Exporting Vintage Instrumemt To Camada

Hi all.

Working through Adverts.ie. A buyer in Canada has put in an offer on a vintage bass guitar I have for sale. And paid up front full asking price via Pay Pal.

But I've advised that in addition to shipping costs, there will also be a 6% Import Duty and that buyer will likely need a special import licence due to protected woods used. The guitar is a bass, Japanese made 1982.

Amy experiences of shipping instruments to Canada?


Thanks

https://www.dutycalculator.com/dc/6477007/musical-instruments/guitars/bass-guitars/import-duty-rate-for-importing-used-bass-guitar-to-canada-from-united-states-to-canada-is-6/

Gregor Samsa

The buyer will be liable for any import duty, and will have to pay for it when he/she receives the shipment. You don't need to worry about that yourself.

As for the protect woods, you'll either need a re-export licence, and this is something you as the seller will have to organise. Some general info: https://reverb.com/news/new-cites-regulations-for-all-rosewood-species

For dealers and sellers:

When shipping musical instruments that include any amount (i.e. fingerboard, back, sides, binding) of Dalbergia or the other newly regulated woods out of your country as part of a commercial transaction, each one must be accompanied by a CITES re-export certificate.

Even if the instrument was made with Dalbergia or the other regulated woods that were acquired before January 2, 2017 - such as a used or vintage instrument - it still must be accompanied by a CITES certificate and marked pre-convention when shipping internationally.

For example, a seller in Nashville looking to ship her 2013 Martin 000-28 with East Indian rosewood back and sides to a buyer in Canada must apply for a re-export certificate, pay the application fee, receive the certificate, and include that document with the guitar when shipping.

Here's specifically Irish information on CITES documentation you need for various scenarios:

https://www.npws.ie/documentation-required

The National Parks & Wildlife Service are the Irish CITES Management Authority, so maybe give them a shout and see exactly what you need. My understanding is that you need to be able to prove that you bought the bass before the woods were added to CITES in order to get the export cert marked as "pre-convention". Indian Rosewood was only added late last year, but other species, such as Brazilian Rosewood, have been on it much longer.

Thats of fantastic help phutyle, many thanks.

@Phutyle

@Phutyle.

I'm checking the UK costs (as they are easily accessed on web).

There seems to be a fee for the item itself, a wide range up to about £80.

But there seems also to be a registration fee of £220, with no guarantee that application will be successful.

Have you any experience of application process and costs? Thanks

Gregor Samsa

Sorry, no I have no experience of the process or costs at all. I've just been following the situation on various groups and fora. It seems to me that even the national authorities are unsure or unprepared regards the movement of musical instruments.

I'm interested in it because I was planning on buying a couple of necks from the US that either contained or were totally made of rosewood, but because of CITES, the sellers have totally stopped exporting from the US until they figure out the situation.

Thanks phutyle. I'll be chasing up the licence this week. I'll let you know what happens.