As a matter of interest I decided to to find out what customs duty would be on pipes imported from the E.U. to Canada, but after searching many websites I have come up with nothing.I realise there will be hst plus #5 dollars handling fee but what percentage will the customs duty be?Does any Cannuck have the answer or is it a Revenue Canada secret?
Hi Mike,
I’ve imported from the US and had to pay GST and QST (equivalent of HST) at approx 14%. But no Customs Duty (because of NAFTA?).
I’ve also had to pay handling charges but this varies depending on who the carrier is. I usually pay $5 if it is the Post Office. I’ve been caught for over $50 by FedEx. Guess why I prefer using the Post Office?
Thanks PJ.the US is no problem it’s the EU,(UK) that I am wondering about.Also I’ve been ripped off by UPS,but not any more.
Hi Mike
You are right, it is hard to find information on the web, for import duty on bagpipes (according to the forum on bob dunsire’s site, it is between 6 and 8%, with practice chanters free).
David
Thanks David I will check that out.Mike
Have a look at page 4 of the following link:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2010/01-99/ch92-eng.pdf
It’s chapter 92 of the Canadian Customs Tariffs Schedule. It covers musical instruments. Bagpipes are mentioned generally under the heading of Other Wind Musical Instruments, but are not specifically categorized. In most cases the customs tariff seems to be “Free”.
I suspect uilleann pipes would fit best in the the code “9205.90.10 60” where we see “Practice Chanters” and other double reed instruments. If it is not already shipped, get the sender to describe it as a “practice chanter for Irish bagpipes”.
You don’t want to get the “9205.90.90 00” code which is the category for “Other” musical instruments and is subject to a 6% tariff.
There’s no duty on GHB’s coming into the U.S. Is there a duty for Uilleann pipes coming into the U.S? I would think Bagpipes are Bagpipes!
Reedmaster,
There is NO duty payable on Uilleann Pipes, or anything to do with any sort of bagpipe if the correct Harmonized Tariff Code is used. I have sent many sets to the US and apart from one where FedEx wrongly collected duty (and grudgingly gave it back some time later) the import has neither been questioned nor delayed. JFK, being of Irish descent, made this concession in 1962 I think it was.
If you look at the relevant page of the HTS there is a letter from the officials which gives the ruling on this, and they themselves suggest enclosing a copy of that letter with the imported item. I have copied that letter each time I have sent a set Stateside and have only ever had the one hit from FedEx as mentioned above. You all owe JFK a lot. 
Thank you for your informative answer Mike. I’ll bet I’m not the only one that wondered about the U.S. duty on uilleann pipes.
Thanks PJ,that seems to answer the question.Mike
I second.
Thanks Mike.
Hi,
I just received an order of cane from Madir in Spain.
Canada charges 5% Duty on “Musical Instruments and Instrument Parts” +GST + $5.00 handling charge. (I don’t think it matters what country they are coming from)
A $48cdn package cost $13.96 in charges.
In my past experience, packages with a value of less then $25 get passed on without any charges added.
This was sent by Air Mail.
I now have a Kilo of cane tubes to play with.
Tim Robinson
I’ve had mixed experiences with duty. In some cases there was no charge despite the package being valued for over $500. In other cases, I’ve had to pay duty when the insured value was $200. I suspect much depends on how busy they are.
I know the cash strapped Irish government have told the customs they must collect as much duty on imports as is legally possible and they do.
RORY
Here is a link to the Harmonized Tarrif Schedule for customs duties for the US.
http://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1002c92.pdf
The code for bagpipes that Mike is referring to is:
9205 90 2000
Have your shipper include this code on the forms when you are shipping your pipes into the US to avoid customs costs.
Note that the first six digits of the Harmonized Tariff Codes are now standard across North America, the EU, and probably OECD and most other nations as well.
The additional digits may vary from country to country.
However, “9205.90” is sufficient to identify bagpipes. “9205.99” appears to apply to bagpipe accessories. When sending to the US it may be worth digging into the US tariff code documents for the extra two to four digits.
The EU documents seem to be hard to find, unlike the US ones which are readily available on the Internet. If you want to get the specific extra digits, within the EU, it seems one is expected to either apply to the appropriate national authority for a ruling, or pay money in order to access a web site or service that finds the number for you. Ugh. The official EU site is typically unhelpful. That said, the first six digits should suffice for almost all purposes.
Bill