Touring - MEC across the border.

After lurking here in the Touring Forum and doing a few searches, I have some questions for US members . I'd like to purchase various bits of equipment from MEC including panniers, but I'm concerned about tariffs and taxes for doing so and having that cost outweigh the currency benefit. Can anyone who has purchased from MEC give me an idea of the cost they paid outside of the shipping for customs? I have some leads with folks who can bring things over, but I wouldn't mind doing it the simplest way possible if its at a reasonable cost.

Thanks.

What ever happened to Free Trade?

Free Trade?

That only applies if some company can close down a factory in Michigan or Ontario and move it to Guadalajara.

Sorry for the snark, Ender -
I can't answer your initial question.

I order from the US to Canada all the time and only pay my local taxes [same as I would if I bought the item here] and a $8 handling fee for the parcels. Some parcels make it through without any charges at all???

I doubt it would be a lot different going the other way.

I recently purchased some MEC panniers (I live in Oregon)..they arrived promptly and didn't have any additional taxes/tariffs/customs/bs that I could see.

Unless the products are made in Canada, you may pay taxes of some sort. Your best bet is shipping via Canada Post --> USPS. Don't have it sent UPS, FedEx etc...they may hose you with a brokerage fee. can have brutal brokerage fees

MEC's web site will indicate if the product can be shipped outside of canada.

Unless the products are made in Canada, you may pay taxes of some sort. Your best bet is shipping via Canada Post --> USPS. Don't have it sent UPS, FedEx etc...they may hose you with a brokerage fee. can have brutal brokerage fees

MEC's site says they ship via Xpress(?) to the US, I'll see if I can send it post, though.

Thanks for the actual, Vik.


Free Trade is surely a misnomer....

Xpress Post service is Canada Post

I was thinking the currency benefit was a lot smaller these days, but I could be out of date (again).

MEC has always been great to order from, but I haven't for a couple yrs now. Pretty much all my gear, even stuff available at say REI, I wound up ordering from MEC (to the US) in the 80s and 90s when I was in accumulation mode.

The currency benefit is fairly low ~.85 US = 1.00 Can. But they also have non-cheesy looking reasonably priced panniers.

I'm accumulating all my garbage now. Luckily I've got the heavy hookup at the local camping store, but they don't do cycling gear at all.