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Import questions...


classamin
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Hello everyone.

I've got a few questions about concerns of mine regarding importing an instrument from the USA to Scotland. Basically, the deal is a good one. I will be swapping my Trace Elliot head for a nice 5 string LTD by ESP bass. The only concerns of mine are... Seeing as no actual money is being exchanged, if the value of the instrument is around £250 and at an estimate shipping is an extra £150, how much am I likely to pay in import taxes/duties? Also, what is the general idea of CITES regulations regarding the rosewood fretboard? Is this likely to be more hassle for a better deal than I'd find in the UK, than the better deal is worth?

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The quick and dirty calculation for working out VAT and import duty used to be to take the declared value of the instrument (for insurance purposes) plus the shipping costs and add on 25% plus an extra £20 for customs clearance and you won't have any nasty surprises.

Unfortunately CITES has added a new level of complexity. Instruments with CITES listed woods need both an export licence (to be arranged by the sender) and an import licence (to be arranged by the recipient) and both must be in place before the instrument is sent. I've looked before for the cost of a CITES export licence from the US and can't find any actual prices. However the UK import licence is £76 IIRC so I would imagine that the US export licence will cost about the same. 

TBH for me CITES just makes the whole process too time-consuming, complicated and expensive.

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Doing CITES declaration properly is not cost effective - I think its about £150 or so. The way to do it seems to be to ignore the regulations and cross your fingers - lots of items make it through anyway. And we all know that it was kinda never the intention of the regulations to affect guitar sales etc anyway...so no real issue here.

But if you do that, you'd want to buy it from a place who would refund you if it never made it.

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