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Shipped a watch from Canada to US today

gatorcpa
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sathomasga sathomasga
The tariffs and duties were about $1.50, but DHL Express added their standard $17 service fee, bringing the total fees to around $19.
Assuming a 15% tariff rate for country of origin, this means a $10 strap cost you almost $30. Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?

I can see in the near future that private couriers will start requiring sellers to pay customs when packages are picked up, thereby ensuring costs are covered and telling their customers that they better start including customs costs in their prices.

I think that eventually what will happen is that the larger sales platforms will develop their own system for handling tariffs and fees, similar to what they have done with local sales taxes. These platforms (think eBay, Amazon, large auctioneers, etc.) will train and employ a small army of customs brokers and will provide services for a small fraction of the fees currently being charged by private couriers. Competition is always good.

I just don’t think these companies are going to walk away from globalization without a fight. There is too much money to be made. They are just waiting for stabilization of the rates, or perhaps a limited restoration of the deminimus exemptions for small packages. I can see that as a political carrot to assuage the portion of the electorate most affected by tariffs.

gatorcpa
 
sathomasga
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
Assuming a 15% tariff rate for country of origin, this means a $10 strap cost you almost $30. Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?
It was actually a $200 strap. I have no idea how the $1.50 charge was calculated
 
Trev
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Just a friendly request to please try to avoid insults/name-calling directed towards politicians (past, present), especially in relation to divisive US politics. I realize how frustrating the tariffs situation has become for many, but the insults build animosity and derails constructive conversations rather quickly. It also creates more workload for the mods cleaning up threads and dealing with complaints.
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river rat
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I am just glad I got in this hobby earlier bought from some of the best forum members over at the MWR PX from overseas I got a great vintage military collection that if there was a 39% tariff on an Omega fat arrow or a Hamiliton 6B or a Heuer Bund and many more I would not own today If I had to pay 39% this has ruined our hobby some will be priced out. My last before Tariffs was a WW! issued British trench watch from Australia the setting lever was missing with very good luck found a doner movement in England my watchmaker working on it right now. Maybe my last project from oversea sellers. Remember when you have the world to look for parts think 30 bucks for the parts movement maybe 150 with tariff our collecting world has changed, and our world got smaller, and we should be madder than we are. Those last two thing was off eBay maybe my last oversea buy RIP. Feel for new vintage watch collectors who are just coming into the hobby they missed the boat. Only good thing with price and demand and only the USA to buy from expect the prices to skyrocket good for sellers bad for buyer why I say a lot will be priced out of the market.
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SOG53
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UPDATE:
The watch was delivered to New Jersey from Toronto in 6 days (counting weekend) with no Customs delay. Buyer happy and promptly reimbursed me on PP for duty payment that I fronted for him.
So maybe this system will in some ways reduce Customs delay. (Looking for silver lining I know)
 
lindo
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Regardless of the possible options discussed above for how the 39% tariff will be collected, how many US watch collectors will really be prepared to pay a 39% (+ any extra brokerage fees) more than those of us outside the US will pay? And how many external vendors are prepared to put up with this prepaid tariff crap. Not this little black duck.
 
sathomasga
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lindo lindo
Regardless of the possible options discussed above for how the 39% tariff will be collected, how many US watch collectors will really be prepared to pay a 39% (+ any extra brokerage fees) more than those of us outside the US will pay? And how many external vendors are prepared to put up with this prepaid tariff crap. Not this little black duck.
Personally, I'm no longer considering purchasing from abroad, and certainly not Swiss watches.

The obvious response from sellers is to forgo international postal service and only ship to the US via commercial carriers, passing the higher cost on to the buyer. Possibly a boon to FedEx, UPS, and DHL Express, but I don't know if the new business gained at the expense of postal services plus additional customs brokerage fees will make up for the overall decline in shipment volume.
 
dsio
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gatorcpa gatorcpa
If you are in the U.S., you are now seeing a pop-up box on any eBay listing outside the U.S.

IMG_5742.webp
https://ebay.us/m/C5xxAN

gatorcpa

I’m glad they’re doing that, hopefully Chrono24 and others do the same to prevent people getting caught out and make it easier to compare actual prices.
 
Garden Veggies
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It’s such a bummer to be limited to just the US secondary market. I’m very thankful I picked up some good ones from Japan while I could.
 
blubarb
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dsio dsio
I wonder if that’s just EMS, has anyone had UPS or FedEx do that recently and try to make the sender pay?

Here in Australia it’s packages worth more than $150 AUD that are no longer being shipped to the US by Auspost (EMS), and DHL is also cutting off anything over $100 USD but I haven’t heard anything about FedEx or UPS, being US based I can’t imagine they can afford to cease delivering to their own country.

We might actually have to split the eBay recommended thread into US non-US to make it easier for people to find stuff that won’t cause them headaches in transit.
A DHL Australia customer agent informed me by phone this week that the Consignee pays the duty prior to release. Same as it works coming into Australia.
 
Evitzee
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I still say this 39% tariff will eventually end, but when is unknown. If you can, just hold off importing Swiss watches at this time.
 
blubarb
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dsio dsio
I wonder if that’s just EMS, has anyone had UPS or FedEx do that recently and try to make the sender pay?

Here in Australia it’s packages worth more than $150 AUD that are no longer being shipped to the US by Auspost (EMS), and DHL is also cutting off anything over $100 USD but I haven’t heard anything about FedEx or UPS, being US based I can’t imagine they can afford to cease delivering to their own country.

We might actually have to split the eBay recommended thread into US non-US to make it easier for people to find stuff that won’t cause them headaches in transit.
AusPost has struck some kind of deal with Zonos, says for business customers...so who knows about us hoi poloi.

"Australia Post is pleased to update our business customers that we plan to resume postal services to the United States (US) and its overseas territories on or before, Thursday 25 September 2025.

This resumption follows changes the US Government made to customs and import tariff rules, which saw Australia Post, along with numerous other international postal operators, make the difficult decision to temporarily suspend partial postal services to the US, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands and US Minor Outlying Islands.

Australia Post is working with Zonos®, one of a limited number of authorised US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Universal Postal Union third-party providers, to provide our customers with a solution to meet the new rules to deliver to the US.

What you need to do

You will need to register with Zonos® and set up your Zonos® Verified Account as soon as possible"
 
blubarb
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Russ Murray Russ Murray
What I find "amusing" about all of this is that many sellers will have a clause that states customs duties and taxes are the responsibility of the buyer. Perhaps it is naive for a non US seller to seek reimbursement from the importer, but it remains a valid expectation. I must investigate this Zonus process more closely but quite frankly, I'm tempted to just slap an additional 39% on the declared value of a Swiss watch and incorporate it into the selling price and be done with it.
Am I correct to think that the 39% tax into the USA is based on the country of manufacture and the deal it ultimately strikes with the USA and not the tax deal from the country its being sold from?
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YY77
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blubarb blubarb
Am I correct to think that the 39% tax into the USA is based on the country of manufacture and the deal it ultimately strikes with the USA and not the tax deal from the country its being sold from?
Yes.

The tariff on Swiss manufactured products is ridiculous, is their any example of another country that specifically targets a country (Russian gas excluded) like this?

Feels more like extortion to get the Swiss to cooperate just like what's being done to Brazil.
 
gatorcpa
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YY77 YY77
Feels more like extortion to get the Swiss to cooperate just like what's being done to Brazil.
That’s exactly what it is. You can add India to your list.
gatorcpa
 
Russ Murray
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blubarb blubarb
Am I correct to think that the 39% tax into the USA is based on the country of manufacture and the deal it ultimately strikes with the USA and not the tax deal from the country its being sold from?
As far as I know the 39% tariff is applied based on where the watch was manufactured, regardless of where the new and/or used watch was shipped from outside the US. It's not a tax, it's a tariff.
 
river rat
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This whole thing reminds me of this from an old movie the students look like most Americans not paying attention
 
Braindrain
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sathomasga sathomasga
.I recently received a strap from Singapore. The tariffs and duties were about $1.50, but DHL Express added their standard $17 service fee, bringing the total fees to around $19.

That’s reasonable because it's air. Ground service is a black art.

We, in Canada, have had to suffer Fedex/UPS ground since forever. Ridiculous fees besring even less semblance to reality. Based on some posts that ive read, Americans are now waking up to that other reality .
 
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