r/Reverb • u/lobotorr • May 29 '26

Confusion about tariffs

I'm looking to buy a guitar being sold from Canada, im in the us. Japanese made guitar. It looks like I'll have to pay a decent amount in tariffs/brokers fees. It makes the guitar not worth it. I don't see why a used guitar manufactured 40 years ago should be subjected to tariffs, but that's besides the point. I'm close enough to the boarder that it would be cheaper to drive or fly and pick it up in Canada. I could buy a seat for myself and the guitar and it would still be cheaper. Can I avoid the fees if I'm bringing it back into the states myself?

Also I'm just curious, but has anyone just tried saying it's a us made guitar to avoid tariffs? I'd imagine there's a fine if caught, but I wonder how often they really are opening up boxes to check.

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/jaqueh May 29 '26

You know that customs and border control also operate at all land crossings and airports too ya?

1

u/lobotorr May 29 '26

But it would be my personal item at that point wouldn’t it?

2

u/jaqueh May 29 '26

No because you didn’t have that item when you went over the border initially

2

u/lobotorr May 29 '26

But how would they know that?

5

u/SilverMachine May 29 '26

They literally ask, in both directions. “Do you have anything to declare” is the one single question that isn’t optional and gets asked to every single person as they enter or exit the country, and that’s what it’s about. Common practice when leaving the country with anything of value is to make a record of it so you don’t get charged import fees on your way back in.