fronobulax
Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
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- May 3, 2007
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Clyde that's really great info. Man, this is complicated, huh, guys?
It doesn't seem at all right or necessary that packages from lower 48 destined for AK (or opposite direction) would have to go through Canadian customs, but I wonder if it's actually so. Are there "transfer centers" or "hubs" within Canada itself like we have such that carriers would unload packages from one truck and put on another (on Canadian soil, that is)... Wouldn't this constitute a right/need for customs to be involved? Isn't that analogous to my taking my family across town to the airport in Vancouver after the cruise ship to the airport? Same question regarding Mexico.
I'm continuing the "theoretical" discussion here, but there's no question in my mind that actual practice is far less onerous, particularly when we're talking CITES and US <-> US destinations... US <-> Europe, or even Europe <-> Europe... That's another story.
The buzz words you want are bonded warehouse or free trade zone.
Note also http://www.heavyhaul.net/alaska-shipping/ which talks about Transit Manifest Customs Form 7512-B which is used by ground transportation of goods that go between US locations by way of Canada. Note that Canadian customs might "seal" the container but that is not required.
http://www.lynden.com/Alaska-ebook_Lynden-IL.pdf points out that most shipments to/from Alaska go by air or sea and that rail transport requires use of barges.
I ever sell a RW guitar on line and need to ship to either Alaska or Hawaii, do the same issues apply like if I were shipping to Europe???
I'm going to say NO. Nothing is being imported or exported and your shipping company knows that. If the instrument is "illegal" under the provisions of the Lacey Act then having it in your possession is a violation and selling or shipping it does not change the "illegal" status.