# Buying Guitars from Japan



## Skippy (May 3, 2006)

Anyone have experience with importing high end guitars from Japan?
I am currently looking at an Epiphone Elitist and was wondering what kind of import duty etc. I will be looking at?


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## Boogieman (Apr 6, 2009)

Bought a guitar from Japan last year. Here is the breakdown (copied from the CBSA Import Form on the shipping box):

Value for duty: $2330.27
Duty @5%: $116.51
GST: $122.34
PST (QC): $244.07
Handling costs: $9.95

Total paid at delivery: $492.87 (duty+GST+PST+handling costs)


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Ya, that sounds about right.

I got in a MIJ Epiphone LP a few years ago and the guitar was around $1200 all in,
it cost me just over two hundred here to recieve it.


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## Skippy (May 3, 2006)

Ok Great, so i'm looking at 5% of the cost for duty plus 13% HST.
Thanks for your reply


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## SaucyJack (Mar 8, 2017)

Haven't done so in a couple of years. Will there be any issues with CITES?


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## Boogieman (Apr 6, 2009)

SaucyJack said:


> Haven't done so in a couple of years. Will there be any issues with CITES?


This might be helpful:
CITES Regulation 2017 | Club Bass & Guitar | Toronto, Canada

Note: I did not read through the whole page.


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## Jaybo (Jun 3, 2010)

I'm surprised. That's a lot extra to pay.


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## SaucyJack (Mar 8, 2017)

I would just add 25% to the final bid. That normally covered the extra costs. The dollar was much better when I was buying like a raging lunatic.


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## dbouchard (Nov 29, 2015)

I bought a guitar from Japan last month. It wasn't high end though, but the same idea applies (46,000JPY). I paid ~200$ for shipping + the 13% tax + 5% duty fee upon receiving it. NGD post coming shortly  

The seller had to apply for a CITES re-export permit. It took 3 weeks to get it. I think they might have messed up something with the form because Japanese customs send the guitar back to the shop on the first shipping attempt. Luckily, it was quickly rectified and I received my guitar 4 days later. 

On a related note ~ I found that particular on eBay at first, however there are a lot of sellers of Japanese guitars that post instruments from their local stores with a markup. I used Google Image search with the eBay pictures to find the actual shop that carried the guitar (Far East Guitars) where it was 250$ CAD cheaper.

d.


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## Skippy (May 3, 2006)

Wow, that's good to know. The guitar I'm looking at is an elitist Riviera ltd edition , it's on eBay from Japan. I would probably be better served to buy a used 335 locally and switch the pickups to mini humbuckers. 
I'll have to crunch the numbers.


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## Tim Plains (Apr 14, 2009)

Jaybo said:


> I'm surprised. That's a lot extra to pay.


Part of that is due to where the guitar was made. There are no import duties on North American made guitars returning to North America. You just pay your province's sales tax.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I bought a Greco a few months ago, did not use cites paperwork. Paid the GST and 5% duty as well. If you buy through ebay, and the guitar is confiscated at the border for improper paperwork, the seller is responsible and has to get the guitar out of hock for you, or refund your money.


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