Custom/import question. Return to USA from England with your concertina

[richard]

Hello

 

If someone was to visit England from the United States for example having brought the concertina along on the trip for obvious reasons...... what situation, questions, inquiries and accusations would that young person face before boarding the plane in London and/or landing on US soil?

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

[Luke Hillman]

Having traveled internationally a number of times with my concertina, nobody's ever asked me about it, other than airport security sometimes wanting a closer look. If you don't volunteer any information, I doubt anyone will think to question you.

[Wally Carroll]

I've never had an issue but if you could get a photo of yourself holding the concertina in a readily identifiable US location, that could be useful.  Even a photo at the US airport that you depart from with the name of the airport in the background or some other indication that you are definitely in the US with the instrument should prove that you had the instrument before you went on your trip.

[David Barnert]

Two pieces of advice that I read many years ago on the Morris Dance Discussion List applicable to taking a concertina through security at any airport. I have no idea how valid they are, but they’re amusing to contemplate:

 

1) If they ask you what it is, try to find a way to answer the question truthfully without using the word “concertina,” which (also being the name of something—concertina wire—that can be considered a weapon) is on the list of things that must be confiscated.

 

2) When you place it on the conveyor belt to be scanned by the X-ray, place it so the axis of the bellows is horizontal, so the image is mostly through the empty bellows and the contents of the action boxes are all superimposed on each other. If you place it with the axis of the bellows oriented vertically, so the X-ray image sees the polygonal shape of the ends, then the levers in the action box take on an appearance that can easily be confused with a cluster bomb.

[SteveS]

17 hours ago, Wally Carroll said:

I've never had an issue but if you could get a photo of yourself holding the concertina in a readily identifiable US location, that could be useful.  Even a photo at the US airport that you depart from with the name of the airport in the background or some other indication that you are definitely in the US with the instrument should prove that you had the instrument before you went on your trip.

Take a photo with a newspaper, date/headlines clearly visible, in a clearly identifiable location.

[SteveS]

9 hours ago, David Barnert said:

1) If they ask you what it is, try to find a way to answer the question truthfully without using the word “concertina,” which (also being the name of something—concertina wire—that can be considered a weapon) is on the list of things that must be confiscated

I always describe my concertina as a 'small accordion' - never using the word 'concertina' unless on the rare occasion the security person recognises it.

[Jim Besser]

Are you asking about whether you might have a problem carrying an English built concertina through US customs and possibly getting hit up for import duties?  I've made the trip multiple times and never had a problem.  The first time, I did take the precaution of bringing along the sales receipt for my English-built instrument from a US concertina seller.

 

If you're asking about problems on the departure end - getting through security and the like - I've never had a problem ,but I do what David B suggested.  Many years ago, I caused a minor panic at security when the scanned image looked suspiciously like the radial pattern of a weapon of mass destruction.  I've never had a problem since then.  If asked, I describe it as a 'musical instrument like an accordion.'  

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Jim Besser

[richard]

Hi

I'm sorry for not being clear enough.

 

If I purchase a concertina in England and return to the US with it would I be expected to pay duties?

I do recall having to declare purchases on a form a few times when crossing borders. I suppose the correct thing is to say yes I have purchased this here concertina?

 

Not, this here concertina is the one I came with....?

 

Richard 

[Bill N]

27 minutes ago, richard said:

If I purchase a concertina in England and return to the US with it would I be expected to pay duties?

No, concertinas are duty free.  You can quote the US Harmonized Tariff Code 9205.90.15

There may be some sales tax payable depending on the state you live in, but whether that would be collected or any action would be taken at customs I don't know.  

[alex_holden]

4 hours ago, Bill N said:

No, concertinas are duty free.  You can quote the US Harmonized Tariff Code 9205.90.15

There may be some sales tax payable depending on the state you live in, but whether that would be collected or any action would be taken at customs I don't know.  

 

Technically 9205.90.15 is "Accordions and similar instruments:  piano accordions". It's probably more correct to use 9205.90.18 "Accordions and similar instruments: other", which has a duty rate of 2.6%. The customs inspector might be ignorant of the difference, on the other hand they might not.

[Luke Hillman]

At the risk of going off-topic, it is extremely fascinating to me to read through the US Harmonized Tariff docs for musical instruments. I would love to have some insight into the history that causes piano accordions to be duty free, vs., for example, the 2.9% levied on brass instruments.

 

The general pattern seems to be that any specific instrument they list in the code gets to be duty free, but anything not listed gets a tax (the amount of the tax seeming incredibly arbitrary to the layman). But the really interesting cases are where there are specific instruments that get a tax. Makes me wonder if there are less-than-savory social reasons for taxing certain instruments—cymbals are free, but drums are 4.8%? What?!

 

If there are any trade historians here, or anyone who works at US Customs, I'm all ears.

[Don Taylor]

Reading through the Harmonized Tarif documents (note that each importing country's documents will be different) make you realise why it often takes years to negotiate trade agreements  - I am thinking of the so far almost non-existant trade agreements negotiated by post-Brexit UK.

 

I also suspect that once they get down to negotiating things like cymbols vs. drums then it probably depends more upon how close to lunchtime it is rather than the relative merits of one instrument vs. another.

[Mike Franch]

Isn't there something about age in the U.S. tariff laws? I received a 100+ year old concertina from England without paying a tariff, but paid duty on one made in 1974. Maybe it had something to do with the sender declaring what it was?

[Stephen DOUGLASS]

Over the last couple of years I purchased and received a couple of concertina's from the UK that were shipped via UPS. The delivery person, asked for a cheque at the door before releasing. Value of each was around $2000 ish and I paid less than $50.00 fees for each (shipping /insurance had already been paid). No receipt given or breakdown of charges, other than verbally 'they were import fees'. It may have been that UPS charged a fee for processing through even if no duty was charged. Nevertheless, when you have the the box sitting right there, to quibble doesn't seem sensible as the driver will leave with it until you 'sort it'. At customs, I would employ a similar approach, and if you get 'tugged', fess up and pay the 'small fee'. Why take the risk when you've invested so much already.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Stephen DOUGLASS

[alex_holden]

11 hours ago, Mike Franch said:

Isn't there something about age in the U.S. tariff laws? I received a 100+ year old concertina from England without paying a tariff, but paid duty on one made in 1974. Maybe it had something to do with the sender declaring what it was?

 

It looks like code 9706 "Antiques of an age exceeding 100 years" is duty free (however the item might need to be accompanied with documentation proving its age).

Edited March 10, 2023 by alex_holden

[JimLucas]

2 hours ago, alex_holden said:

It looks like code 9706 "Antiques of an age exceeding 100 years" is duty free (however the item might need to be accompanied with documentation proving its age).

 

For Wheatstone instruments, keep a link to the relevant page in the Wheatstone ledgers, which the Horniman Museum keeps on a web site.

 

As we progress in the 21st century, more and more classic instruments are passing that 100-year mark.

[Stephen DOUGLASS]

Re Horniman Ledgers, It worth noting that dates of manufacture may not correlate with date of sale, especially in later years. In the SD02/03 Dickinson 'books', up to 1934 it seems that manufacture date was in the left column, then around that date it seems the date of sale was also added. (#33150). Around 1941 it shifts away from manufacture date to a reference in the first column (35333) (if anyone has info on these references I'd be interested). A random check of a page with serial numbers #35461 to #35483 has a sale date spread from 1943 to 1958 but presumably made around the same time. This follows the Second World War which may have something to do with the spread. These are just my interpretations so I'm willing to be 'put right' here.

Edited March 11, 2023 by Stephen DOUGLASS

[Bill N]

On 3/9/2023 at 2:20 AM, alex_holden said:

 

Technically 9205.90.15 is "Accordions and similar instruments:  piano accordions". It's probably more correct to use 9205.90.18 "Accordions and similar instruments: other", which has a duty rate of 2.6%. The customs inspector might be ignorant of the difference, on the other hand they might not.

I was mistaken about the number. I found some old paperwork, and double checked the Customs Canada on-line list. Here is the code I have used successfully when shipping to and from US, UK, Italy and South Africa:

 

9205.90.10.90    Wind musical instruments (for example, keyboard pipe organs, accordions, clarinets, trumpets, bagpipes), other than fairground organs and mechanical street organs. - Brass-wind instruments - Other - 0% payable