Crossing Borders—Canadian Customs Duties
Canadian customs duties are prohibitive. Think carefully before buying anything from the US and having it mailed to Canada. Between postage and duties, there are no savings. On the contrary, you pay top dollar for items that are meant to be less than.
Recently, I made two purchases that incurred unreasonable charges.
1. A canine bicycle basket from In the Company of Dogs, at a "reduced price"—US$44.97. Then there was the shipping—US$21.15. Finally came the duties—CD$12.05. With shipping and duties combined nearly costing as much as the item purchased, there’s a real problem—even if the item is recreational rather than an "essential." Canada Post collected the cash payment at my door before handing over the purchase.
By the way, In the Company of Dogs takes five weeks to ship to Canada and isn’t as customer-service friendly as one would hope—especially if issues arise. Also, some of their products can be found elsewhere at better prices.
2. Ten 24in x 24in canvases from Dick Blick (the premier art supply chain in the US), which cost US$102.15. Then there was the shipping—US$18.22. Finally came the duties—CD$33.85. With shipping and duties combined nearly costing as much as the items purchased, there’s a real problem—especially for work-essential goods. Fed Ex sent out a typed statement after delivery, detailing their costs, which they try to keep to a minimum (CD$1.68 brokerage fee and CD35 cents disbursement fee).
By the way, Dick Blick makes sure you get your order in a couple of days (via Fed Ex Ground, for size-appropriate products) and have wonderful discounts, providing you don’t live outside the US. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a Canadian art supplies retailer that can rival their selection, discounts, and efficiency.
