Tobacco Shipped to Canada?
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These experiences are all in line with mine. I think I've paid duty on a less than 200 g packet once, maybe twice. I assume I'm going to be charged duty when I calculate whether it's worth buying from the US or locally then if I don't it's a bonus! 
-Any Windsor, ONT pipers around? I could be talked into trading a couple of tins for a 24 of Brador.
Obviously, things changed at the border after 9/11. As a kid growing up in metro Detroit, I spent a lot of my free time in my summer's off from college (i.e. when I was over 19 but not yet 21) going to Windsor to take advantage of drinking age arbitrage. On numerous occasions the US border guards on the way back would just take the designated driver's word for it that the guy passed out in the back seat was an American citizen.
Obviously, things changed at the border after 9/11. As a kid growing up in metro Detroit, I spent a lot of my free time in my summer's off from college (i.e. when I was over 19 but not yet 21) going to Windsor to take advantage of drinking age arbitrage. On numerous occasions the US border guards on the way back would just take the designated driver's word for it that the guy passed out in the back seat was an American citizen.
Hey all, I know this is an older thread, but I'm not on here much, and I just want to share my most recent tobacco importing experience. I ordered (from Smokingpipes.com) 6 oz bulk Arango Balkan Supreme and 1 oz C&D straight latakia, which converted, equals about 198 grams. Total US value was $16.38, which Canada customs upped to $22.83 due to our crappy exchange rate. They then dinged me for an additional $79.63 for extra duty, HST, and the Canada Post handling fee (which is $9.95).
Now I don't mind getting hit occasionally, but I would like to know how they calculate the duty rate, as I have been hit about a half dozen times in the past year, but never for this much. Previously the rate was usually set at $6.57 (but sometimes less) per 50 grams or part thereof. This time it was set at $19.72 per 50 grams, but they didn't even calculate that correctly as they multiplied that rate x 3, when it should have been x 4 (200/4=50 grams). Now for the fun part . . .
Here is the route my order took to get here:
Your item was delivered in CANADA at 6:27 pm on October 1, 2015.
Attempted Delivery - Item being held, addressee being notified, October 1, 2015, 11:19 am, CANADA
Customs clearance processing complete, September 29, 2015, 7:45 am, CANADA
Departed, September 24, 2015, 6:27 pm, West Palm Beach, UNITED STATES
Departed, September 24, 2015, 3:45 pm, Miami, UNITED STATES
Customs Clearance, September 23, 2015, 9:59 am, CANADA
Processed Through Sort Facility, September 23, 2015, 9:59 am, CANADA
Departed, September 19, 2015, 6:08 am, Montreal, CANADA
Departed, September 18, 2015, 5:52 am, Hamilton, CANADA
Departed, September 18, 2015, 4:36 am, Louisville, UNITED STATES
Departed, September 18, 2015, 12:01 am, Louisville, UNITED STATES
Departed, September 17, 2015, 9:51 pm, West Palm Beach, UNITED STATES
Arrived, September 17, 2015, 10:55 am, Miami, UNITED STATES
Processed Through Sort Facility, September 17, 2015, 7:57 am, ISC MIAMI FL (USPS)
Arrived at USPS Facility, September 16, 2015, 6:23 am, MIAMI, FL 33112
Arrived at Sort Facility, September 16, 2015, 6:23 am, ISC MIAMI FL (USPS)
Shipment Picked Up, September 14, 2015, 2:55 pm, LONGS, SC 29568
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, September 14, 2015
As you can see, once it was in Canada it landed in Hamilton, then went to Montreal, cleared customs, then was shipped back to the US, then back to Canada! 17 days to arrive, when normally my orders arrive in 7-11 days. Now for the sad part . . .
I placed another order on September 22 as I was one of the lucky Smokingpipes.com Balkan Sobranie email alert winners, not thinking there would be any kind of problem. But this second order has taken the exact same route as the first, and this time I fear I will be zapped for considerably more, as 2 tins of Sobranie and 1 of Ten Russians totalled $31 US, so once exchanged will probably be $41-42 Canadian.
FYI - I have sent in the CBSA form to appeal the higher than usual duty rate charged on the first order, so I will let you all know what happens with that, but I have no idea how long the appeal process takes. If I get hit with duties on this next order, I will await the appeal results from the first one before appealing the second one.
Now I don't mind getting hit occasionally, but I would like to know how they calculate the duty rate, as I have been hit about a half dozen times in the past year, but never for this much. Previously the rate was usually set at $6.57 (but sometimes less) per 50 grams or part thereof. This time it was set at $19.72 per 50 grams, but they didn't even calculate that correctly as they multiplied that rate x 3, when it should have been x 4 (200/4=50 grams). Now for the fun part . . .
Here is the route my order took to get here:
Your item was delivered in CANADA at 6:27 pm on October 1, 2015.
Attempted Delivery - Item being held, addressee being notified, October 1, 2015, 11:19 am, CANADA
Customs clearance processing complete, September 29, 2015, 7:45 am, CANADA
Departed, September 24, 2015, 6:27 pm, West Palm Beach, UNITED STATES
Departed, September 24, 2015, 3:45 pm, Miami, UNITED STATES
Customs Clearance, September 23, 2015, 9:59 am, CANADA
Processed Through Sort Facility, September 23, 2015, 9:59 am, CANADA
Departed, September 19, 2015, 6:08 am, Montreal, CANADA
Departed, September 18, 2015, 5:52 am, Hamilton, CANADA
Departed, September 18, 2015, 4:36 am, Louisville, UNITED STATES
Departed, September 18, 2015, 12:01 am, Louisville, UNITED STATES
Departed, September 17, 2015, 9:51 pm, West Palm Beach, UNITED STATES
Arrived, September 17, 2015, 10:55 am, Miami, UNITED STATES
Processed Through Sort Facility, September 17, 2015, 7:57 am, ISC MIAMI FL (USPS)
Arrived at USPS Facility, September 16, 2015, 6:23 am, MIAMI, FL 33112
Arrived at Sort Facility, September 16, 2015, 6:23 am, ISC MIAMI FL (USPS)
Shipment Picked Up, September 14, 2015, 2:55 pm, LONGS, SC 29568
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, September 14, 2015
As you can see, once it was in Canada it landed in Hamilton, then went to Montreal, cleared customs, then was shipped back to the US, then back to Canada! 17 days to arrive, when normally my orders arrive in 7-11 days. Now for the sad part . . .
I placed another order on September 22 as I was one of the lucky Smokingpipes.com Balkan Sobranie email alert winners, not thinking there would be any kind of problem. But this second order has taken the exact same route as the first, and this time I fear I will be zapped for considerably more, as 2 tins of Sobranie and 1 of Ten Russians totalled $31 US, so once exchanged will probably be $41-42 Canadian.
FYI - I have sent in the CBSA form to appeal the higher than usual duty rate charged on the first order, so I will let you all know what happens with that, but I have no idea how long the appeal process takes. If I get hit with duties on this next order, I will await the appeal results from the first one before appealing the second one.
Hey Steveoh.
The 6.57per 50gms sounds like the federal tax rate. There will usually be provincial tax added on to that, which is different for each province. I'm guessing that's where the $19 and change comes from. You can Google "tobacco tax" and your province to see what it is per 50 grams, or portion there of. Eg if you order 51 grams you pay duty for 100 grams.
There's a much more current thread here :
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/canadian-duty-taxes-of-mail-orders
The 6.57per 50gms sounds like the federal tax rate. There will usually be provincial tax added on to that, which is different for each province. I'm guessing that's where the $19 and change comes from. You can Google "tobacco tax" and your province to see what it is per 50 grams, or portion there of. Eg if you order 51 grams you pay duty for 100 grams.
There's a much more current thread here :
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/canadian-duty-taxes-of-mail-orders
Thanks for the links stickframer and fmgee. After reading through that thread, I was able to determine what I should have paid in extra charges, which breaks down as follows:
Excise, duty, HST, & handling
$6.571880 federal excise per 50 grams or part thereof
$0.139750 Ontario provincial duty per gram or part thereof
13.00% Excise & duty added to $CDA value of purchase price before HST is calculated
Example for 198.447 gram purchase
$6.571880 x 4 (50 gram units) $26.29
$0.139750 x 199 (grams total) $27.81
$16.38 x 1.3325 (price in $CDA) $21.83
Total value for HST $75.92
13.00% + HST $ 9.87
$85.79
- Purchase price -$21.83
Total excise, duty, & HST $63.96
$9.95 + Canada Post fee $ 9.95
Extra Charges Grand Total $73.91
So bottom line, I calculate they did overcharge me, but only by $5.72 . . . Can't wait to see what happens with my CBSA appeal!
Excise, duty, HST, & handling
$6.571880 federal excise per 50 grams or part thereof
$0.139750 Ontario provincial duty per gram or part thereof
13.00% Excise & duty added to $CDA value of purchase price before HST is calculated
Example for 198.447 gram purchase
$6.571880 x 4 (50 gram units) $26.29
$0.139750 x 199 (grams total) $27.81
$16.38 x 1.3325 (price in $CDA) $21.83
Total value for HST $75.92
13.00% + HST $ 9.87
$85.79
- Purchase price -$21.83
Total excise, duty, & HST $63.96
$9.95 + Canada Post fee $ 9.95
Extra Charges Grand Total $73.91
So bottom line, I calculate they did overcharge me, but only by $5.72 . . . Can't wait to see what happens with my CBSA appeal!
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