What did you order or the post deliver? (Japanese N Gauge)

[Yavianice]

1 minute ago, cteno4 said:

hugh, never seen a customs duty on toys from japan to the us. I will be interested in hearing what they say.

 

Perhaps it was too expensive? Doesn't the US charge customs for internet purchases that are above a certain value, regardless of what item category it is?

[cteno4]

Yes, but that looks to be off the duty table, which toys are shown to be none. But it looks like if the full customs evaluation happens fees can happen. It’s really obtuse.

 

jeff

[deathletter]

4 hours ago, cteno4 said:

I wonder if the value of the package triggered a full customs review and the money is for us customs fees and DHL processing fees as the agent.

 

jeff

 

I was thinking that the overall value might have triggered it. Hopefully I will be able to get an answer soon. 

[Pauljag900]

Unless the package was nt marked as toys?

i know when I bought stuff from junior I had to pay 20% tax plus a handling fee and a customs handling fee but I was under the impression that was to do with the fact that the USA does nt tax goods but the uk does so if you buy from any country that does nt impose tax then have to pay it in the uk.

That doesn’t answer your problem I know,just saying that there does nt see to be a set of rules,it s extremely vague!!

[bill937ca]

Those are model railroad items not toys.  There is a customs category for model railroads and a separate category for model railroad accessory. At lest one Japanese retailer got in trouble for declaring model trains as toys. I told by the post office there had been a big push against declaring model trains as toys.  Declaring something  as a toy has long been a way to have customs come after you.

 

A quick look at US Customs shows you are allowed $800 a day. If you exceed this I suspect you are considered an undeclared commercial shipment. I believe that $800 is retail value which in the US would easily be 2 to 2.5 times cost.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/trade-enforcement/tftea/section-321-programs

[cteno4]

After $800 you pay the customs duty rate for the kind of items. For the us duties from japan there is only a “scale model” function or otherwise in the toy category I could ever find and that was 0.

 

each country’s customs is different and for many countries their duties can also change for the same item depending on the exporting country (some countries get a break and others get punished). Also sometimes caveats on some countries on what the country of production was vs country of export. It’s very obtuse.

 

ive just never heard of a us customs duty on any shipment from japan and I’ve know a couple of people that have ordered $1000+ stuff above the $800 exemption, that I think were properly declared value and item wise. I know I had some orders come in from japan declared over the old $200 limit at the time and never got a duty assigned.

 

some clarification here

 

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/internet-purchases

 

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

There is a separate HS Code (Harmonized System) for Electric Trains , Including Tracks, Signals & Other Accessories Thereof separate from toys: 950310

 

Among industry classification systems, Harmonized System (HS) Codes are commonly used throughout the export process for goods. The Harmonized System is a standardized numerical method of classifying traded products. It is used by customs authorities around the world to identify products when assessing duties and taxes and for gathering statistics. 

 

https://www.trade.gov/harmonized-system-hs-codes

 

These codes appear on every customs declaration.  No, Jeff they are not different for every country. That would be chaos. 

[bill937ca]

19 hours ago, deathletter said:

Well, the latest package arrived. I paid the shipping fee on Tuesday and it arrived Thursday. This time it was 24 auctions. I had to pay a little over $100 to customs. The first time that has happened. I am going to talk to DHL and see if they can explain why I was charged a customs fee. I am curious more than anything else. I still have 9 more auctions to ship but they are kato, tomix, microace and casco storage cases. They can all go seamail.

 

 

That looks like enough to stock a small store. It might have been classified as business rather than personal use.

[cteno4]

so when this comes up every few years for us customs duties on model trains I try to see if I can find a better description of their classification and potential duty situations. Always boils down to this classification using the us customs search system for hts codes
 

9503.00.0000 

Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys; dolls' carriages; dolls; other toys; reduced-size ("scale") models, and similar recreational models, working or not; puzzles of all kinds; parts and accessories thereof

 

the us harmonized tarring schedule never shows a model train sub category now

 

here is the full 2020 htc zeroed in on the 

 

https://hts.usitc.gov/view/Chapter 95?release=2020HTSARev23

 

but I finally found an archive site that does list the sub sections under section 9503 and 9503.10.0000 that’s just for model trains.

 

HTS Number: 9503.10.00
Description: Toy or reduced scale model electric trains & tracks, signals, and other accessories thereof & parts thereof 
MFN Duty Rate: Free

http://www.faqs.org/rulings/tariffs/95031000.html

 

and this appears the full break down

 

again like the parent section all free of customs duty for the us. Looking at query letters (sole from lifelike!) everything gets lumped there in 9503 and no duty. All the current us customs utc don’t have listed any sub categories anymore and later ruling of model rr stuff loot to just go into 9503.00.0000 so I guess they just simplified it more and more in the last decade for the us hts and most all toys lumped into one bucket. Makes sense if all toy subsections were duty free why bother confusing things with sub sections that create confusion.;
 

but it looks like there is no duty on toys over the $800 exemption or for commercial import to the us. It does sound like in some situations where something needs to be reviewed there may be customs fees applied for this work along with potential fees from the customs agent (here DHL). This is still what my suspicion is what happened with the high value of the package. No duty but fees applied because it triggered a review. But we shall see!

 

I’ve always wanted to understand all this to make sure it’s right what I’ve heard and experienced with us customs and make sure things have not changed at some point. Always obtuse and never well documented or explained well.

 

other countries may have a different hts and have the sub categories and at different tariffs, but the us appears not to now.
 

im really curious to see what deathletter finds out from DHL. 

 

jeff

[chadbag]

19 hours ago, cteno4 said:

hugh, never seen a customs duty on toys from japan to the us. I will be interested in hearing what they say.

 

i wonder if the value of the package triggered a full customs review and the money is for us customs fees and DHL processing fees as the agent.

 

jeff

 

yeah it is strange because according to the relevant customs tables, toys have no duty.

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, bill937ca said:

There is a separate HS Code (Harmonized System) for Electric Trains , Including Tracks, Signals & Other Accessories Thereof separate from toys: 950310

 

Among industry classification systems, Harmonized System (HS) Codes are commonly used throughout the export process for goods. The Harmonized System is a standardized numerical method of classifying traded products. It is used by customs authorities around the world to identify products when assessing duties and taxes and for gathering statistics. 

 

https://www.trade.gov/harmonized-system-hs-codes

 

These codes appear on every customs declaration.  No, Jeff they are not different for every country. That would be chaos. 

 

The codes are not different, but the duty for  that code can be diffferent depending on country of origin.

 

The only code I could find 

 

"9503.00.00Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys; dollsʼ carriages; dolls, other toys; reduced-scale (“scaleˮ) models and similar recreational models, working or not; puzzles of all kinds; parts and accessories thereof"

 

which is listed as "free"

 

I had a box of stuff close to $3k  1 1/2 to 2 years ago come in from Modellbahn Lippe in Germany by UPS.  Not a dime paid.

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, bill937ca said:

 

That looks like enough to stock a small store. It might have been classified as business rather than personal use.

 

personal or commercial doesn't matter

[cteno4]

The codes are different in that I think now the US just collapses all the universal subcategories for toys under 9503. Other countries may recognize all or some of the different universal subcategories and may charge different duties for import for different subcategories and even for personal and commercial.

 

so importing to the US you just use the section code of 9503.00.0000 and no sub section code and Toy description is fine. Other countries that use subsections then yes you may need to use a subsection code past 9503.00.0000

 

But off I just looked at the eu hts and they have a train category of 9503 003000

https://trade.ec.europa.eu/tradehelp/home-page
 

but when you look model trains up Canada’s code it’s 9503.00.9020

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2020/01-99/ch95-2020-2-eng.pdf

no more sub categories for different kinds of train stuff it appears in eu and Canada,

 

not so harmonious...

 

but US all just goes under toys 9503.00.0000 and zero duty AFAICT

 

jeff

[deathletter]

15 hours ago, bill937ca said:

 

That looks like enough to stock a small store. It might have been classified as business rather than personal use.

 

I also posted photos of two more shipments that I had gotten from Japan before this one. I posted a photo of the engines on September 19 and photos of the freight cars on September 20th in the first package. On Monday, I posted photos of the second package that I had received.

 

Both packages contained large amounts of freight cars and locomotives. I think the value of the items might have triggered the customs charge. I hope to find out answers tomorrow if I can remember to call DHL. Remembering to call is the tough part. 🙄

 

[railsquid]

Just move to Japan, makes a lot of things so much easier ;).

 

Meanwhile, I was not planning to purchase an EF53 as out-of-area for my Chuo Line predilection, but I was browsing RM Archive Volume 1, as one does, and stumbled upon a picture (sadly undated) of His Imperial Emp's EF53-16 all blinged up flying the flags at Hachioji, so it was all just a matter of time.

 

MicroAce EF53-16 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

Edited October 19, 2020 by railsquid

[Cat]

Some British goodies that will be put into service for Ibaraki Shorty finally arrived today.  Placed an order with Rails of Sheffield back on 9 July.  They had to wait for a restock from Peco.  (5) 15' wheelbase chasses that will serve as the foundation for Shorty Warflats to carry a team of Girls und Panzer tanks to their next match.  And some relay boxes for rooftop or trackside greeblies.

Edited October 19, 2020 by Cat

[Yavaris Forge]

6 hours ago, railsquid said:

Now that's one shiny loco! The paintjob is a custom one I suppose?

I would love to have that on my layout but it would be a bit too small for the full Imperial train i guess. 😅

[roadstar_na6]

The full Imperial Train is only 5 cars long 😉

[Clayton]

Just ordered the rest of my track through Banzai Hobby. They are having a sale that the products that I am after which their prices are now cheeper than the other two JHS. Thing is with the Covid-19.      I am wondering how long it will take the ship to arrive from Japan?

[cteno4]

How did you ship the order?

 

jeff

[251fan]

Got in the mail today:

- Tomix 8405 and 8406 Kiha 40 (motor and trailer) -- love the kiha 40 can see myself buying other variants

-Tomix 2131 EF81 Locomotive -- great for the wagons i already have

-Tomytec rural station -- for my (soon) rural/seafront layout

 

 

[Clayton]

5 hours ago, cteno4 said:

How did you ship the order?

 

jeff

There was only one available choice. Since this COVID is going around they are going to send it by ship. Air delivery to the USA is not an option at this time. They responded back to me promptly to let me know on how they are shipping(literally speaking). 

[Yavianice]

13 minutes ago, Clayton said:

There was only one available choice. Since this COVID is going around they are going to send it by ship. Air delivery to the USA is not an option at this time. They responded back to me promptly to let me know on how they are shipping(literally speaking). 

Well, to the US there is also DHL (which takes 1-2 days) and AIR small packet without tracking less than 2 kg which takes 3-4 weeks (of which 2 weeks is spent waiting for a flight at the airport)

[jappomania]

On 10/18/2020 at 4:31 PM, deathletter said:

 

I also posted photos of two more shipments that I had gotten from Japan before this one. I posted a photo of the engines on September 19 and photos of the freight cars on September 20th in the first package. On Monday, I posted photos of the second package that I had received.

 

Both packages contained large amounts of freight cars and locomotives. I think the value of the items might have triggered the customs charge. I hope to find out answers tomorrow if I can remember to call DHL. Remembering to call is the tough part. 🙄

 

 

 

🤑  100$ ....well in Italy is much simple ...... no taxes under .... 45€ of total value, over we pay 7,50€+22% of the total value till the limit (for toys around 1500€), over you pay also customs duty % (depend of wich items are imported, but in that case is near to impossible to DIY and you need a private - costly - agency because you need a lot of correct documents - if there is an error you pay penalties and your items shipping are stopped)

 

p.s. total value is the item cost + shipping cost ... an example 80€ item + 20€ shipping cost > total value 100€ >  7.50€ + 22€ VAT  = 29,50€ of duty and taxes....

yes, we pay VAT also for shipping cost ..😁

 

ciao!

Massimo

 

 

[roadstar_na6]

It‘s similar in Germany.

Below 22€ it‘s free, but they don‘t charge any taxes that‘d be under 5€.

From 22€ to 150€ you pay taxes (VAT) and above that you pay customs as well. Luckily there are no customs for model trains.

 

Also, thanks to Covid the German government went back to a VAT of 16%(/5%) from the previous 19%(/7%) until the end of the year. So basically everything up until ~31€ is free of charges at the moment 🙂