Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Full Version)

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mark74 -> Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Mar. 31 2017 0:16:10)

I found this used Prudencio Saez 22 online and its located in Cordoba

https://www.milanuncios.com/guitarras-clasicas/guitarra-prudencio-saez-22-227450537.htm#fotos

It says its been signed by Vincente Amigo and since its in Cordoba I have no reason to doubt it.

THe cost is 425 euros. Apparently this would translate to about $460 American if I translated correctly.

After shipping fees, Spanish taxes and American import taxes how much do you guys estimate the cost would be?



Sr. Martins -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Mar. 31 2017 13:48:04)

That tapa armonica really looks like cipres.



NewPlayer -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Mar. 31 2017 19:01:00)

Add ~10% for U.S import taxes



Semitone -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 1 2017 1:34:53)

Duty on "acoustic" guitars imported into the US is 8.7%. If it comes into the USPS system there will be a $6 service charge from customs to process and invoice. The USPS postman will collect the duty and USPS charges about another $5.50 for this service of collecting. So let's say you are looking at 11.50 plus 8.7%.

I believe FDX is its own licensed customs agent and they will bill the duty of 8.7% and charge a processing fee which I think is $40 but not sure. ( Note: I have also heard rumors that the customs office may cooperate with individual states so you may also be facing "use" tax...which you are suppose to pay in any event.)

All this assumes the papers are labeled properly and classified/coded properly.

There are also some confusing issues regarding whether this is a commercial or non-commercial transaction. My personal belief is that, if it isn't for resale, it is a non- commercial transaction, YMMV.

So worst case you should be looking at processing fees and 8.7% with USPS entry ( for instance a guitar from Japan will be shipped by EMS in Japan and then seamlessly enter the USPS system.) my guess is that if it is shipped from Spain using the public mail service it will connect with USPS.

If you buy in Europe and have shipped out of the EU, you are exempt from VAT so you should get about 20+% off the local price.

Remember all Rosewood is listed on the CITES list as of 1/1/17. There is going to be some export paperwork to get the guitar out of the EU, if it is done properly. This may be a big hurdle to get it shipped.

Now the good news. I have imported a lot of items for personal use. Including one guitar, and have never been assessed duty. They have always come through tax free. If you read enough forums you will find that there seems to be an element of randomness to this.

Good Luck.

Edit: the bridge and headstock overlay look like rosewood. I believe the letter of the law requires an export permit. Your seller, may or may not care, and may try to ship anyway. If it doesn't get inspected it may make it out.

I have no idea what shipping cost will be.



Erik van Goch -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 1 2017 14:18:16)

I'm always amazed about the differences in cost depending on what goes to were. It's cheaper to send a shoebox from China to the Netherlands as to send the same box to my neighbor within the Netherlands. If i import a guitar from a non European country to the Netherlands i have to pay 21% sale tax (on both the selling price AND the delivery costs) and on top of that i have to pay import tax and about 10,- administration cost or more for collecting these taxes.



Leñador -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 1 2017 16:57:43)

Here's the other cost of importing from Spain, frustration. Though a beautiful culture, logic and efficiency is not their forte. Anything I've ever ordered from Spain has taken months to get to me.



estebanana -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 2 2017 5:27:23)

Why not buy a similar guitar from one of the US dealers who import? Most of them have these kinds of guitars and will let you play it a couple days and swap it for another if you don't like it.

Japan and Korea have more seamless mail systems with the US true. Europe is all over the place - one reason is that Japan has a streamlined customs form that helps expedite small non commercial shipments. And west coast ports of entry ha be massive trade with Japan , it's not in the US interest to make that difficult.

The thing is coming from overseas what triggers import fees is cost of the product. A high declared value gets priority on being checked into the collection desk. If you import a guitar and the cost is under 2000.00 you have a good chance of not being charged at the port of entry. However to be on the up and up you should officially later declare and pay an import fee and get the paperwork receipt for the fee.

The receipt protects you later in case your property is stolen. It gives you a legal document that says I own it and payed the tax.

That however is up to you. But heed that dealers need the paperwork in order to officially take the instrument on consignment should you wish to resell through a commercial business.

If none of that worries you then there's always that.

As far as CITES and rosewood, you should consult the new rules, but what I have read is that non commercial and small purchase price items are basically exempt. A wood dealer shipping a bulk order would have to observe Cites, but an individual buying a guitar I don't think so.

You may need to get the Dept of agriculture paperwork filled out I think it is form PQ 505, I can check exactly, but that form lists the kinds of plant and vegetable matter in an object. Wood is plant material.

Contrary to what I have been told, after checking with custom s this can also be filed shortly after entry and still be valid.

Again, you decide many objects not going through commercial venues don't get touched on this subject.

Law enforcement also send more focused on banning people not products so go with the zietgeist.



orsonw -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 2 2017 12:54:52)

quote:

A wood dealer shipping a bulk order would have to observe Cites, but an individual buying a guitar I don't think so.


I don't know the rules but last summer I had this experience-
I sent a second hand blanca to the US. This was between two private individuals from the UK to the US, it got stopped at the US customs and needed a cites declaration to pass.



estebanana -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 2 2017 14:06:55)

Orson,

Very interesting- cypress usually does not require a Cites permit, cypress is not one of the hot items. They might have been looking at other parts, fingerboard, bridge etc.

What I meant about Cites and the new rules in rosewood specifically is that for private individuals trading in a guitar or two it's not a target. I'll double back on that reading and see.



orsonw -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 2 2017 14:36:44)

quote:

Very interesting- cypress usually does not require a Cites permit, cypress is not one of the hot items. They might have been looking at other parts, fingerboard, bridge etc.


I think I have remembered the details incorrectly. I think it didn't need an actual Cites permit but I had to give written information about the wood before they cleared it.



estebanana -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 2 2017 14:44:35)

US Dept. of Agriculture requires a form called a PPQ505 -iirc- which lists the woods. Depending on the port entry and which desk you get they may or may not ask for it. I had a client who asked the customs agent if he needed to present the PPQ505 from I sent, the agent said no, that is for commercial stuff...on another occasion in a different port of entry they asked for it. Go figure.

This little gem right here:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/downloads/declarationform.pdf



mark74 -> RE: Cost of importing guitar from Spain? (Apr. 5 2017 20:28:50)

Thank you guys for all your information, there was a lot of valuable advice here. In the end I decided against trying to import a guitar from Spain at this time, its just too complicated and expensive for my needs and situation.

Instead I bought a refurbished Cordoba F7 from MIRC. It was so cheap I couldnt pass it up and the cost reduction had to do with bad finishing. Right now the action is high and the strings are a bit dead, but Im taking into GC to get it set up (no reason to pay a luthier to set up a cheap guitar). Maybe at some point in the next couple of weeks or month Ill post some simple falsetas, so other guys with low budgets can hear what the F7sounds like playing flamenco ( I imagine 99% if the people who buy it dont play flamenco on it)



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