Heritage Canada Export Permits For Vintage Bikes

[Paps]

Quick parts purchase story for you all.....I bought many HD nos parts out of Europe. I also bought many HD repop parts out of Europe also. Value per shipment was less than 2000. I even used the code I talked about in another topic months back. U.S customs nailed me on all my early purchases. They broke all of the assemblies down to the bolt, screw, nut, washer, castings, plastic, paper, crating, and material all were made from. I complained and they set the record straight. Customs has not bothered me since. But ?? They never refunded the earlier charges either.

[Paps]

We must have posted at the same time Barry. I didn't see your last post until I submitted mine. This is a real shame indeed ! I also purchsed many a nice NOS Canadian mil spec nos part from my Canadian friends. This ruling may change the way we have done business in the recent past. Very sad.....

[micmac]

I'm picking up a set of original Traveller saddle bags in New Zealand next week and bringing them home. Hopefully I will not have any problems. I have made the trip many times over the last few decades to visit my in-laws with very few issues. The Kiwi's worry about you bringing honey into the country, when you come home after the 15 hour flight, our boys and girls really like to invent stuff to mess with you about.

[Snakeoil]

Pete,

If those bags say HD or Indian or some other American marque, and you are bringing them back to the US, then they are American goods returning and they are duty free.

Just make sure there aren't any incriminating "seeds" inside before you get to customs. They've got those doggies with the trained sniffers now, ya know.

Rob

[Chris Haynes]

Pete,

If those bags say HD or Indian or some other American marque, and you are bringing them back to the US, then they are American goods returning and they are duty free. Rob

Just because it says Harley-Davidson on it doesn't mean it was made in the USA.

[Paps]

Not anymore, at least..

[Snakeoil]

Just because it says Harley-Davidson on it doesn't mean it was made in the USA.

You make a valid point for today's products, for sure, Chris. But I was talking about vintage stuff and I would like to think that US Customs are smart enough (going out on a limb here) to know that something that old with a US manufacturers name on it was made in the USA.
regards,
Rob

[Barry Brown]

Of course as usual this topic has wandered to a customs duty discussion . I can tell you when I used to cross to the US with OLD Harley and other American made parts the burden of proof for place of manufacture rests squarely with the importer. Even if the item is apparently old and is stamped or cast "made in USA" there is no guarantee a underpaid overworked and/or over zealous customs official will let it pass. I have even been told by US Customs that there was a town in Japan years ago called USA although I found that a little far fetched. Maybe Bill Harley's fingerprints or DNA and radio carbon dating might help.

[Chris Haynes]

Usa, Japan???
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/usa.asp

[aka HAWG]

years ago coming back from an american swap meet, one fellow in the car had purchased a few british parts, handgrips,foot peg rubbers etc.

another fellow told him to tell the customs officer the parts were harley and he should let them through without any problems - when we pulled up to the booth the very informed officer openly asked what british bike the fellow was restoring - the officer was a british bike lover

another time I had purchased a 1961 sportster that had been slightly modified. upon reporting to the customs lady what I had purchased and shown receipt. was told to report to secondary for further inspections. another customs lady can out to inspect the bike and receipt. she then informs me that she does not beleive the receipt ( $1000.00 ) because she saw on the television a few nights previous a show claiming that a new harley was over $35,000 and that harleys retained their value. she wanted to talk to the seller about the low price. I tried to explain that the owner was still at the swap meet and probbly not home till late that evening after he cleaned up his booth and drove home ( current time was about 1pm , swap meet ended at 6pm ). this info was of no importance as I must stay till she gets more info. 3 hours later another customs officer ( male ) asked what or who I was waiting for - told the previous story, he informed me the lady's shift had ended almost an hour ago and she had left and he would investigate the receipt.

he came back out 5 minutes later told me the duty was under $50.00 and I was on my way. gave no reason for the ladies attitude or leaving and mentioned that I should forget about it - I did as my travels into the united states was more important than questioning authority

just my 3.5 cents worth - exchange rate canadian to american

aka HAWG

[Barry Brown]

Hey Dave, did I ever tell you why I stopped vending at US meets? It is illegal! Even though I had been doing it for years with the seeming approval of US customs officers as I always submitted my "repatriation of American made goods lists" I chose to cross once at the Detroit Bridge. Big mistake. An immigration official overheard as the customs official was clearing me to go. It seems for a foreigner to sell at a flea market in the USA it is considered "working" and I suppose if one obtains a green card it would be ok but I have enough bureaucracy in my life already. so that's why I do Ebay. I told this to a lady US customs officer once and she retorted "we're clamping down on that too" . As with every profession there are always a few brain dead anomalies.

[Paps]

Speaking of Made In The USA....A friend of mine was a pattern maker at a recently closed foundry. They manufactured bath tubs out of cast iron, along with other fixtures. Anyhow, The company moved all their molds, etc., over to China, over the past few years. Just prior to closing the US based plant, A bunch of crates came in from China. Inside the crates were the newly made bath tubs, which were poured from the molds, which were shipped over to China. The tubs were to be re crated at the US based plant. Once the tubs were uncrated, my buddy got to be looking at the bottom of those tubs, when he discoved...."MADE IN THE USA" cast into them. He brought this to the attention of his union leadership and they took a look see. It wasn't an hour after the union reps verified this, laborers were instructed to remove [ grind away ] the USA identifications. Plant personel, nor the owners, knew anything about this . Yeah ! Right !!!

[aka HAWG]

I can one better ya

went to a shop ( in canada ) that makes the wire harness for the international truck company - sterling. the non union workers that make the harness MUST affix " MADE IN MEXICO" stickers on the harness before they are crated to be shipped to the states, from there it is reshipped to the factory 1 hour away in canada to be put into the truck being built
the head company does this to be NAFTA approved or so I was told

barry - back in the early 90's I took a bunch of parts to oley to sell, included list of parts to customs - every thing oked on way over, sold some parts, bought some parts, gave all this info to customs on way back - they had a fit that I was able to bring parts over to sell without proper authorization and paperwork. from then on I only brought a few items to cover gas and camping fee's and did not tell them anything they did not ask about. ONLY TELL THEM WHAT THEY ASK FOR AND NOTHING MORE

aka HAWG

[Paps]

Not sure if it beats mine or not but it definately ties it for sure. What the hell are they all trying to pull on us ???

[Barry Brown]

they use the internet too. Hell, they are probably watching this! a friend of a friend bought an old car in the states. on the way back he claimed he paid $3500 when it as actually $10,000. they went through EVERYTHING and found a little piece of paper with the word Ebay on it. You guessed it. They fined him $3500 . The alternative and I know this has been done is to lose what you bought, your trailer and tow vehicle plus untold headaches!