DHL Suspends Shipments Of Over $800 Value To USA

[crunchee]

This might affect some HFC members, both here in the US and in the UK/Europe, due to the change in the value threshold:

DHL suspends shipments of more than $800 in response to Trump tariff plan

Will the change in the value threshold affect used and new guitar shipments from Japan?  The article doesn't say, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

[currypowder]

That’s interesting, thanks for sharing. 
 

The way I read this is that, along with increases in the level of tariffs, there has been a lowering in the threshold requiring a more formal customs process from $2,500 to $800. This will definitely throw a monkey wrench into having guitars shipped from Japan to the US, at least using the major private carriers. I’m assuming that FedEx and UPS has already or will soon change their processes. 
 

Personally, I haven’t used the private carriers for my shipments from Japan for quite some time, mainly due to cost. I use EMS, which is cleared through a US Customs port (for me, Chicago) then picked up and delivered by USPS. In all my years of doing this, I have only been charged duties twice and never been asked to participate in any sort of formal clearance process. Many have been well in excess of the $2,500 declared value. 
 

My concern/question going forward is will the changes in tariff levels and this lowering of the formal clearance threshold change the EMS/USPS Customs clearance process and experience. This question along with a significant reduction in the USD/JPY exchange rate has definitely affected my willingness to import anything lately. 

[kizanski]

"May you live in interesting times," they said.

It was only recently that I found out that this was not intended to be a toast but a curse.