help with importing parts from US

[Colin Byrne]

Hi guys,
After a bid of advice, I've ordered a fair bit of stuff from the US and I've just got a letter saying it is sitting in customs.  The value of the parts is over $1000 dollars and I need to fill out an import declaration but having trouble working out what the tariff classification field is, has anyone else been through this?
The parts are pistons, rods and transmission gear sets
cheers for any help

[John Hanslow]

I gather the old "for personal use and no duty payable" line does not work anymore ?

[SimonR]

Maybe best to pay a customs agent $90 or so to do all of this for you as its far quicker and they know some of the other loop holes too. I went through the same process when I brought in a half pallet of stuff from UK for my Spider and even the Tullamarine Customs guys said to use an agent and they even suplied the contact details to call one of them. Many of the customs agents are situated at Airport West and very close to the Australian Customs themselves and I only had to wait 45 mins for them to do it which was way quicker than the minfield of paperwork I was given to complete in order to release the goods to me.

Next time have it sent over in a few bundles of under $1000 each to avoid all of the hassle and save on the GST too!

Good Luck!

[branko.gt]

It needs to be marked as replacement parts for a vehicle over 30 years old.
That actually attracts lower tarrif.

It is not that difficult, I forget all details but this can all be done quite easily. I've done it so how hard can it be. I did not get an agent to do it. That is like asking for directions when you get lost. Real men don't do it. Next you'll advocate reading manuals and where will we be than.

Few smaller shipments do not work as the same sender to the same address get noticed and assessed as a single shipment anyway.


let me see if i can find the documentation that i submitted.

[AndrewO]

Hi,

I went through the whole rigmarole.  I had the goods listed at under $1,000 but the price customs looks at is cost PLUS delivery and you pay based on all of that.

Here's some of the details I had written down in case I needed it again......

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/TCOupdate.pdf

This document lists a whole heap of tarrif concession orders that were being replaced in 2007 and why.  A TCO is a special order that lets stuff get in duty free or cheap if it can't be reasonably found in Australia.

In the actual list of oders there is a line for "PARTS, PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLE, manufactured at least 30 years" that has a new TCO classification number of
8708.30.93

If you look up this number in the rates document found at:
http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/tariff/chapter87goods_b.pdf

It says that the rates are 10% + DC5% + CA2.5%

But.....

at the top of that page the heading is "Rate #"

And at the footnote of the page it says that # is:

(among a whole heap of other things)
"Unless indicated in Schedule 5, rates for US originating goods are Free"

Now we travel to schedule 5 found at:

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/tariff/schedule5c.pdf

There is no listing in that schedule for 8708.30.93

So it is not listed so it should be free. 
I tried that but it didn't work so I had to pay the full amount which ended up adding quite a bit to the total price.

Good luck.

[AndrewO]

Oh,

It might be worth ringing a customs agent with the above information to see if they can get it in for free for you. 

Otherwise just fill in the paperwork and pay up.  Customs will bluff their way through and if you want your goods you do what they say.

[branko.gt]

Andrew, that is some excellent info there.

I did not manage to find my paperwork but it was before 2007 anyway so it would be different.

The problem with trying to get in things for free is that not all things are necessarily "originating" from US if they are imported from US. At least a half of Colin's order originates outside US (as in manufactured elsewhere). This tarrif exemption woudl have to do with our free trade agreement with US.

But, this is a good tip to try and plan orders so that you end up paying GST only and no tariff.

Yes, you will end up paying all duties on shipping cost as well. This is an important gotcha. The cost is assessed on the value including the shipping. Always was.

Some of your links do not work as they have changed the paths.
This is the document for working out what tariff code to use : http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/TCO_8707_to_8708_40_59.pdf. and according , so that the code should be 8708.40.52.  and the rate is 5%, CA:Free.

BTW you work out the tariff from this document : http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/chapter87goods_b.pdf

[Colin Byrne]

thanks heaps for all the info guys, i ended up contacting these guys

http://www.auspostcustoms.com.au/index.html

they sounded pretty confident that the car being over 30 years old would reduce the cost, i'll let you know how i go

cheers