Originally Posted by B1

If you are concerned about getting the value for your dollar that is not being passed along, for expensive items, take advantage of free trade. You can buy a new or used car in the US for US prices and no tax, bring it across for a $200 fee and the usual Canadian taxes. In my case, the car was priced in Canada at a 65 cent dollar. So it was a no brainer. I brought it over myself but people I know have used brokers who charge a fee that is minor compared to the saving. Some new car dealer organizations have agreed not to sell cross-border despite the fact that their manufacturer has no problem (check out Toyota as an example). The pressure of free trade will bring things in line pretty fast. The last time the dollars were close, there was no free trade. BTW in the past, the C$ was high because interest rates were higher in Canada. Now they are lower, so the dollar is strong based on fundamental value, not artificial propping. Remember when the government bought US currency from its reserves to keep the value of the dollar high? Is it selling of C$s now?