Shipping Rimowa from FR to US. Duty imposed?
Aug 4, 2019, 9:15 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 4
Shipping Rimowa from FR to US. Duty imposed?
Apologies in advance if this has been previously asked. I scoured the search feature pretty extensively before posting. Been lurking the forums for a long time, but I am essentially new around here. So thanks for any help anyone can give me.
I plan on taking advantage of EU pricing and buying a Rimowa topas from Koffer, and having it shipped to my friend in FRA. She then plans on shipping it to me in the US. I acknowledge that doing it this way, I'll still incur the VAT hit, but that still makes it cheaper than US pricing. My concern, which even after searching the US Customs website (zero help). Is will I have to by US duty on it to get it through customs. I've read that there's exemptions for items priced under $800. But I've also read that all items coming from FR, GE, and other EU countries is that there is a 100% duty imposed.
Has anyone dealt with this similar scenario? Obviously if I'm taking a VAT and with the ridiculous US duty, it would end up being much much more than US pricing.
I plan on taking advantage of EU pricing and buying a Rimowa topas from Koffer, and having it shipped to my friend in FRA. She then plans on shipping it to me in the US. I acknowledge that doing it this way, I'll still incur the VAT hit, but that still makes it cheaper than US pricing. My concern, which even after searching the US Customs website (zero help). Is will I have to by US duty on it to get it through customs. I've read that there's exemptions for items priced under $800. But I've also read that all items coming from FR, GE, and other EU countries is that there is a 100% duty imposed.
Has anyone dealt with this similar scenario? Obviously if I'm taking a VAT and with the ridiculous US duty, it would end up being much much more than US pricing.
Aug 7, 2019, 8:06 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,056
As of 2016, packages valued under 800 USD enter the US duty-free. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/nationa...-increases-800
Packages over 800 USD are dutiable on the entire value of the shipment. I'm not sure where you got the idea that items from Europe are subject to 100% duty, because they're not.
Your method works, but I'm surprised you can't find a grey-market seller willing to ship directly to the US so you can also avoid 19% German VAT.
Packages over 800 USD are dutiable on the entire value of the shipment. I'm not sure where you got the idea that items from Europe are subject to 100% duty, because they're not.
Your method works, but I'm surprised you can't find a grey-market seller willing to ship directly to the US so you can also avoid 19% German VAT.
Aug 7, 2019, 6:39 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 4
As of 2016, packages valued under 800 USD enter the US duty-free. REMOVED BECAUSE I CANT QUOTE ANYTHING WITH LINKS
Packages over 800 USD are dutiable on the entire value of the shipment. I'm not sure where you got the idea that items from Europe are subject to 100% duty, because they're not.
Your method works, but I'm surprised you can't find a grey-market seller willing to ship directly to the US so you can also avoid 19% German VAT.
Packages over 800 USD are dutiable on the entire value of the shipment. I'm not sure where you got the idea that items from Europe are subject to 100% duty, because they're not.
Your method works, but I'm surprised you can't find a grey-market seller willing to ship directly to the US so you can also avoid 19% German VAT.
I've tried several websites and when I get to the shipping website, they all stop the purchase by stating they can't ship that item to my country. I'd love to find one that actually works that way I could bypass all of this.
Aug 8, 2019, 8:02 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: Delta Gold, silver, what yr is it?
Posts: 2,417
Items from Certain Countries
Under what is known as its "301" authority, the United States may impose a much higher than normal duty rate on products from certain countries. Currently, the United States has imposed a 100 percent rate of duty on certain products of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, The Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Ukraine. If you should bring more of any of these products back with you than fall within your exemption or flat rate of duty, (see below) you will pay as much in duty as you paid for the product or products.
While most of the products listed are not the type of goods that travelers would purchase in sufficient quantities to exceed their exemption, diamonds from the Ukraine are subject to the 100 percent duty and might easily exceed the exemption amount.
For information on countries that may become subject to a higher than normal duty rate, check the Department of Commerce Web site.
Under what is known as its "301" authority, the United States may impose a much higher than normal duty rate on products from certain countries. Currently, the United States has imposed a 100 percent rate of duty on certain products of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, The Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Ukraine. If you should bring more of any of these products back with you than fall within your exemption or flat rate of duty, (see below) you will pay as much in duty as you paid for the product or products.
While most of the products listed are not the type of goods that travelers would purchase in sufficient quantities to exceed their exemption, diamonds from the Ukraine are subject to the 100 percent duty and might easily exceed the exemption amount.
For information on countries that may become subject to a higher than normal duty rate, check the Department of Commerce Web site.
Aug 9, 2019, 7:47 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,056
The current 301 duties against the EU are retaliation authorized by the hormone beef cases that the EU has continued to lose at the WTO. They don't cover luggage, though--most of the products that get hit are food. More 301 duties are probably coming as the Airbus case draws to a close; those don't currently include luggage, but the list is long and not finalized yet.
Plus, with very few exceptions that don't apply here, any shipment under 800 USD is free of duty anyway.
CBP's statement that "most of the products listed are not the type of goods that travelers would purchase in sufficient quantities to exceed their exemption" appears to be pretty accurate.
Plus, with very few exceptions that don't apply here, any shipment under 800 USD is free of duty anyway.
CBP's statement that "most of the products listed are not the type of goods that travelers would purchase in sufficient quantities to exceed their exemption" appears to be pretty accurate.
Aug 11, 2019, 1:53 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,056
Yeah, as soon as you get past the most basic of situations for travelers or Americans buying stuff from abroad online, CBP's ability and willingness to provide info falls off a cliff. It's not entirely their fault, since there are so many different agencies involved once it gets complicated. But it's still annoying. I actually had to find the Federal Register notices to get the list of products.
Aug 11, 2019, 7:39 am
#10
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MYF/CMA/SAN/YYZ/YKF
Programs: COdbaUA 1K MM, AA EXP, Bonbon Gold, GHA Titanium, Hertz PC, NEXUS and GE
Posts: 5,839
What is the Rimowa product you are buying? If it is plastic, or even a non-special edition metal line, there is a better than average chance it is made in Canada. In that case, NAFTA (or whatever we're doing now) rules apply.
It is entirely their fault. They keep things intentionally opaque to be able to harass people who are doing nothing wrong. Hence the "food" question on customs forms - it is actually a relatively limited area of food that needs to be declared by law, and even less that one would have to surrender, and that is all spelled out by law.
Yeah, as soon as you get past the most basic of situations for travelers or Americans buying stuff from abroad online, CBP's ability and willingness to provide info falls off a cliff. It's not entirely their fault, since there are so many different agencies involved once it gets complicated. But it's still annoying. I actually had to find the Federal Register notices to get the list of products.