Low Currency Blues
The Canadian dollar is currently hovering at around 75 cents U.S and some economists claim it might drop as low as 70 cents U.S so imports from the states will likely be a bit more expensive for a while. But deals can still be found, provided you shop around and avoid retailers with usually high shipping and handling rates.
Imports valued at less than $20 Canadian are still tax free and American retailers like Amazon.com
have some great deals that you can still take advantage of.
Another option would be to import from Europe, which can actually be faster and occasionally cheaper than ordering from the states.
In the past i’ve purchased books, CDs, CD singles and DVDs from Amazon France
Although it should be noted that most of their DVDs and Blu-rays are not compatible with North American Players, some of these are NTSC compatible or region free, so pay close attention to the information provided on the site. And yes, many European releases have yet to make it online or to iTunes so it doesn’t hurt to browse around.
Vinyl fans will also like AMAZON U.k’s
Basically you can save a few bucks by shopping around and keeping an eye on the exchange rates.
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Budget Day Goodies ?
Today is Budget Day in Ottawa. And the current government has been promising to address some issues related to the higher prices Canadians pay for certain products.
Canadians pay significantly more for certain products than the Americans and although some of the price differences can be attributed to tariffs, labour and transportation costs, much of the purchase price is pre-determined by the manufacturer.
“Country Pricing” has become the standard and unfortunately Canada’s prices have not been adjusted to match our dollar’s strength.
Some online retailers have done their best to match prices but Canadians were still forced to either import products from the states or pay higher prices at their local retailers.
I suspect that tariffs will be reduced or eliminated on certain products in this budget, perhaps on books, clothing, electronics and home appliances.
Those are the most imported products, especially on Black Friday. But I’m also hoping they will follow the recommendations in the February 2013 Senate Committee report of the US/Canada Price Gap and raise the de minimis threshold for postal shipments from $20.
When you import most products by mail you are exempt from duties, fees and taxes if the product or products shipped are valued at less than $20 Canadian.
I’ve managed to save some money using they exemption. But many countries like the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore had raised this minimum to US$100 in November 2011, enabling their citizens to avoid paying the hefty brokerage fees some couriers charge on parcels.
Brokerage fees have recently gone up in Canada so I’m hoping they will at least consider a CAN$50 threshold.
The other probabilities in the budget are reductions in credit card/banking fees, funding for an expansion of high speed internet into rural areas, and the unbundling of cable channels so I guess lots of Canadians will be watching this afternoon.
The budget broadcast will air on television and online on CPAC at 4PM Eastern. Details on the budget will also be made available on the Government’s Official Site after 4 PM Eastern.
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No New Postal Import Duty Allowance ?
The duty free allowances for cross-border shoppers will rise on June 1st, 2012. But the duty and tax exemptions for postal importations remain intact.
The 24 hour duty allowance will rise from $50 to $200 whilst the 48 hour duty allowance will rise from $400 to $800.
On postal importations, the duty and tax exemptions remain at $20, $60 on gifts.
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