Here is a couple of tips that may save money, I am referring to Canada, but I believe all procedures and Commodity codes are the same.
In Canada, You can often bring items in bonded, to either your local freight forwarders warehouse or a Customs warehouse, this allows you to clear your own shipment if you so wish to.
All the documents and codes are on the Govt sites.
If you decide to hire a broker, go to the Customs web site, anyway and look up the commodity code that covers your shipment and record the ten digit commodity code number.
This you can pass this on to your broker, often brokers do not necessarily spend a lot of time looking up the correct number as there are many sub categories of the same product, plus they may not be familiar with the type of product or description.
What can happen is they may pick the one they think covers it and you could be paying 6% ~ 8% duties unnecessarily, the next number closest # could be duty free!.
Don't forget, it is the broker and not customs that pick the commodity # out.
For an example, is the machine fitted with a certain size of motor? or chuck type? or attachment? All these can have different classifications.
If you go any of these routes, to save you time in the Commodity PDF, your machine will be in chapters 8400 or 8500.
Don't forget Insurance, I received a machine which had 1/8 plywood for a crate, this fell off a loading dock, so it was a bit beat up when I got it, fortunately the supplier sent a whole replacement with no request for the old one back.
Al.
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CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Albert E.