Canada Removes Duties to Stem Shopping in U.S.
The Canadian government Wednesday imposed a series of measures aimed at keeping Canadian shoppers’ dollars from flooding over the border into the United States.
Beginning today, import duties will be taken off 25 categories of consumer goods ranging from VCRs to sewing machines and representing about $850 million worth of annual trade.
This is part of a package of initiatives to curb about $3 billion in sales lost to U.S. retailers, by helping Canadian stores buy cheaper stock for their shelves.
Ottawa says consumers will see $60 million in savings--and possibly more--passed on to them when the goods are marked up for sale.
Revenue Minister Otto Jelinek told a news conference Wednesday that consumer savings would be as high as $85 million.
Other measures include a $4.25 processing fee for each mail-order parcel entering the country and dropping the duty-free limit on mail-order packages to $17 from the current $34.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
