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Hi. I live in the U.S. and just purchased an American made Fender Telecaster from the U.K. through Reverb. I just received a text from the shipper stating there are import duties due. I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that USA-made products shipped to the U.S. are not subject to import duties. Anyone know if I have any recourse, and if so, how can I challenge the duties?
If Customs would need to open the package to confirm that the guitar was manufactured in the U.S., I would just as soon pay the approximately $150, for fear they would repackage it poorly.
Thanks in advance.
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11-03-2023 12:50 PM
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Contact the shipping company. You should be able to sign an affidavit stating that the guitar is US made.
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Thanks!
Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
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If they ask,just tell them the guitar was on an extended Holiday!
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Foreign Shipper's Declaration of U.S. Goods Returned - FedEx https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...-Do1Qfm6osd3B0
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US Customs has a form (3311) for that - you're basically 're-patrioting; (if that's a word) the guitar. There should be no import duty. I had a custom acoustic guitar made in the UK a couple years ago and the import duty was 8.7% of the value - the shipper (DHL) paid it and they wouldn't deliver until I repaid them. Some shippers may charge a brokerage fee but I think it's hit or miss. I've also heard that you can bypass the duty by using USPS but wouldn't swear that's correct. Recently I was curious about importing an Ibanez GB10 which is Japanese from Japan but could never get a straight answer on what the duty would be on a Japanese guitar to the US - has anyone ever done that?
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Do as chuck says. You don't owe any import duties. Depending on what state you live in, there may be use-tax due.
Also, contact the seller and politely let them know this was their fault. They should have known better if they are selling guitars internationally.
For others repatriating guitars, make sure you confirm with the seller that they will declare that it is USA made before shipping. This will save you time and a headache.
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All is resolved. Thanks, all, for piping in. I called the shipper, DHL Express, and they got Customs to drop the duties. They said the seller's paperwork did properly name the U.S. as country of origin. My hope is that Customs didn't unpack it for inspection, as Customs is not renowned for its expert repackaging of musical instruments.
Props to DHL Customer Service. They were very courteous and got the job done.
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