Hi Padregusmao-

You are correct.

There are a number of post on FT that would seem to suggest there are more charges in a Trans-Atlantic luggage shipment to North America than admitted.

One states they received a Rimowa item in 2 weeks, another in 1.5 months. Perhaps the Rimowa source for the first was distributed out of Canadian stock. Elsewhere one is charged only shipping (Which varies from 20-50 Euros), and others mention customs duties are also levied.

Perhaps it is that way in North America, but the inconsistencies are difficult to grasp.

I can understand someone desiring good, well engineered and manufactured German luggage, as this has been the case in Europe for decades. ( " Always Buy German ! " goes the old phrase from the 1960's ). And perhaps such items are not readily available in all but the major US cities.

But the US these days seems driven on a tax collecting mandate, so it is hard to imagine that customs duties would not be in force consistently, and perhaps even raised.

Which for some I hope is not the actual case.