Customs in Canada

[grogan head]

Hey, I've been using and ordering snus for the past three years. I usually order no more than two stocks at a time and sometimes I get taxed and sometimes I don't. usually the tax is reasonable, 40 bucks max for two stocks. However recently a friend ordered a stock and got taxed over $100. My last package of two stocks was taxed for over $200.

I talked with someone from customs and I guess they were labelling it as snuff (which has a way higher tax per gram) instead of chewing tobacco. Anyway my friend sent his order back to customs for re-evaluation and they have since lost it. I've done the same with mine(fingers crossed same thing doesn't happen). All this extra time is definately effecting the freshness but they don't care.

Anyway I was looking for anyone with any similar experiances, and if there is anything to do about it. I think that the suppliers in sweden have to specify on their packages that it is an oral chewing tobacco so that there is no confusion at customs. Cause once there is confusion the snus is going stale and or you might never get it unless you pay taxes way over the top.

Anyhow, any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[sagedil]

Welcome to Snuson grogan head

Nope, your customs just suck. Sorry, but they do. This has been an occasional topic here ever since I got here almost 2 years ago. Totally random how they will deal with it. Sometimes it sneaks through fine, other times, thry will charge you ridiculous sums And each customs person seems to interpret things differently.

Nothing you can really do but cross your fingers each time you order.

[pens86]

Ask them (the company you order from) to send it as a gift.
I do this everytime I order Skoal online.

[whokilledmyhooker]

Keep the order to 5 cans or less and you'll be fine 75% of the time


I got dinged 45$ on a single roll before, more than the actual cost of product. This is north vancouver, and customs officers often go through my shit, and retape the package with that stupid ****ing yellow customs tape they use. They get really nosey here, always looking for drugs and suspicious packages, i don't see any other reason?

[kevin32]

You're probably out of luck. Last time I ordered, in BC, I ordered 5 packs. Now there's also provincial duties on that, but I ended up paying aproximately 15$ a pack, total.

In comparison, I believe its got the same taxes as other oral tobacco products such as scoal. Scoal comes, if I remember correctly 14 gram tins which cost around 6 - 7$ each. Considering snus is 24 grams, this would just about add up, probably does tax wise.