EIS shipping to S. Korea shows ~10% import fee, disregarding $200 exemption?
South Korean Shipping Experts:
South Korea has a "de minimis" VAT exeption of $200 for personal use items bought from the USA. I have an auction at about $160 (as I type) that shows an import duty of about $16 for S. Korea. The eBay explanation is that this is a prepayment of import fees so that the customer does not pay upon receipt of the package. Does this make sense?
Mike
6 comments
ajin824
·7 months ago기본적으로 150달러까지는 면세가 됩니다. 미국의 경우, FTA가 적용되어 미국내 배송비를 포함하여 200달러까지는 면세가 되지만, 이는 DHL, FedEx, UPS 등 특송업체를 통해 배송되는 경우에 한하며, 국제우편으로 들어오는 경우에는 150달러까지 면세가 됩니다.
fullers_uk
·9 months agoSounds like the custom clearance fee not for any duty or tax payable.
argus_museum
OP9 months ago@fullers_uk @12345jamesstamps
Thanks guys for your responses on this.
The $15.81 is close to the 10% S. Korean VAT, but the eBay description makes it sound like something distinct. What is a customs clearance fee? The eBay text says the charge is for "customs or third party service providers." The former sounds like VAT, the latter could be anything.
Mike
fullers_uk
·9 months agoThe fee is for entering the import onto the government system so they can see whats being imported from which countries, the fee depends on the company handling the import clearance, some import fees are a mystery even to me and I have been importing and exporting over 25 years.
martin2001
·9 months agoIf there is a $200 de minimis exception, there is nothing to clear, there is no company needed to handle import clearance. And what is imported is easily tracked via the electronic customs forms. Of course, the bureaucrats may impose any fees they want.
12345jamesstamps
·9 months agoIt's an auction at $160. and might go higher.
Then's there the shipping added and VAT.
All that added as the final sale would bring that over $200. I am sure.
The eBay fee you get charged is on everything...so I am thinking that's why there's an 'estimated US $15.81'...but I could be wrong.