Tariffs on Old Cars Now a Reality

[L78M22Rag]

I was planning on bringing a vintage vehicle from the US into Canada, and was caught off guard by these tariffs as well. Looking into it, I discovered that the big three auto makers entered into the Auto Pact back in 1964 which was signed early in 1965 where they worked together on both sides of the border supplying parts for the manufacturing of these cars to avoid the tariffs at the time. I was going to use this as my argument at the border. Here’s an article on the Auto Pact…

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/mad...-pact-of-1965/

Curious what your thoughts are on this?

[Tracker1]

Originally Posted by L78M22Rag

I was planning on bringing a vintage vehicle from the US into Canada, and was caught off guard by these tariffs as well. Looking into it, if realized that the big three auto makers entered into the Auto Pact back in 1965 which was signed early in 1966 where they worked together on both sides of the border supplying parts for the manufacturing of these cars to avoid the tariffs at the time. I was going to use this as my argument at the border. Here’s an article on the Auto Pact…

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/mad...-pact-of-1965/

Curious what your thoughts are on this?

I'd say save your breath, the officers you will encounter are just doing what they are told. I brought parts across last week, a mix of used and new reproductions. I paid my HST and was told " no tariffs on auto parts." That is likely because of the Auto Pact I'm guessing. But an assembled car from the USA is now going to be subject to tariffs. No ifs, ands or buts. I would hold off until calmer heads prevail on this.

[BJCHEV396]

Originally Posted by Tracker1

I'd say save your breath, the officers you will encounter are just doing what they are told. I brought parts across last week, a mix of used and new reproductions. I paid my HST and was told " no tariffs on auto parts." That is likely because of the Auto Pact I'm guessing. But an assembled car from the USA is now going to be subject to tariffs. No ifs, ands or buts. I would hold off until calmer heads prevail on this.

I hope calmer heads do prevail.

[1967 4K]

Lot of nice cars and good Car Guys in Canada. Make it hard for us to trade with one another, but what are ya going to do! 🤷*♂️

[prototype]

Originally Posted by L78M22Rag

I was planning on bringing a vintage vehicle from the US into Canada, and was caught off guard by these tariffs as well. Looking into it, if realized that the big three auto makers entered into the Auto Pact back in 1965 which was signed early in 1966 where they worked together on both sides of the border supplying parts for the manufacturing of these cars to avoid the tariffs at the time. I was going to use this as my argument at the border. Here’s an article on the Auto Pact…

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/mad...-pact-of-1965/

Curious what your thoughts are on this?

Helmut.....Tracker is on track, sage advice.....the officers at the border will do what they are instructed to do.

Getting an advance ruling would be the only way you'd have a chance but it appears it's gone for now. There is an election being called for Apr 28, however with the carbon tax off now they are likely looking to put cash in the till any way possible. Nobody will loose many votes using vintage cars as platform to reduce $$ in the till.

With now into the hundreds of my imports over the years the only other advice I'd give would be to call the crossing in advance and ask for the port director. I've been given the cold shoulder and also had the red carpet treatment however they won't bend the rules.

What I don't understand about the gent in Winnipeg with the 1968 Charger is when doing an export, you stop at US Customs to have the vehicle exported, then get to Canada Customs to pay your taxes. If you don't import the car and then return, you have to import the car back into the US, which I don't believe you can do as a Canadian citizen, not sure. That would leave you having to put the car in a bonded warehouse just like a seized vehicle.....and I'm sure those rates are wonderful.

[LT1vette]

Originally Posted by prototype

Helmut.....Tracker is on track, sage advice.....the officers at the border will do what they are instructed to do.

Getting an advance ruling would be the only way you'd have a chance but it appears it's gone for now. There is an election being called for Apr 28, however with the carbon tax off now they are likely looking to put cash in the till any way possible. Nobody will loose many votes using vintage cars as platform to reduce $$ in the till.

With now into the hundreds of my imports over the years the only other advice I'd give would be to call the crossing in advance and ask for the port director. I've been given the cold shoulder and also had the red carpet treatment however they won't bend the rules.

What I don't understand about the gent in Winnipeg with the 1968 Charger is when doing an export, you stop at US Customs to have the vehicle exported, then get to Canada Customs to pay your taxes. If you don't import the car and then return, you have to import the car back into the US, which I don't believe you can do as a Canadian citizen, not sure. That would leave you having to put the car in a bonded warehouse just like a seized vehicle.....and I'm sure those rates are wonderful.

First... Each port of entry seems to have different rules, also rules differ per officer per day.

Second.. The advance ruling doesn't mean anything, You deal with the officer/port of entry on the day of entry.

Third.. the car could/would be placed in a "bonded area" on the Canadian side. Otherwise you would be crossing the border twice to import the car...Twice the import fee. ( I don't see the customs letting you bring it back second time without paying...)

Turbo69Birds point.... How did they find out? How would you find the car? Google that's how!!!
I brought a 99 FRC Vette into Canada around 2010. Did all the proper paperwork, everything by the book. Luckily the owners wife was lawyers personal assistant. (I had no idea she was, but she did ALL the paperwork for her husband. Changed the ownership at the state office, had her lawyer boss notarize the bill of sale.)
Saved my azzz.
When I got to the Canadian border, they took my paperwork and went inside. In less then 15 minutes he came out with the print out of the ad I had bought the car from in the Autotrader.
A college kid, working as a customs agent for the summer. He said to me, word for word. "You don't know how many of you guys we catch lying about the value!!"
I had the original dealer window sticker in a file and they found that thinking I was lying

[turbo69bird]

Originally Posted by LT1vette

First... Each port of entry seems to have different rules, also rules differ per officer per day.

Second.. The advance ruling doesn't mean anything, You deal with the officer/port of entry on the day of entry.

Third.. the car could/would be placed in a "bonded area" on the Canadian side. Otherwise you would be crossing the border twice to import the car...Twice the import fee. ( I don't see the customs letting you bring it back second time without paying...)

Turbo69Birds point.... How did they find out? How would you find the car? Google that's how!!!
I brought a 99 FRC Vette into Canada around 2010. Did all the proper paperwork, everything by the book. Luckily the owners wife was lawyers personal assistant. (I had no idea she was, but she did ALL the paperwork for her husband. Changed the ownership at the state office, had her lawyer boss notarize the bill of sale.)
Saved my azzz.
When I got to the Canadian border, they took my paperwork and went inside. In less then 15 minutes he came out with the print out of the ad I had bought the car from in the Autotrader.
A college kid, working as a customs agent for the summer. He said to me, word for word. "You don't know how many of you guys we catch lying about the value!!"
I had the original dealer window sticker in a file and they found that thinking I was lying

Yup
In both cases they had the original ad. But how do they know you didn’t just get lucky haggling the price down.

I’m in real estate and I’ve had clients make $300k offers on a $1 mill property that wasn’t selling and get it so it’s possible the lie( in customs eyes) about the price vs the listing was reality. But they didn’t care they impounded that stuff lickity quick.

I guess maybe it’s guilty until proven innocent w that stuff in O’ Canada IDK.

I mean DMV here goes by book value for taxes not what the purchase price was unless notarized w buyer and seller so … idk

[LT1vette]

I mean DMV here goes by book value for taxes not what the purchase price was unless notarized w buyer and seller so … idk[/QUOTE]

That is 100% no true in Ontario.

[L78M22Rag]

Originally Posted by L78M22Rag

I was planning on bringing a vintage vehicle from the US into Canada, and was caught off guard by these tariffs as well. Looking into it, I discovered that the big three auto makers entered into the Auto Pact back in 1964 which was signed early in 1965 where they worked together on both sides of the border supplying parts for the manufacturing of these cars to avoid the tariffs at the time. I was going to use this as my argument at the border. Here’s an article on the Auto Pact…

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/mad...-pact-of-1965/

Curious what your thoughts are on this?

Thought I’d provide a quick update. I pulled up at the border a week ago, exporting a vintage vehicle from the US into Canada. The US export paperwork was processed as usual, but I cannot deny that I was sweating bullets about what might happen on the Canadian side. The Canadian agent was friendly processing my paperwork and, when he was finished, he calmly stated that they were charging me a 25% tariff. I stated my case that this Chevrolet was built under the 1965 Auto Pact using a mix of Canadian and US parts. Apparently that didn’t seem to matter. All that matters is where the vehicle was assembled, and in this case my car was assembled in the US. Given that it was 1am, and I was the only one passing through so we had plenty of time to discuss and try to sort this out, I asked to see where vintage vehicles were specifically listed in the tariffs. Well, after ten minutes of multiple agents intensely scrolling through the tariffs, the agents gave up and let me proceed without a tariff. Whew!!

[69M22Z]

Originally Posted by L78M22Rag

Thought I’d provide a quick update. I pulled up at the border a week ago, exporting a vintage vehicle from the US into Canada. The US export paperwork was processed as usual, but I cannot deny that I was sweating bullets about what might happen on the Canadian side. The Canadian agent was friendly processing my paperwork and, when he was finished, he calmly stated that they were charging me a 25% tariff. I stated my case that this Chevrolet was built under the 1965 Auto Pact using a mix of Canadian and US parts. Apparently that didn’t seem to matter. All that matters is where the vehicle was assembled, and in this case my car was assembled in the US. Given that it was 1am, and I was the only one passing through so we had plenty of time to discuss and try to sort this out, I asked to see where vintage vehicles were specifically listed in the tariffs. Well, after ten minutes of multiple agents intensely scrolling through the tariffs, the agents gave up and let me proceed without a tariff. Whew!!

Good. That's a big relief.