Hi,
can anyone tell me what charges there are for importing a rod from the USA ie customs tax etc

any advice welcome,
thanks Diarmid.

You can normally add 30% to the total cost.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

cant say for a rod, i generally buy smaller items fron US, my last was a Wulff TT which came in at £32 + £2.50 P+P, less postage than i'd expect to pay within the UK.

One thing I find when buying things from the USA is that if you use Fedex, the item will invariably get caught for every bit of duty, VAT, handling fees etc. etc.. With USPS, occasionally things will get through without entailing duty at all ..... so guess which I use

.

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Duirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite

Nature is by and large to be found out-of-doors, a location where, it cannot be argued, there are never enough comfortable chairs. Franz Lebowitz

Prices for fishing tackle bought from the US can seem very attractive compared to what you'll pay for the same item in your local shop. but it isn't as simple as all that. There's a threshold value below which you don't pay import duty, but it varies depending on the nature of the product. I've bought Gudebrod whipping silks from an Americal internet retailer and paid only shipping costs.

Once you exceed that threshold, the percentage appropriate to the type of item is payable at point of entry into the UK. If you were to collect from HM Customs & Excise you'd pay the import duty and walk away with your item; in practice most people use a parcel carrier door-to-door, so once it arrives in the UK Royal Mail take over and clear the item through customs on your behalf, but before they deliver they'll charge you the import duty plus a handling fee.

There's a scale of percentages and other advice on this site:

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsP...CE_PROD_008654

This link indicates the relevant category and commodity code applicable to fishing tackle:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg...false&x=21&y=7

Add up import duty, shipping and handling fees and, as 3lbgrayling suggests, you'll pay in the region of 30% on top of the purchase price - but it can be less, or more. The safest option is to work out exactly how much before you buy, as it isn't unknown to end up paying more than if you'd bought from the UK.

My Mrs bought me a rod before Christmas at $140 dollars. By the time it arrived and was fully paid for it cost over £150. Not quite the deal I'd hoped for.

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Location - Ospreylia

Yes, I think the party is pretty much over for a while. Ahhh those heady days of eBaying like a demon with a 2 to 1 ecchage rate in your favor. . . Those were the days.

I can't see how it makes much sense to mail order these days, unless it something you absolutely cannot get over there. It used to be you had to order certain rod brands from the US because there were few or no dealers in the UK, but now that's not the case.

The best way now is if you or someone you know is coming over on holiday or a business trip. I've never heard of anyone being questioned about goods or having to pay duty on items brought in that way.

The only time I've ever been given **** at Customs about the value of fishing gear, was I intending to sell it, etc was going into Canada of all places. Get a grip Dudly Doright, talk about smuggling coal into Newcastle! Must have been a slow day, eh?

Grouse

The smaller dealers will often tick the 'gift' box on the customs declaration if you ask/hint nicely, so you avoid all the extras. Bigger dealers tend to tell you that to do so is a federal offence, and unpatriotic.

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Behold the fisherman
He riseth up early and disturbeth the whole household.
MIGHTY ARE HIS PREPARATIONS!
He goeth forth full of hope and when the day is far spent he returneth
Smelling of strong drink, and the truth is not in him

'Repair/guarantee replacement.'
fae

That is pretty much spot on, not many companies will indicate 'gift' these days.
Cheers
Richard

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Richard Jackson
Fly fishing instruction and guiding in the heart of Devon
www.devonflyfisher.com