Importing from Canada to USA

[300rag]

Ok, just had a very good conversation with the Portmaster at the planned crossing. It sounds as if the "letter" I aluded to is the cure. He gave me his name and hinted this was a pretty "sleepy" crossing.

Speaking of crossing, I think I'll do that with my fingers. If it works, maybe more cars can be liberated from the frozen north.

 

[Carmine]

It seems to me that you might need to be dealing with the US customs rather than the CBP.

When I roll into Canada, I stop at a CBP agent that questions me. When I come back to the US, it's a US customs agent.

I might be completely wrong here... Canada might have the say in what is exported, but I would think it's more about what the US imports.

Admittedly this alphabet soup is confusing, but CBP is the US side.

 

[GJS]

What port is the car crossing at? If it's the truck crossing in Blaine, WA it is sleepy indeed.

 

[Big_John]

Admittedly this alphabet soup is confusing, but CBP is the US side.

View attachment 178607

Yes, I was curious and did a google search and got even more confused and then realized what was up. I edited my post probably a minute after you quoted it... LOL!

 

[Yatzee]

I've not said much on this because T-minus 24 hours and I'm still not sure it will happen. Long story short is that I've made arrangements to purchase a 1981 Dodge Mirada from a gentleman in Victoria, British Columbia.

The plan is supposed to be that he drives across the border declaring he has sold the car to a US citizen and fly home. He gets a US Customs form 7501. It gets stamped as exempt from safety and emissions because 1) it was compliant when new 2) it's 37 y/o. He thus continues onto Seattle, meeting me at the airport. He leaves his plates and insurance (and I've already insured it myself). I drive it down the coast over the coming week. Car gets left in Phoenix. I apply for MI title when I get home.

After previously investigating this, I called customs again just as a "spot check". Yesterday an agent says I need to be there at the border, which is possible, but an extra pain in the butt. The problem is, like most things governmental, if you talk to 10 people, you get 11 different answers.

And of course this contradicts their own recorded message that says "if you cannot bring the vehicle across yourself, you may authorize someone else to do it. This should be in the form of a letter and must contain the full name of the person driving the vehicle. That person must bring ID...blah blah".

If you go to the CBP.gov website, it's obviously written around the idea of people trying to import cars from (Pardon my expression) Sh*thole countries without emissions or safety glass. Believe it or not, very little about what I'm sure occurs most often, bring a car in from a "normal" country like Canada.

So if anyone has done this recently you insights are appreciated. Most appreciated would be a circumstance where the seller drove the car into the USA. That's the 3 hours of wasted time I'm trying to avoid.

And as promised, here's a pic of the car:

318/4 (factory), HD suspension, 3.23 SG, T-tops, buckets, console.

View attachment 178605

If you really like and want to purchase this car my advise would be to contact a broker. Sure it will cost a bit more but the "ways and means" will be totally legal and you will be given all the information you require to insure the vehicle and change hands with the seller. In the long run this will prove to be worthwhile and reduce your stress and worry. I believe that only a broker can navigate through all the paper work and eliminate all the BS

 

[Tobias74]

Why can't the seller just drive it to the U.S. as a visitor and not come back with it?

If he is doing that he will be in big trouble and maybe is getting banned from the USA , you need a Broker and he has to file the paperwork for export if he does it the first time I will cost him all set and done around $500usd

 

[Dobalovr]

This is why our cars stay here because there seems to be the “regulations” and then the “practice” and it seems to be at the discretion of the CBP guy you are in front of. I hear horror stories all the time from people stuck for days at the border etc going both ways. You’d think it would be simple given our shared economies....I blame Trudeau..

 

[mr. fix it]

I can only a test to bringing a US car or motorcycle into Canada.
I'm not an expert or guru by any means but have experience going both ways.
(that didn't quite come out right...)

It's straight forward & time consuming but US customs border patrol has made it so you have to use a broker to prep the paperwork.
Too many private Canadian private individuals screwed up each year that the customs decided to have us use a broker to prep the paperwork and removed the screw up part at the border.
Now we have to pay a $250cdn brokerage fee using an approved broker to have them simply forward the paperwork to prove it isn't stolen or "liened" on with the title.
Usually easy money to be had here.
Once it is in Canada the Americans sure as heck don't want it back & do their best to make it as difficult as possible for you US buyers.
If it can be bought in the US then that's what they want! Don't be trying to bring any foreign car into the USA even if it was built in the USA!
As long as you play by their rules and give them honest answers then all should be fine.

If a Cdn is simply bringing a US car back home for parts then just have the current title from the seller along with the bill of sale in your name, home address, name of the seller, how much you (honestly)paid and drag it to the Cdn side, stop at the Cdn side border and declare what you paid then off you go.
(Don't ever under declare a car or it is impounded faster than you can say Carter's got little liver pills)
You will be likely arrested and the tow vehicle will be impounded with the only way to get it back is at the monthly auction and you are bidding against some big players)
I had family that worked the Cdn side back some time ago telling me stories of people losing thier cars/truck/ trailers because they thought they were smart and would save paying a few buck at the license bureau
If it is ridiculously cheap better be prepared to answer a lot of questions and the ability to prove how much you paid.
I know a small group of people that do this for even the newer parts cars to generate an income but they do have a license to import parts cars though. These ones the SN#'s branded immediately at the border so they can't be titled in Canada ever.

Again,
As long as you play by their rules and give them honest answers then all should be fine.

Hope all goes well for you.

 

[1Fury1]

I’ve brought in a few vehicles into Canada. US customs just needs the title and bill of sale faxed to them 72 hrs prior to showing up at the border crossing. They are only concerned with what’s being exported out of the US. On the Cdn side you just pay the import fee and federal tax on the purchase price. Vehicles don’t have titles in Canada just a provincial registration. I’m not sure if Canada customs is that concerned about export. Maybe if your seller simply drove it into the US then sold it to you while he was there you would mostly need to figure out how to get a title in your home state. A signed over BC registration and a bill of sale might be all you need.
Funny story bringing the Fury back was from the illustrious Canadian border brethren. After processing the paperwork on the car they decided to search my truck. They found a $3.00 receipt for a tire gauge that I bought to check my trailer tires. From that they accused me of buying tires in the states. I was across two whole days and the tires on my truck had at least 30,000 on them. They even put my son and me in separate interrogation rooms. He told them the truth, those tires have been on my dads truck for over 2 years. To this day I don’t know why they would waste everybody’s time like that but we laughed about it all the way home.

 

[LeBaron1973]

Someone has to protect us from marauding Miradas that were just like the ones sold here, only with kilogram speedos.

Kilometer as Kilogram is a unit of weight =2lbs 2oz.

 

[twostick]

Av

Kilometer as Kilogram is a unit of weight =2lbs 2oz.

Actually 2.2 lbs per kg.

Kevin

 

[FK3 Sport Fury]

I’ve brought in a few vehicles into Canada. US customs just needs the title and bill of sale faxed to them 72 hrs prior to showing up at the border crossing. They are only concerned with what’s being exported out of the US. On the Cdn side you just pay the import fee and federal tax on the purchase price. Vehicles don’t have titles in Canada just a provincial registration. I’m not sure if Canada customs is that concerned about export. Maybe if your seller simply drove it into the US then sold it to you while he was there you would mostly need to figure out how to get a title in your home state. A signed over BC registration and a bill of sale might be all you need.
Funny story bringing the Fury back was from the illustrious Canadian border brethren. After processing the paperwork on the car they decided to search my truck. They found a $3.00 receipt for a tire gauge that I bought to check my trailer tires. From that they accused me of buying tires in the states. I was across two whole days and the tires on my truck had at least 30,000 on them. They even put my son and me in separate interrogation rooms. He told them the truth, those tires have been on my dads truck for over 2 years. To this day I don’t know why they would waste everybody’s time like that but we laughed about it all the way home.

That's the way it used to be and thought it still was a couple years ago when I bought a 63 Fury in WA state and was going to bring it back to Canada.Long story short,you still need to do the 72 hour thing with the bill of sale and title but now you're required to provide US customs with an ITN number which can only be obtained through a customs broker who charge about $150 USD for that.
Luckily I had a smart phone and some extra time and could do all that while I was down there but it was a PITA,especially when you're not expecting it and the forms for the ITN aren't exactly easy to figure out.Now that I've done a few of them,it's not so bad but it's something you want to be aware of beforehand.

 

[CanCritter]

absolute horror storys,,best avoid any Canadian cars.......

 

[mr. fix it]

absolute horror storys,,best avoid any Canadian cars.......

that way there is more for us Canucks!

 

[mr. fix it]

I’ve brought in a few vehicles into Canada. US customs just needs the title and bill of sale faxed to them 72 hrs prior to showing up at the border crossing. They are only concerned with what’s being exported out of the US. On the Cdn side you just pay the import fee and federal tax on the purchase price. Vehicles don’t have titles in Canada just a provincial registration. I’m not sure if Canada customs is that concerned about export. Maybe if your seller simply drove it into the US then sold it to you while he was there you would mostly need to figure out how to get a title in your home state. A signed over BC registration and a bill of sale might be all you need.
Funny story bringing the Fury back was from the illustrious Canadian border brethren. After processing the paperwork on the car they decided to search my truck. They found a $3.00 receipt for a tire gauge that I bought to check my trailer tires. From that they accused me of buying tires in the states. I was across two whole days and the tires on my truck had at least 30,000 on them. They even put my son and me in separate interrogation rooms. He told them the truth, those tires have been on my dads truck for over 2 years. To this day I don’t know why they would waste everybody’s time like that but we laughed about it all the way home.

My first import experience wasn't 2 days long but similar.
I bought a 2002 Honda Goldwing in Michigan.
I had taken a few panels off the bike to strap it down and stored them in the van.
The seller gave me all the sales receipts and service records in a file folder which I thought was great to show care was taken during his time owning the bike.

I stopped at the Clearwater bridge, Sarnia, ON declared on the US side then headed off to the Cdn side.
Got through in good time but as I was leaving they flagged me down, and searched the van.
Well this one young female inspector hauls out the folder and starts verbally beating on me and wife stating that I was trying to smuggle all these extras by adding them to the bike.
so after arguing for about 30 minutes and going inside for the interrogation I pointed out that the chrome add-on's had dates on the receipts for a few years earlier and service records showing oil changes, tires, and what not. all older dates.
After that argument for her proved fruitless, she then accused me of doctoring the sales receipt for the bike itself.
she had no proof whatsoever and then a male inspector stepped in, reviewed and listened to me point out again the receipts and the cost of the bike.
After sometime went by, they let us go, but the folder was a mess & not in order as it was when I was given it by the seller. (I think she was pissed that a male inspector stepped in and she was proven wrong)

My experience is that they like to prove their power over us and don't care if they make your life miserable & create a mess trying to prove their point.

The next imported bike was smooth as silk proving that the border crossing can be a dream or a nightmare

 

[1978 NYB]

Should be a simple process.....collect the taxes and free the C-bodies!

In the end...isnt that what they are really after????

 

[68PK21 440.6bbl]

To this day I don’t know why they would waste everybody’s time like that but we laughed about it all the way home.

That's what you get for going for the 'Sleepy' crossing! ha They were bored stiff I guess.

 

[1Fury1]

So Carmine, after all this reverse hijacking how about that Mirada? Home yet?

 

[Carmine]

So Carmine, after all this reverse hijacking how about that Mirada? Home yet?

Must. Not. Jinx...

 

[bluefury361]

[QUOTE="1978 NYB, We paid an import company about $100 and they would pickup your car up from the port, take the car through customs, and meet you at BWI Airport with a sign that said "Bob". QUOTE]




What if your name was Steve....?