International Mail How-To?

[Mr Vic]

I'm participating in the pen swap on the Australian Wood Forum. My swap mate possed an interesting question. What are the restrictions on items shipped to and from Australia and what are the duties. These questions were also raised on their site.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f206/posting-your-pen-os-112587/#post1107199

My take on it is; I can receive $100 a day in gifts and as long as the wood is dry, bug free and clean (no dirt) it should be okay. The same applies in mailing to Australia with a $1000 limit.

I know there are several participants from this site. Any body got more info?

Skippy - sorry to hear about the 18 pound limit to your country...

 

[NewLondon88]

No matter what the limit, keep in mind that they will have to pay duty.

If you send them $1000 worth of stuff, it might cost them a couple
hundred to pick it up!
(or it would either come back to you at your expense or get thrown out)

Be careful about what you send.. spalted woods and bark can cause the
package to be quarantined which might also cost the recipient a lot of
money, if they ever get the package.

 

[robutacion]

Hi Mr. Vic

According to the information I've got and based on the fact that I sent wood all over the world, the restrictions are as follow from Australia side of things;

- Up to AU$800 there are no tax charge if items are marked as "GIFT".

The max. weight limit is 20 kilos.

- Wood materials, have to be debarked, free of fungi and wood borer holes free, UNLESS the wood is either fumigated (case of raw logs) or fully "cooked" in wax. Fungi from spalting and possible alive wood borers in the blanks will be easily destroyed if blanks are left in the wax boiling pen for 5 minutes, making sure the blank is turned over in the wax doesn't reach the top part of the blank. The temperature reached and maintained during the 5 minutes of wax boiling will kill anything alive and seal the blank totally.

The important thing here, is to declare "CLEARLY" on the package, if this type wood products is inside the box, that the wood is either debarked, clean and waxed or fumigated, fully immersed in boiling wax if some borer holes or spalting is present. Making Custom know that you know the restrictions that apply to the product you are putting into transportation, does help a lot as also the fact that, you don't want the scanners start beeping if something is "wiggling" inside or the fungi is detected if not fully sealed in wax.

Particularly with pens, the only issue that unfortunately Customs is not doing the job I believe they should is, the prohibition of sending by mail any ammunition or firearms components, this affects the bullet pens/cartridge pens or whatever any other name people can give them, as soon the the scanner detects a shape of a riffle cartridge on the package, the package is simply detained and destroyed (well..., so they say...!).

Pens made with spalted woods or the like, aren't a problem as the finished given to a pen is enough to seal the very small volume of wood left in the pen.

I can't think of anything else at the moment but, if I do, I will come back!

Cheers
George

 

[Mr Vic]

Thanks George....Good info.....Any issue with antler?

 

[robutacion]

Thanks George....Good info.....Any issue with antler?

I have never dealt with antler, but I know many pen makers in Australia have plenty of antler and it had to come from either Canada or the USA (as most common places for trade). There as some restriction of certain animal parts, I'm not sure but I believe they are from any protected or endangerous species. I have send tanned kangaroo skins overseas and never had any problems or questions asked, apart from declaring them in the forms!

Someone here should have the right answer, if not you can have a look on the Australian Customs Services web site, if still no luck, I will try to get the correct procedure if any for antler(non-commercial quantities, off-course...!) import into Australia.

Cheers
George

 

[Daniel]

If you are talking about finished pens the material it is made of will be looked at differently than if it is raw material. I would be more concerned about antler than wood. Some places forbid the trade of horn and antler in any form even between states within the united states.
No wood with bark in any form.
Otherwise it is a pen. if you went out and bought a horn and ivory pen for a friend in a Foreign country most of these questions would never cross your mind. The fact that you made a pen is no different.

 

[Mr Vic]

We've opt'd to include some blanks in our swap but nieither of us want to see the other tagged for customs or loose half or all the trade.