animalwithin
Oud Maniac
Posts: 75
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: Los Angeles, California
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Customs charges
Hi everybody,
I'm currently in the market for a custom oud and am considering two builders, on in Canada and the other in Greece. I live in California, United
States so I am worried about shipping charges and customs charges. I don't think customs will charge me a fee from the Canadian luthier so I may go
with him but he is charging more than the one in Greece so I"m torn. Have any of you recieved customs fees after ordering an oud from outside the
U.S.?
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Jody Stecher
Oud Junkie
Posts: 1356
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: California
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I'm also in California. Sometimes I've been charged a brokerage fee by the shipping company for items sent from overseas. Once it was $35. Once it
was $60. Usually there is nothing. I have always been charged a fee for shipments from Canada but that was a while ago. It happened 3 times in the
1980s and 90s. The item was a guitar case each time. I can't remember how much it was.
I have never been charged a customs fee for a musical instrument shipped from abroad but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Others *have* been
charged but it depends on the type of instrument and point of origin, date of manufacture, and other factors, such as barometric pressure, and what
the customs official or shipping company employer had for breakfast, and --really-- the time of day. The best protection against customs fees is to
make sure that the seller specifies in the paperwork that the item being shipped is " a LUTE".
Customs doesn't know what to make of the word "oud". One time they thought the package contained an explosive device. O-U-D reminded them of I-E-D .
Another time they thought the parcel contained cheese. (g OUD a ? ). In both cases the result was a delay of a week or more. But customs knows how
to look up the word "lute" and their instructions say to charge no duty for lutes (unless the value is super duper high perhaps).
another way around the problem is to use DHL as a shipper. They seem to have a streamlined customs clearing method and the parcel goes right to your
door with no fuss or delay or extra charge. But things change and really the deciding factor on whether the receiver of a package sent from abroad
gets charged a brokerage fee or a customs fee is the mood of each official who processes the item.
I would advise buying the oud you think is best and take your chances about fees. I have no experience of shipping from Greece but other forum members
do and perhaps they will offer the benefit of their experience. Canada being a neighbor is no guarantee of no customs fee and especially no guarantee
of no brokerage fee (the broker clears the item with customs at the port of entry).
good luck!
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Greg
Administrator
Posts: 926
Registered: 7-22-2004
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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Mood: Serene
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The Custom's code for an oud is probably 9202.90.60.00
If it has a pickup, it would probably fall under 9207.90.00.40
You can see the relevant Customs' charges here: http://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1210c92.p...
I have imported several ouds into Australia and have never been asked to pay Customs' import duty. Of course, the laws will be different in the USA
and Jody has certainly had a lot of experience with bringing instruments in. Perhaps some of the other US members who have imported ouds from the
middle-east could shed some additional light on this subject.
Regards,
Greg
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animalwithin
Oud Maniac
Posts: 75
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: Los Angeles, California
Member Is Offline
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Thanks for all the great info guys, definetely helps! Reason why I ask is that I play the guitar and on another guitar forum some users in the U.S.
and Canada recieved guitars from Europe and said they later recieved customs fees of $300. Sounds ridiculous but this is what they said so I wanted to
see if ouds were treated differently. Greg, if I'm reading the codes correctly, there is a 3.2% customs fee for ouds, which equates to about $50, not
bad. I think I will go to for the luthier in Greece (Dimitirs). I'll make sure he writes LUTE on the paperwork.
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Brian Prunka
Oud Junkie
Posts: 2918
Registered: 1-30-2004
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Mood: Stringish
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Be aware when ordering instruments from abroad that local rules for exotic woods and animal products are often different from the rules for
international trade.
For example, it is legal (in the US and in Europe) to re-use old Brazilian rosewood for new purposes (like turning a bed into fingerboards and pegs),
but that the resulting instrument may not be legal to sell internationally. Same goes for ivory. I don't know about Greece, but I've seen Turkish
makers using real tortoiseshell for pickguards and ornamentation; this would be illegal to sell in the US. In these cases, customs can seize the
instrument permanently and charge you serious fines. Make sure that you know what you are getting and have all the correct paperwork in order.
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animalwithin
Oud Maniac
Posts: 75
Registered: 11-5-2011
Location: Los Angeles, California
Member Is Offline
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Thanks for the heads up brian. Don't think the woods will cause me any trouble and I'm not going for any ivory or tortoiseshell.
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