All international "Gift" packages now liable for customs duty @ 77%(?)

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Yep, it mostly depends on the size of the package and luck from my experience. If the package is fairly big in size, they'd assess and charge duty, else it's usually let go.

For me, in the recent past, only a router which came in a fairly big package was charged duty and it had a declared value of 45+ USD.
 
I have not received any big size package this year though. Last year many big packages of mine with fairly high declared value were exempted (escaped?) from duty. In fact, I never have had to pay any duty in any of my orders from AliExpress so far. I think custom office of east India is a bit generous 😄
 
Yeah, as of Dec 2019 with the new rule, if they do decide to assess a package for duty, pretty much all packages would be liable for duty as the threshold value would be just Rs 250 or so.

So mostly it's a game of luck and the mood of the customs official at that specific point in time your package comes in. Or whether they feel it's worth the effort. I suppose there'd be more paper work to be filed in case they need to levy duty on a package.

Unless someone who is directly involved in the working of a FPO (foreign post office) we'd not know the true situation I guess. 😅
 
Yeah, as of Dec 2019 with the new rule, if they do decide to assess a package for duty, pretty much all packages would be liable for duty as the threshold value would be just Rs 250 or so.

So mostly it's a game of luck and the mood of the customs official at that specific point in time your package comes in. Or whether they feel it's worth the effort. I suppose there'd be more paper work to be filed in case they need to levy duty on a package.

Unless someone who is directly involved in the working of a FPO (foreign post office) we'd not know the true situation I guess. 😅
It's high time we have a guy from broadband forum in FPO. So that we can hustle things in and this site could get some Commission
 
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Got the BOE, duty was charged at 18% as expected. Declared value was 80 USD FOB ie freight on board. I had asked the seller to make it 80 USD CIF ie cost insurance freight, but looks like they missed that.

Since it's FOB, they add 20% of the item value as freight charges, and 1% as insurance, so assessable value came to 7k or so with duty/gst at 1250 or so.

The stupid part is, FedEx charges some duty advancement charges of Rs 500+tax just for paying the duty on my behalf. Aramex charges just Rs 100 or as clearance charges.

Finally got the package. Ended up paying Rs 1900 out of which Rs 1267 is the customs duty (as GST) and the rest is the FedEx's duty advancement fee. 😑😑

Would never deal with FedEx again.

My new x86 router 😅

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