24 replies to this topic

[Oyaji]

I'm wondering if anybody has purchased items recently from European vendors.  How does this tariff thing work?  Does it differ for the place of manufacture? By that I mean:

 

Case No. 1.  Let's say I'm buying a Celestron Edge (Chinese manufacture and brand) from Teleskop Express (German vendor).  What's the tariff?

 

Case No. 2:  Let's say I'm buying a scope of Chinese manufacture with a German brand (TS Optics) from Teleskop Express.  What's the tariff?

 

Case No. 3:  Let's say I'm buying Prima Luce Labs stuff (Italian manufacture) from Teleskop Express.  What's the tariff?

 

Case No. 4:  Let's say I'm buying an Avalon mount (Italian manufacture) directly from the manufacturer.  What's the tariff?

 

Relatedly, when I have bought from European vendors, I have generally shipped through DHL.  In the past, I have received a bill for the duties as the equipment went through customs and have paid it promptly with a credit card.  It has been quick and painless.

 

Has this changed?  Are folks experiencing shipping delays due to the tariffs?

Edited by Oyaji, 30 April 2025 - 06:50 AM.

[Andrea Salati]

The two main factors are the HS code used by the exporter when they prepare the customs documents and what they declare as the country of origin.
If you know the answer to those questions you can guesstimate the tariffs being levied and your guesstimate will be valid for approximately 5 seconds, under the current situation.

[Nemo51]

I suggest delaying any purchase if possible or practical, and there is a used market. 

[Martinbruce]

This was my experience in early February when I made a purchase from First Light Optics (FLO) in England. There are some details regarding the financial aspect that might be of interest to you. Nonetheless I have to agree with the sentiment of those who answered this thread before me.  https://www.cloudyni...-78-fl-doublet/
 

Good luck. 

[JimTheEngineer]

In the example of assembly, if labor comprised let’s say 50% cost of the item, then it would be considered made in the country of assembly.

https://dimerco.com/...e, or character.

Edited by JimTheEngineer, 30 April 2025 - 08:41 AM.

[Oyaji]

This was my experience in early February when I made a purchase from First Light Optics (FLO) in England. There are some details regarding the financial aspect that might be of interest to you. Nonetheless I have to agree with the sentiment of those who answered this thread before me.  https://www.cloudyni...-78-fl-doublet/
 

Good luck. 

I have bought a lot of stuff over the years from Teleskop Express and various Italian vendors.  Often, they have had items in stock that American vendors don't have in stock.  For example, during the Covid years, when I bought my Vixen VMC260L, there wasn't a single one to be found, new or used, in the USA.  I snagged the last one in Germany--which TE had in stock. 

 

Once the VAT is removed, I have often found European vendors to be less expensive or at least equal in price to American vendors.

 

Of equal importance, DHL has been very good for me--I usually have had my stuff on my doorstep in 5 days.  But I do have one gripe:  they have ratted me out to the State of Illinois and I have been dinged by the State for not paying use tax!

 

Alas, I fear the glory years are over.  Ergo my starting this thread.  

Edited by Oyaji, 30 April 2025 - 09:31 AM.

[Astromancer]

I'm wondering if anybody has purchased items recently from European vendors.  How does this tariff thing work?  Does it differ for the place of manufacture? By that I mean:

 

Case No. 1.  Let's say I'm buying a Celestron Edge (Chinese manufacture and brand) from Teleskop Express (German vendor).  What's the tariff?

 

Case No. 2:  Let's say I'm buying a scope of Chinese manufacture with a German brand (TS Optics) from Teleskop Express.  What's the tariff?

 

Case No. 3:  Let's say I'm buying Prima Luce Labs stuff (Italian manufacture) from Teleskop Express.  What's the tariff?

 

Case No. 4:  Let's say I'm buying an Avalon mount (Italian manufacture) directly from the manufacturer.  What's the tariff?

 

Relatedly, when I have bought from European vendors, I have generally shipped through DHL.  In the past, I have received a bill for the duties as the equipment went through customs and have paid it promptly with a credit card.  It has been quick and painless.

 

Has this changed?  Are folks experiencing shipping delays due to the tariffs?

The tariffs are always based on the country of manufacture. If you purchase a Celestron telescope for Teleskop Express in Germany it is still a made in China product and will be tariffed accordingly. It gets a little more complicated when the product is, for example, assembled in Germany using Chinese parts, but there are pretty clear rules of origin to deal with that. Generally the exporter/seller will specify all this in the documents sent with the product. You should definitely ask them first before confirming your order, otherwise you may be in for a rude surprise…

 

Chris

[Souldrop]

Difficult to say imo.

I think part of the changes for US based customers is requiring a formal customs declaration for orders over $800 USD Previously it was only required for purchases over $2500 USD Until things are more clear I would work from the assumption any package valued over 800 USD will have pertinent tariffs applied to each item regardless of where the package was shipped from.

The bigger unknown to me is how the de minimus changes to China/hong kong will be handled. I have a hard time believing they will apply tariffs to a package with items made in china but shipped from say Teleskop Express…still hard to know until packages start flowing under the new rules.

[Sean Cunneen]

I ordered a drive corrector from the UK before the election. It was completed about 3 weeks ago right in the middle of the frenzy about the tariffs going up. Being from the UK, the tariff rate was 10%, so not horrible, but not an insignificant amount either. He shipped it and luckily it fell under the $800 de minimus amount, so I shouldn't have to pay any extra fees, but I haven't received it yet either, so I am holding my breath at the moment. There was talk of closing the de minimus loophole, perhaps just for China, but either way, only time will tell. I have also heard DHL suspending small package handling to the U.S. because they don't want the hassle of dealing with the import fees and now they have walked that back too. It's just a topsy-turvy world at the moment.

[ratskrad]

I bought something from Astro Gadgets not realizing it is a Ukrainian company. It is not a large nor expensive gadget and it has been in Kiev the past week and earlier I looked at tracking

and it is in London waiting to come across the pond. I also ordered something from Rouz Astro in Vancouver on Sunday and it scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. The piece from Astro Gadgets is the same price it was a few months ago when looking for solutions and I have no clueas to Rouz Astro as its the first I ever looked at what I ordered.

Edited by ratskrad, 30 April 2025 - 08:43 PM.

[triplemon]

Case No. 1,2 Country of origin: China

 

Case No. 3,4 Country of origin: Italy
 

 

Has this changed?  Are folks experiencing shipping delays due to the tariffs?

I haven't bought anything valueable enough this year to require a customs declaration, but in the years before it was always that process. No reason it would have changed, except for the amounts you pay. The shipping company will also have the details on how they handle any customs charges, like COD or prepayments.

Edited by triplemon, 01 May 2025 - 12:45 AM.

[vicentefox]

i heard on the latest The Astrocast podcast that ZWO is suspending shipments to USA until further notice.

i purchased gear in late Nov-Jan knowing this was going to happen

[Dougfish]

As of Monday, April 21, 2025, DHL announced that it was suspending ALL global business-to-consumer deliveries worth over $800 to individuals in the US as of Monday.  It has since rescinded the suspension as the tariff scheme has shifted.  It seems to me that the overarching theme is instability, so who knows what tomorrow will bring.

[GSBass]

I was expecting trouble when I first read this 10 days ago however since then Dwarflab shipped a D3 to me via DHL and it arrived a few days later….  a lot of disinformation in the media, obviously things are still moving

As of Monday, April 21, 2025, DHL announced that it was suspending ALL global business-to-consumer deliveries worth over $800 to individuals in the US as of Monday.  It has since rescinded the suspension as the tariff scheme has shifted.  It seems to me that the overarching theme is instability, so who knows what tomorrow will bring.

[Phillip Creed]

What if it's a UNC / ONTC Newtonian from TS?  Even if it isn't tariffed as a German product, wouldn't it be considered Taiwanese (not PRC) due to GSO mirrors?

Also, what of William Optics?  Wouldn't WO suddenly have a competitive advantage as a Taiwanese company?

Clear Skies,

Phil

[Souldrop]

I was expecting trouble when I first read this 10 days ago however since then Dwarflab shipped a D3 to me via DHL and it arrived a few days later…. a lot of disinformation in the media, obviously things are still moving

A D3 would be under the 800USD cutoff correct? If so why would you have expected trouble?

[GSBass]

Simply because media releases are often wrong or misleading… but anyway in my case it was fine… in other news, being reported China came to negotiating table this morning so all of this will get more clarity soon anyway

A D3 would be under the 800USD cutoff correct? If so why would you have expected trouble?

 

Edited by GSBass, 01 May 2025 - 09:36 AM.

[Astro-Goat]

Bro, i'm just saying, if that's the case, FLO is going to be getting alot of business from me. I've had nothing but a positive business experience with them.  

Sorry to the local America based shops but you guys need to get your act together and figure out fair prices. Until then, i'm ordering and supporting European businesses.

[Andrea Salati]

I am here disposing of stacks of paper I accumulated in 15 years as we are closing on this house in exactly one week and we are moving north.|
I found two recent invoices from European sellers. As an example, for the TSFLAT2 Teleskop-Service stated that the country of origin was China and they used the HS-Code 90029000 ("Lenses, prisms, mirrors and other optical elements, of any material, mounted, being parts of or fittings for instruments or apparatus, other than such elements of glass not optically worked other").
For the Baader SolarContinuum filter they indicated Germany as the country of origin and they used the HS-Code 90022000 ("Filters for optical instruments").

[sixela]

Yup, for the first the delivery agent can no longer use Entry Type 86 to get a de minimis exception, full tariffs for goods originating from China would apply (how CBP would process this is a mistery to me, it's one thing ending de minimis for packages actually shipped from China, another to also check packages from *every* country for goods whose country of origin is China, or to force every delivery agent to stop using Entry Type 86 if any itemized goods originate from China).

The executive order doesn't strike me as very prudently crafted to be implementable in real life ;-). I wasn't under the impression that the administration was so bent on expanding a federal agency to deal with the new flood of paperwork...

Edited by sixela, 08 May 2025 - 01:23 PM.

[davidgmd]

Doesn’t the exporter sending goods to the US have to enter the country of origin on the papers that accompany them, along with the HTS code and the value (cost to the importer) of the goods? That makes more sense than CBP assuming country shipped from = country of origin. Not that I have any insight into whether CBP processes make sense.

[Astromancer]

Doesn’t the exporter sending goods to the US have to enter the country of origin on the papers that accompany them, along with the HTS code and the value (cost to the importer) of the goods? That makes more sense than CBP assuming country shipped from = country of origin. Not that I have any insight into whether CBP processes make sense.

You are correct AFAIK. And to be clear, very few exporters screw around on this, because the penalties are draconian, including not neing able ot ship stuff through customs for the foreseeable future.

 

Chris

[GSBass]

If there is a way to get around something normally someone will try, however reputable company’s usually try to follow the rules because the consequences can be dire…. And I imagine customs is looking very hard right now

Doesn’t the exporter sending goods to the US have to enter the country of origin on the papers that accompany them, along with the HTS code and the value (cost to the importer) of the goods? That makes more sense than CBP assuming country shipped from = country of origin. Not that I have any insight into whether CBP processes make sense.

[davidgmd]

Just asked the same question of a friend who does importing for a major US manufacturer. His response:

  

The paperwork presented to customs must accurately declare value, country of origin, and many other things. Sometimes the shipping company does it, and sometimes the customs processing is handled by a Customs Broker that is separate from the shipper. Companies are responsible for the work done by the shippers and brokers they hire, so they keep an eye on them.

  

Anyway, the penalties for false declaration can be pretty severe, including forfeiture of the goods, severe fines, and loss of import privileges.

  

I haven’t looked at the data on Customs catching bad actors in a while, but I know it happens, though as a % of overall goods imported it’s been pretty small. Of course millions upon millions of goods get imported.

 

[sixela]

I imagine CBP is quite swamped and focuses on shipments from China, but reputable vendors and shippers will not falsify declarations regardless, and they’ll follow instructions to not use de minimis declarations for anything whose origin is China, even for shipments from the EU.