books say this.
The stock market is by far not a good indicator of the economy.
I’m afraid your studies of economics have not been very helpful.
Thank you for making my point yet again. That is exactly what I have been saying (and experiencing in real life) all along.
BUT I don't doubt the word of another poster that stated Fedex prepaid import taxes for them.
a4eaudio
Senior Member
This is false as already pointed out.
Umm...The stock market is a notoriously poor leading indicator. Things that tend to be better leading indicators than the stock market:
- The yield curve
- Housing starts
- Purchasing Managers Index (PMI)
- Initial jobless claims
- Average weekly hours worked
Before you dig yourself a BIGGER hole you might want to understand the BBB did NOT alter taxes on Social Security at all. NONE. ZIP. It's the same false dogma coming from various sources. FACT: The IRS still taxes Social Security in 2025 and the future. It's crazy that the limits on what Social Security is not taxed was never indexed for inflation when signed into law by Ronald Regan in 1983.
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Just to reiterate as things might get lost:
If you purchase from another country that is subject to tariffs (which is virtually every country now), you will be billed the tariff fee. This will either happen proactively before shipment is released to you or retroactively after you have received the shipment.
It is not a scam or money grab by the shipping company. And it has nothing to do with the seller/shipper.
If you purchase from another country that is subject to tariffs (which is virtually every country now), you will be billed the tariff fee. This will either happen proactively before shipment is released to you or retroactively after you have received the shipment.
It is not a scam or money grab by the shipping company. And it has nothing to do with the seller/shipper.
I agree with everything you said. I’m definitely not defending how it’s being executed - lol.
It *is* a problem because the sales contract is binding in many countries - WYSIWYG stuff. And unless it provides a clear and visible disclaimer that additional import taxes may be levied in your country as you are acting as the importer -as someone above showed-, as the seller it may well impact your ability to conduct business in that country in the future if enough consumers complain (which you're giving them every right to do as the seller). That's why many companies and sellers refuse to sell to certain geographies until they have established legal entities there (well it's not the only reason, but not burning growth opportunities is one of them).
I have never contradicted any of this, I nuanced it. And to me it is a cautionary tale to not act as an "importer", even though with family gifts or in other situations it can't be avoided.
I bet it is raging on car sites, camera sites, travel sites, and others. 30% plus increases on goods in the US is a huge topic.
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