Buying a used bicycle in Canada and driving it to the US

[skinipenem]

I searched but the most recent thread is seven years old and not exactly on topic.

I might be driving up your Canadia to purchase a, apparently lightly, used dh bike this week. Price is greater than 2500 usd. What's the best way to navigate the import process? I'm not real keen on lying to a border agent.

I'll be driving our suv and putting the bike inside with the wheels off for the trip home. This might matter for the assembled vs disassembled factor.

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[McShortyShorts]

I doubt they are going to care about a bike at the border, much less a used one. If you do want to declare it, "used bike parts" is the way I'd go

[cat in january]

Yeah a mountain bike this time of year is a real common item going back and forth. Sure you will have the accompanying clothing to ride it up there. I wouldn’t say anything.

[smmokan]

I've crossed the border a bunch in the last few years with multiple bikes on the back of my truck at once (6-10) and even with the huge company decals, only half of the border agents even asked about them. With a single used mountain bike, no one is going to care.

[toast2266]

"Are you bringing anything back that you purchased in Canada" is a pretty common question.

They're not going to be suspicious of a bike in the back, but if you answer "yes" to that question, you're just wading into a time consuming hassle. And I believe you'll pay an 11% duty on it, so it's gonna cost you a not-insignificant amount of money.

In other words, just lie about it.

[ironhippy]

If you are going up, buying a bike and then returning within a few hours, you may raise suspicion, so in that case it'd be better to declare it and pay whatever fee (see if you can get a receipt for less money)

If you're going to Canada for any period of time, especially if you are going to use the bike, declaring it will only lead to needless hassle.

[skinipenem]

If you are going up, buying a bike and then returning within a few hours, you may raise suspicion, so in that case it'd be better to declare it and pay whatever fee (see if you can get a receipt for less money)

If you're going to Canada for any period of time, especially if you are going to use the bike, declaring it will only lead to needless hassle.

Yep. I think this is unfortunately the way. I'll be driving up and back within a few hours. Ideally, within an hour if seller meets me near the border.

Any thoughts on the least expensive way to exchange usd for cad?

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[El Chupacabra]

Yep. I think this is unfortunately the way. I'll be driving up and back within a few hours. Ideally, within an hour if seller meets me near the border.

Any thoughts on the least expensive way to exchange usd for cad?

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"I drove up to ride, crashed and tweaked my back, decided to just cut my trip short and come on home."

[m2711c]

Dude, I just drove up to Canada to buy a used engine from the junkyard for my tracker. Over and back in one day with an obvious engine strapped in the back of my truck. Nobody said shit.


don’t overthink it.

[Dee Hubbs]

Buy it, ride it, don’t wash it, put it in the cah. ‘Nothing to declare!’

When I worked in Whistler at our bike shop, customers from Mexico City would buy 3 high end bikes on the condition that we could ship them to Mexico. They would then ask us "to ride them, get them dirty, and ship with the dirt still on"
We would go rip these new bikes for a week or or so and then box them up.
I was always baffled at them spending $30,000 on bikes, but trying to save a few hundred dollars in duty fees.

[Ted Striker]

I've driven to BC and back same day, bike in back, no questions asked. Know several people in greater van who drive down here to ride as well, without getting hassled about their bikes.

Any thoughts on the least expensive way to exchange usd for cad?

As a general rule, electronic will be a better rate than cash, and currency exchange houses are better than the banks. I've also found that the places near the border on the Canadian side have better rates than the ones in the US.

If you're crossing at the Peace Arch (I5-BC99), Express Currency Exchange on Russell Ave in White Rock has the best cash rate.

[m2711c]

Or just pay the guy in dollars and let him deal with the exchange. Lotsa folks prefer the $

[singlesline]

I was always baffled at them spending $30,000 on bikes, but trying to save a few hundred dollars in duty fees.

Lot more than that! I think you risk getting hit with both an import duty and VAT.

This site lists import tariff at 15% for bicycles, and VAT in Mexico is currently 16%. Other south/central American countries can be even higher on certain goods.

I'd let someone ride my bikes and ship them dirty to save $9k!

[TrueNorth]

You are allowed up to bring back up to $800 (US) duty free, and theoretically could be charged duty (11% for bikes as mentioned above?) if it's more than that, but with our free trade agreements if the "country of origin" (where it's made) is Canada the duty rate should be 0%. The rules regarding COO are complicated when the parts come from different countries (almost always the case for bikes), but I wouldn't really expect the border guards to know or care too much about those details. If you do decide to declare it you should get a receipt that matches the declared value.

FWIW bringing many personal use purchases (including bikes) beyond the duty-free limit across the border into Canada from the US I've never been asked to pay duty, just the 13% sales tax of my province. It isn't much of a hassle, I just go inside, show the receipt, and pay the 13% with my credit card. I've never been asked about country of origin of the items.

[evdog]

Or just pay the guy in dollars and let him deal with the exchange. Lotsa folks prefer the $

That's a good idea to negotiate a price in USD. That way if you don't end up buying it for whatever reason you won't incur the expense of exchanging funds back to USD.

This site lists import tariff at 15% for bicycles, and VAT in Mexico is currently 16%. Other south/central American countries can be even higher on certain goods.

I was gonna say it can be a lot different in some countries. Tour co in Bolivia back in the day told me if I wanted to come back let him know, and he'd give me a free tour if I brought a "used" bike down for him. I think the import duty down there on a lot of things was around 100%. He took a dslr camera as payment for helping one group with filming a segment for a MTB video. Since most bikes aren't made in US/CA, NAFTA or whatever it's called now might not provide duty relief to bikes imported into Mexico. So yeah if that comes out to 30% on $30k, that is a lot.

The rules regarding COO are complicated when the parts come from different countries (almost always the case for bikes), but I wouldn't really expect the border guards to know or care too much about those details. If you do decide to declare it you should get a receipt that matches the declared value.

FWIW bringing many personal use purchases (including bikes) beyond the duty-free limit across the border into Canada from the US I've never been asked to pay duty, just the 13% sales tax of my province. It isn't much of a hassle, I just go inside, show the receipt, and pay the 13% with my credit card. I've never been asked about country of origin of the items.

When I lived in Vancouver I'd often have online orders from Jenson or Universal Cycles shipped to Pt Roberts since shipping into Canada was expensive. I would always declare and then go in and pay GST like you describe (no PST on bike parts back then). Border guard one time decided he was going to be a hard ass so he went out and searched my truck and when he didn't find anything, came back in and demanded to know the country of origin of every item on my invoice. I had no clue and told him that. "Well you better go out and look then". I pointed out that bike parts were rated at zero percent duty on the customs tariff. Still got sent outside. He spent 10 mins typing all the info into his computer and then seemed disappointed when it came out with $0 in duties just like I told him it would.

[rideit]

When I worked in Whistler at our bike shop, customers from Mexico City would buy 3 high end bikes on the condition that we could ship them to Mexico. They would then ask us "to ride them, get them dirty, and ship with the dirt still on"
We would go rip these new bikes for a week or or so and then box them up.
I was always baffled at them spending $30,000 on bikes, but trying to save a few hundred dollars in duty fees.

Mexican VAT is often up to 25% for high ticket items like this, not an insignificant amount.
I used to smuggle ‘used’ bikes into Peru for my friends down there for this very reason.

[oftpiste]

I did this exact thing a number of years ago. No issues. Might be more stringent now.

Yep. I think this is unfortunately the way. I'll be driving up and back within a few hours. Ideally, within an hour if seller meets me near the border.

[Thaleia]

"I drove up to ride, crashed and tweaked my back, decided to just cut my trip short and come on home."

Wouldn't the agents have access to video of the vehicle crossing originally (with no bike attached..)?

[ironhippy]

Wouldn't the agents have access to video of the vehicle crossing originally (with no bike attached..)?

yes, in theory they have all of this (and more!)

However chances are they won't bother unless you give them a reason.

That being said, the border is one area I never play games. The border guards can detain you indefinitely simply because they choose to.

[El Chupacabra]

Wouldn't the agents have access to video of the vehicle crossing originally (with no bike attached..)?

Good point.

[singlesline]

Wouldn't the agents have access to video of the vehicle crossing originally (with no bike attached..)?

I mean, they probably have cameras pointing every direction, but don't you talk to a Canadian agent on the way in and an American agent on the way out?

At the nearest crossing to me, all of the big cameras and scanners are in the US lane which is like 100' away from the road you drive to get to the Canadian lane...they aren't going to have HD footage from multiple angles with plate scanners to easily look up how your car looked on the way in and I don't think Canada is going to volunteer that information over taxes on a used bike.

[toast2266]

There is a zero percent chance that a border agent is gonna go through the hassle of pulling up camera footage to determine if someone is trying to get out of paying duties on a used bike.

[skinipenem]

So......

I picked up a new to me dh rig today in quebeciah Canadia. Border agent asked how long I was in Canadia and what I did there. I said just long enough to eat lunch and pick up a bike up from my friend. Anything to declare? Yes, the used bike. Have a nice day.

Ultimately, I chose full transparency instead of risking seizure of my new ride

And that's it. They're isn't anymore.

Thanks for all the beta!

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[El Chupacabra]

So did it cost you anything to declare it?

[skinipenem]

Nope. (My grammar and structure above is horrendous.)

Literally, "Have a nice day." Waved me through. They couldn't be bothered.

I'm super stoked.

I was driving an old subaru with bike stuff strewn throughout, punctuated by the smell of frites. I had another bike on my rack, too, that was pretty dirty from riding earlier this week.

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