On Thu, 20 May 2004 23:28:30 +0100, you wrote:

>Spehro,
>
>(Tag changed)
>
>On Thu, 20 May 2004 10:55:34 -0400, Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>
>> Right, so mail order from anywhere will take maybe a week, cost two or=
 three dollars, and will probably
>result in no customs taxes/duties if it's sent in a padded envelope =
(semiconductors are duty-free into most
>places anyway).
>
>They're what???  *Anything* imported into the UK has VAT at 17.5% levied=
 (with a few exceptions like
>childrens' clothes).  OK, it's not actually import duty, but it really =
doesn't matter what it's called.  Added
>to which the Post Office will charge at least =A34 (say US$7) for =
collecting the money.  There is a "low water
>mark" whereby if the value of the goods is less than =A318 then they =
don't bother to collect it, but you can't
>get a lot for that these days - and the VAT is levied on the shipping =
charge as well as the value of the
>goods.
>
>And we're not that badly off compared to some - I've heard of 50% import=
 duty in some places.

The US people are lucky - their threshold is about US$200.

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