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| I import spare parts for equipment I might be able to shed some light.
USA tariff law permits duty free imports of up to $800, it's called de minimis
Every country has a de minimis amount, some countries are super low, like $50
Basically, you are permitted to import and pay zero tariff. Same thing applies when you come back from vacation overseas and fill out the little form indicating what you bought overseas.
E-commerce merchants from China know this, sell to you directly and you pay no tariff. Not even the 25% Trump tariff from China.
Established USA based retailers are at a disadvantage. If they order a pallet or a container of the same product from China then they are over $800 and subject to tariffs.
I have mixed feelings. In general, our tariff system is based on years of negotiations with trading partners and, right wrong or indifferent, fundamentally is biased towards openness and freer rather than restrict trade. I import both ways: I also import/drop ship from suppliers overseas and it's slick as heck offering 2 day service from Europe and things don't get snagged by customs. I hate high taxes, hate govt waste, and hate the government trying to change behaviors via the tax code. That said, your scenario avoided a pretty fat tariff that domestic suppliers would have to pay. The only reason Chinese companies don't do more of this is that their websites usually suck and they don't know how to market to westerners.
more here:
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/trade-enforcement/tftea/section-321-progra...
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Fab Heavy Parts
