# Import fees from Japan to Canada



## chopshop777 (Feb 20, 2021)

Hi all. hope all is well. wanting to buy a guitar from Japan to Canada, price is $2400 USD plus $200 shipping, any ideas of how much the import fees, duties and taxes would be ? thanks for your time. appreciate it. cheers.


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## Tim Plains (Apr 14, 2009)

Import fees are based on where the guitar was manufactured.


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## mnfrancis (May 24, 2010)

chopshop777 said:


> Hi all. hope all is well. wanting to buy a guitar from Japan to Canada, price is $2400 USD plus $200 shipping, any ideas of how much the import fees, duties and taxes would be ? thanks for your time. appreciate it. cheers.


Guitars shipped through the Japanese domestic system are delivered by Canada Post and I have been lucky on occasion and had them drop the guitar at my door and not charge me any duty or taxes. That would NEVER happen with UPS or FedEx. 

When I have been less fortunate the import fees have never been astronomical. I would think <$200


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

chopshop777 said:


> Hi all. hope all is well. wanting to buy a guitar from Japan to Canada, price is $2400 USD plus $200 shipping, any ideas of how much the import fees, duties and taxes would be ? thanks for your time. appreciate it. cheers.


I paid $97 on a $240 pedal from US to Canada.
I have never ordered from Japan.
But I would assume that it would be a serious kick in the face.

Hopefully someone can offer some better info than me and hopefully my suspicion is incorrect.


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## Boogieman (Apr 6, 2009)

For your reference:

Anyone know duties/fees importing from Japan?

Buying Guitars from Japan

AFAIK, the rates indicated in those threads remain the same, assuming the guitar you are thinking of buying is MIJ.

In my case, it was a MIJ guitar shipped via postal system (Japan Post EMS> Canada Post). Paid duty, GST+PST and the CP handling fee.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Always12AM said:


> I paid $97 on a $240 pedal from US to Canada.
> I have never ordered from Japan.
> But I would assume that it would be a serious kick in the face.
> 
> Hopefully someone can offer some better info than me and hopefully my suspicion is incorrect.


wow, that had to be UPS, right?


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I've hd plenty shipped from Japan. Use EMS for shipping. It will come through Canada post so there is a 50/50 chance you will pay. Depends on the customs agents, day of the week and what you had for breakfast. Then it is 8 bucks now plus tax on the item. Out of 10 guitars i paid tax 2 times....


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## Hell Hound (Oct 31, 2015)

A few years ago I bought a 1983 Tokai TLC60 57' Custom from Japan. No duties were paid.


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## chopshop777 (Feb 20, 2021)

mnfrancis said:


> Guitars shipped through the Japanese domestic system are delivered by Canada Post and I have been lucky on occasion and had them drop the guitar at my door and not charge me any duty or taxes. That would NEVER happen with UPS or FedEx.
> 
> When I have been less fortunate the import fees have never been astronomical. I would think <$200


Thank you so much for your time. cheers.


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## Jaime (Mar 29, 2020)

I've never ordered a guitar specifically, but have had a handful of shipments from Japan and haven't once paid fees on delivery. I get dinged frequently from the States and some parts of Europe though.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

Lincoln said:


> wow, that had to be UPS, right?


I think it was.
Normally it’s about $20 for every $100 of the items value.

But I guess the customs agent on that day just felt like making me really earn that pedal lol.

The silver lining is that I hate the pedal lmao.


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## chopshop777 (Feb 20, 2021)

Always12AM said:


> I think it was.
> Normally it’s about $20 for every $100 of the items value.
> 
> But I guess the customs agent on that day just felt like making me really earn that pedal lol.
> ...


May I ask what pedal it is ? Digitech whammy ? lol cheers.


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## Dazza (Jan 16, 2011)

Extra fees/costs are more about the type of shipping rather than which company is used. Brokerage fees are not always the case with UPS etc depending which service you choose. I've received amps and guitars from the US with UPS Worldwide Expedited with no extra charges. 
Everything coming through Canada Post is processed for tax / duty. However as I'm sure others have experienced actually getting charged is a roll of the dice. In 20+ years buying parts, pedals, amps and guitars I've very rarely been charged. 
Research the best shipping option, be prepared to pay tax/duty and hope for the best.

Daz


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

So far any guitar Ive bought from japan has shown up at my door no duty or tax. If it gets nailed it is gst, pst , and I think 8 bucks for customs, and 5 % duty for Japan built if I recall.


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## achar073 (Jan 1, 2021)

Recently paid $500 of duty for a $4000 custom shop strat from the US. Think this was mostly for HST. Don't have any experience shipping from Japan. 

That was through fedex and I did the customs clearance myself at their facilities in Ottawa. Might pay more if you have to have someone do the customs paperwork for you. 

I usually bail if shipping is through UPS. The most expensive option in my experience.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

You didn't pay 500 in duty. You paid 500 in fees which included tax. Possibly duty and brokerage depending on who shipped it. Duty is an extra tax charged above and beyond GST/PST/HST on items made outside of Canada.

Duty on electronic devices from Japan can range from 0 to 35 percent. Duty on guitars is 6 percent. Whether you get charged duty depends on Customs and or the courier. (brokerage)


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## achar073 (Jan 1, 2021)

knight_yyz said:


> You didn't pay 500 in duty. You paid 500 in fees which included tax. Possibly duty and brokerage depending on who shipped it. Duty is an extra tax charged above and beyond GST/PST/HST on items made outside of Canada.
> 
> Duty on electronic devices from Japan can range from 0 to 35 percent. Duty on guitars is 6 percent. Whether you get charged duty depends on Customs and or the courier. (brokerage)


Yes, what I meant was that on top of the purchase price I had to pay $500 in various fees to the CBSA. I don't know what exactly that includes. It may not be "duties" in the strict sense of the term.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

achar073 said:


> Yes, what I meant was that on top of the purchase price I had to pay $500 in various fees to the CBSA. I don't know what exactly that includes. It may not be "duties" in the strict sense of the term.


You should have received a receipt attached to the package detailing the breakdown of what the charges were. They will show you the portion that was sales tax, the portion that was a brokerage fee, the tax on the brokerage fee and any duty that may have been assessed. It's usually attached in a clear stick-on envelope to the outside of the package.
Here’s one I got recently from FedEx. No duties because it was from Murica.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

mnfrancis said:


> Guitars shipped through the Japanese domestic system are delivered by Canada Post and I have been lucky on occasion and had them drop the guitar at my door and not charge me any duty or taxes. That would NEVER happen with UPS or FedEx.
> 
> When I have been less fortunate the import fees have never been astronomical. I would think


Yep this was my experience. Couple years ago I spent almost 2 grand on a guitar and it was shipped from Japan. It only took about 5 days to get here and it was delivered by Canada Post. I figured for sure I'd be paying GST and PST but they just handed it to me and left. Looking at the customs declaration and the entire thing was in Japanese so maybe CBSA just didn't bother?


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