Canada Customs and Polaroid Film

Ces1um · Aug 9, 2018

Sigh... so after buying quite a bit of film through the Polaroid site in the US and never having had to pay duty my luck has ended. I got hit with $10 in duty, then hst charged on the cost of the film plus duty, plus another $10 handling fee/money grab. I had imported the film rather than buying locally because of Polaroid's "points program" which made it cheaper than buying it from Amazon in the long run. Now it's just too costly to shoot Polaroid, not that it was cheap before. I don't understand why I have to pay duty anyways- it's not like we have a corresponding at risk Canadian company to protect. Only Polaroid makes Polaroid.

These duties are a killer. Most of the stuff I'm after I either can't buy in Canada or the mark up is so outrageous it's comical. This is going to put a serious damper on my camera gear acquisition. Hopefully they don't start charging me for the film I get from Lomography!

Anybody else having issue with this buying from the States and shipping to Canada?

MattKing · Aug 9, 2018

Duties don't have much to do with whether or not there is a Canadian manufacturer to protect. They are there to both support a Canadian distribution system and they are a revenue source. Before the implementation of Income Tax in Canada, they were the main source of revenue for the federal government.
If the Polaroid materials were manufactured in the USA they would come in duty free due to NAFTA (at least for now).
The $10.00 Canada Post/Canadian Border Services brokerage fee is probably less than what it costs the government to proces the transaction, but it does serve to recover some of the costs.
The system is set up to favour commercial wholesale importation rather than individual imports. Unfortunately, the Canadian distribution systems are functioning so poorly that we end up with the worst of both worlds.

AgX · Aug 10, 2018

Custom duties can be very specific. In the EU there are 26 categories for photochemical products.

Ces1um · Aug 10, 2018

MattKing said:
Duties don't have much to do with whether or not there is a Canadian manufacturer to protect. They are there to both support a Canadian distribution system and they are a revenue source. Before the implementation of Income Tax in Canada, they were the main source of revenue for the federal government.
If the Polaroid materials were manufactured in the USA they would come in duty free due to NAFTA (at least for now).
The $10.00 Canada Post/Canadian Border Services brokerage fee is probably less than what it costs the government to proces the transaction, but it does serve to recover some of the costs.
The system is set up to favour commercial wholesale importation rather than individual imports. Unfortunately, the Canadian distribution systems are functioning so poorly that we end up with the worst of both worlds.

Well, that's certainly disheartening. I'm also not sure why these rules are applied so haphazardly. I've ordered in the past without having to pay duty. Not sure why they decided to charge now? It was for similar dollar amounts and it's the same product. I guess I've learned my lesson though. Try to buy local because the price at checkout isn't necessarily the final amount you'll pay.

MattKing · Aug 11, 2018

The decision to pull your parcel out and process it for duties payable is almost certainly made on a statistically random basis.
My approach is to assume I will have to pay GST, PST and any duties. I usually am pleasantly surprised.
My "context" though is one where almost everything used to attract duty.
I worked as a Canada Customs officer in the 1980s, and we collected taxes and duty on considerably more (and smaller) casual importations than they do now.
I live 47 blocks away from a crossing into the USA and mostly get stuff shipped to an address on the other side of the line. I pick it up, declare it as I drive through and haven't had to pay taxes and duties for a very long time - even on importations in excess of $100.00 US.

adelorenzo · Aug 11, 2018

In the past I found that most of my US mail order purchases would be left alone by customs. Recently it seems I'm getting charged GST etc. more often. Wonder if it has anything to do with recent trade tensions?

You could check with Beau Photo to see what their current price is on the Polaroid Originals. I find that often they are reasonably competitive on film and darkroom products when you factor in US exchange, shipping etc. Its usually close enough that I'm willing to pay a bit more to save the hassle of not shipping across the border. (They do mail order)

Ko.Fe. · Aug 11, 2018

Lenses and Cameras are duty free in Canada. You paying HST on import. Use USPS this will be handled by Canada post. They are not taking fees.
If you choose FedEx and UPS you'll be mocked by fees.

Andrew O'Neill · Aug 11, 2018

Sometimes there is no choice when it comes to the carrier. I avoid UPS like the plaque, if I can. If it's UPS, I'll have it sent to a place just over the line, like Matt.

MattKing · Aug 11, 2018

Ko.Fe. said:
Lenses and Cameras are duty free in Canada. You paying HST on import. Use USPS this will be handled by Canada post. They are not taking fees.
If you choose FedEx and UPS you'll be mocked by fees.

Depends on the country of origin - not the country you purchased from.
A camera manufactured in Singapore may have a different duty rate than one manufactured in Japan.
And if any duties or taxes are due, Canada Post and Canadian Border Services have an agreement whereby Canada Post does the collection and is entitled to charge a relatively modest ($10.00) handling/brokerage fee.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 12, 2018

MattKing said:
Depends on the country of origin - not the country you purchased from.
A camera manufactured in Singapore may have a different duty rate than one manufactured in Japan.
And if any duties or taxes are due, Canada Post and Canadian Border Services have an agreement whereby Canada Post does the collection and is entitled to charge a relatively modest ($10.00) handling/brokerage fee.

I have no idea what your experience in BC is. Where I'm Canada Post never charged me duties on cameras and lenses. And I purchased them made in most countries. I had Rollei 35 MiG and MiS, same.
http://www.photoprice.ca/article/tax-duty-brokerage-demystified
To be honest, I can't even recal 8.5 cad fee. Just sales tax or often nothing if camera, lens are cheap. It just in the mail box or pickup with signature and nothing to pay.
I purchased something like hundrend cameras and lenses from all over the world in ten years or so.

MattKing · Aug 12, 2018

Ko.Fe. said:
I have no idea what your experience in BC is. Where I'm Canada Post never charged me duties on cameras and lenses. And I purchased them made in most countries. I had Rollei 35 MiG and MiS, same.
http://www.photoprice.ca/article/tax-duty-brokerage-demystified
To be honest, I can't even recal 8.5 cad fee. Just sales tax or often nothing if camera, lens are cheap. It just in the mail box or pickup with signature and nothing to pay.
I purchased something like hundrend cameras and lenses from all over the world in ten years or so.

That has been my experience mostly as well.

Canada Customs and Polaroid Film

Ces1um

MattKing

Moderator

AgX

Ces1um

MattKing

Moderator

adelorenzo

Ko.Fe.

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator

MattKing

Moderator

Ko.Fe.

MattKing

Moderator

Canada Customs and Polaroid Film

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency