Cost of Importing from Canada?

[Bleep Bleep]

If you’ve imported from Canada how much was your total cost to get across the border? Duties, Custom bond, DOT bond, gas guzzler?, broker, shipping. It sounds ridiculous so your feedback is helpful.
(not incl registration and insurance pieces)

Thanks!

 

[AR67GTX]

First off it depends on if the car was originally sold in Canada or in the US. If originally a US model you are just returning it here, although it still goes through customs. If a Canadian model then you are basically importing it from scratch and I believe the costs and process increase. No expert but I did buy a U.S. built Satellite out of Canada a few years ago and the seller handled most of the process with little problem. It had to be off loaded from the transport to go through the customs warehouse and then loaded back on another transport.

Hope others can be a little more specific.

 

[dadsbee]

I have always been under the opinion, observation, that it's us Canucks that have a PITA importing a car. We have to give 3 days notice of showing up at the border with said car. All paperwork already has to be forwarded/faxed to the border point you're crossing and must include a valid title / ownership. There is only ONE broker that is allowed to do such paperwork on you behalf for the US government and you can't do it on your own. You have to present the car at US customs to sign the vehicle is leaving the country. Then you have to stop at Canada Customs and fill out more paperwork and pay the 5%GST tax on the sale amount. Then again you can ONLY take the car to Canadian Tire for a safety check certificate... it's a racket.

Canada to the USA. Drive up here, buy the car, load it and drive home same day. I presume you have to declare it, but if you don't live in a border state they won't even collect tax.

 

[Bleep Bleep]

First off it depends on if the car was originally sold in Canada or in the US. If originally a US model you are just returning it here, although it still goes through customs. If a Canadian model then you are basically importing it from scratch and I believe the costs and process increase. No expert but I did buy a U.S. built Satellite out of Canada a few years ago and the seller handled most of the process with little problem. It had to be off loaded from the transport to go through the customs warehouse and then loaded back on another transport.

Hope others can be a little more specific.

Thank you!

 

[Bleep Bleep]

I have always been under the opinion, observation, that it's us Canucks that have a PITA importing a car. We have to give 3 days notice of showing up at the border with said car. All paperwork already has to be forwarded/faxed to the border point you're crossing and must include a valid title / ownership. There is only ONE broker that is allowed to do such paperwork on you rehalf for the US government and you can't do it on your own. You have to present the car at US customs to sign the vehicle is leaving the country. Then you have to stop at Canada Customs and fill out more paperwork and pay the 5%GST tax on the sale amount. Then again you can ONLY take the car to Canadian Tire for a safety check certificate... it's a racket.

Canada to the USA. Drive up here, buy the car, load it and drive home same day. I presume you have to declare it, but if you don't live in a border state they won't even collect tax.

That sounds simple enough. Actually happier now that I don’t live Canada.

 

[dadsbee]

BTW. were you looking for a Superbird? LOL

 

[68gtxman]

BTW. where you looking for a Superbird? LOL

Yes, how much?

 

[440 4 speed]

A few year’s ago we got a car in the States. Seller didn’t get the title by the time we got there to purchase it.Long story.
Explained things to US customs when we got there. They checked things and cleared us.
Canadian customs questioned us, especially when I forgot to mention a 300.00 deposit. Little bit of a hassle.
Another time I arranged to get a 69 notchback Barracuda from a friend in Oklahoma. Another friend trailer it to Bismarck. We unloaded it and Cal put the Saskatchewan plates on it and headed home.
US customs cleared it, went to Canadian Customs who collected the tax and we were off. Total time about 2 hours.

 

[Dave6T4]

I took my '64 Polara 500 convertible to Carlisle to sell a few years ago. This was a U.S. car, built in Detroit. In short time, I had an interested buyer who gave me a sizeable deposit on it. I had to explain that I could not actually sell it to him there, that day, because I had not brokered it across the border, and did not have the required import documents. He would have to buy my car in Ontario and be the importer to U.S. He agreed to this.
In the meantime, I obtained, filled out, and signed required forms to declare this car did not need to confirm to modern emission and safety standards due to its age. I met the buyer near the border crossing, where we transferred the car from my buddy's trailer to his. After final payment, I gave him a notarized bill of sale, and the signed vehicle portion of my Ontario vehicle ownership document. I told him that U.S. Customs would make out import papers for him, and he would have to give the emissions and safety forms to them. He was not required to have the papers at the border 72 hours ahead of importing the car, as we in Canada must.
Speaking to him a couple of days l
ater, he said the process at the border went smoothly, only taking about 15 minutes. No taxes, fees, or anything.

 

[Bleep Bleep]

I took my '64 Polara 500 convertible to Carlisle to sell a few years ago. This was a U.S. car, built in Detroit. In short time, I had an interested buyer who gave me a sizeable deposit on it. I had to explain that I could not actually sell it to him there, that day, because I had not brokered it across the border, and did not have the required import documents. He would have to buy my car in Ontario and be the importer to U.S. He agreed to this.
In the meantime, I obtained, filled out, and signed required forms to declare this car did not need to confirm to modern emission and safety standards due to its age. I met the buyer near the border crossing, where we transferred the car from my buddy's trailer to his. After final payment, I gave him a notarized bill of sale, and the signed vehicle portion of my Ontario vehicle ownership document. I told him that U.S. Customs would make out import papers for him, and he would have to give the emissions and safety forms to them. He was not required to have the papers at the border 72 hours ahead of importing the car, as we in Canada must.
Speaking to him a couple of days l
ater, he said the process at the border went smoothly, only taking about 15 minutes. No taxes, fees, or anything.

Appreciate you sharing. It appears there’s a lot of different experiences, but never having been through it, boy does it make me think twice.

 

[Car #4]

@dadsbee I imported a car from Ohio five years ago. I used a broker of my choice and had the safety inspection done at my local garage. No mention of having to use Canadian Tire. The rest of the process was about how you describe it.

 

[440 4 speed]

@dadsbee I imported a car from Ohio five years ago. I used a broker of my choice and had the safety inspection done at my local garage. No mention of having to use Canadian Tire. The rest of the process was about how you describe it.

We have several places that can do safety inspections, body shops, dealers repair shops. They must be approved by Saskatchewan Government Insurance.

 

[440 4 speed]

A friend in Oklahoma wanted a sweptside. I found a nice 58 Fargo, 313 standard, dealer installed RADIO. Fairly low mileage. It was about 220 miles away. A friend closer to the truck. Got it and drove it to his place. Then brought it here many months later. Gary sent me money through I think UPS with tracking. In our address we had Saskatoon SK Canada.
Wouldn’t you know it, it went to Slovakia before it got to us.
Following year Gary and his other came up with a 75 Newport Custom and car trailer. US Agriculture said the undercarriage of the truck had to be weed free, so we got on the hoist and pressure washed it.
When loaded the car dropped so far that he wouldn’t be able haul it without hitting the pavement. A few years before I had extra leafs made for our Charger. Installed them and raised the backend about 2-3 inches above normal. That didn’t work. Since I still had them, we put them on the Chrysler. Much better.
I wrote a bill of sale and signed off on the registration. He said US Customs were very fast and easy. Staff were more interested in what the truck was than anything else.
I would have liked to find him another Sweptside and kept that for myself, but they very rare and far between.