Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!atha!aunro!alberta!cpsc.ucalgary.ca!news
From: mikeh@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Michael Hoffos)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: Special Offer/Group Buying - HP Calcs !
Message-ID: <1991Jun23.053039.21034@cpsc.ucalgary.ca>
Date: 23 Jun 91 05:30:39 GMT
References: <9106141251.AA07545@lucy.UMD.EDU> <673@lysator.liu.se> <16531@life.ai.mit.edu> <1991Jun17.200016.21088@cpsc.ucalgary.ca> <1991Jun22.202656.26173@corpane.uucp>
Organization: U. of Calgary Computer Science
Lines: 38

In article <1991Jun22.202656.26173@corpane.uucp> herman@corpane.uucp (Harry Herman) writes:
>In <1991Jun17.200016.21088@cpsc.ucalgary.ca> mikeh@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Michael Hoffos) writes:
>
>>Ummm, I beg to differ with you, but there *is* a free-trade agreement
>                                                  ^^^^^^^^^^
>>between the US and Canada.  Many items became duty-free when it went into
>                                               ^^^^^^^^^
>>effect.  Of course, we still have exchange rates and import taxes to
>>fend with, making US mailorder mostly a losing proposition for most items.
>>But some stuff did get cheaper to bring up.  Certainly not calculators though.
>
>I thought free-trade meant duty-free, leaving just the currency exchange
>rate.  My Webster's Dictionary states (in part):
>	...international trade conducted without protective tariffs,
>	customs duties, etc.


Unfortunately, the free-trade agreement didn't require the removal of import
duties in all cases.  For example, when I bought my UNIX in the US (via
mail order), I got bagged $118 CAN for duty (it was assesed as a GUI), PLUS
I had to pay the GST here (another 7%).

The agreement mainly seems to be geared towards industry, to ease moving
raw materials back and forth.  (Even that has snags, re. the trouble between
the Pacific northwest states and British Columbia over softwood exports
from Canada to the States.)

I am not an expert in the details of the agreement (beyond a political
science course I took that covered it), but it is not in any way of the same
order of magnitude that will be occuring in Europe next year.  It is rather
dissapointing actually.  I was hoping that it truely would mean no more
import taxes/duties.

On the other hand, my computer was only assesed the GST. *sigh*

This is getting *quite* off-topic, so perhaps it should be moved elsewhere.

Mike Hoffos