Buying and Shipping to Canada

Who is the best vendor to buy from in the US for shipping into Canada? Is there a way to save on things like duty and brokerage?

A friend of mine had a motorcycle parts supplier pre-pay the brokerage and that saved a lot of $$ verses what UPS or FedEx charge. Do any camera equipment suppliers to this sort of thing? They shouldn't have to charge State Tax correct?

Thanks guys/gals. Have a great day.

I suggest you have a look at this website:

http://www.photoprice.​ca/

Cameras and lenses are currently not subject to duty when imported into Canada. When you purchase from a U.S. vendor you do need to be cautious about the shipping as brokerage fees are included in the cost of shipping in some cases and extra with other services. Check the Photoprice website for a lot of good information.

Don't forget that your purchase will be subject to the applicable taxes (GST & PST or HST).

You should also have a look at these threads on the POTN Forums:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=403695

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=413155

I have purchased lenses and accessories from both B&H Photo and Adorama. My experiences with both have been good.

Most excellent! Thanks Ken.

You're welcome Len.

I noticed that I didn't comment on your question about state taxes. When you purchase for shipment to Canada you will not be billed for state tax. As noted; expect to pay the usual Canadian taxes (in you case just GST). Typically the courier will collect this on delivery.

It is also important to note that some camera accessories are subject to duty. On one purchase I had to pay duty on an accessory Canon lens hood (cost about $40, duty charge about$2.30). Of course if the lens hood is included with the lens then there evidently is no duty charge.

As noted previously, be careful with your shipping choice. You definitely want to avoid courier added brokerage fees. I have used FedEx Priority (from Adorama) and UPS Expedited (from B&H) with no added brokerage fees. FedEx did add an extra charge (about $7.00), I think it was for delivery to a "rural" area (I work in a small town).

I have received filters from The Filter Connection (www.2filter.com) and batteries and chargers from Thomas Distributing (www.thomasdistributing​.com) via U.S. Postal Service. The shipping is relatively 'slow' but reliable. Canada Post and the Canadian Customs Agency add a minimal charge (about $5.00) for handling. You should of course expect to pay GST. Sometimes you catch a break and the tax isn't added on.

Don't forget to check the Canadian stores for price comparison. Canadian prices have dropped quite a bit in recent months and on some items you can get a good price that is competative with the U.S. prices.

I've ordered from B&H photo (New York) shipped to Vancouver, and did have to pay some customs on top of tax, but my experience with them as a whole was excellent and I'd easily recommend them.

I asked Canada Customs directly about customs fees, and they told me last summer that camera bodies are subject to customs (5% i think it was) and lenses and accessories are not at the moment.

Tony, you have raised a good question. Currently the folks who run the Photoprice.ca website list Point and Shoot Cameras and SLR Cameras as duty free. I am not saying that the Photoprice guys are infallible but I suspect that they have checked into this.

As is ofter the case with with type of thing there is a lot of misinformation "on the street".

It would seem that some accessories (including lighting equipment, lens hoods and filters) may be subject to duty

To be sure, if the OP (Len) is looking to purchase and import a camera body he should check with the Canadian Border Services.

Bushplane Ken wrote in post #4665188
To be sure, if the OP (Len) is looking to purchase and import a camera body he should check with the Canadian Border Services.

From what I can decipher from the CBSA website here:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca …f/2008/01-99/ch85-eng.pdf

Section 8525.80.00 - Television cameras, digital cameras and video camera recorders are duty free.

If you want to be extra sure you can call the CBSA at 1-800-461-9999.

I should also mention that I noticed inconsistency as I also made an order through Amazon from some seller in Seattle. The point at which the border crossing was made was different, as was the shipping company. Parts labelled camera accessories were charged in this case while from B&H using UPS they were not.