Exporting from the US - condensed version.

[Dennis Sorensen]

This is posted for general information.

I finally received a reply from Canada Post about mailing 'inert munitions'.

As far as Canada Post is concerned "inert munitions" are not allowed in the mail in Canada. They are classified the same as replica ammunition and ammunition and not permitted.

My assumption is they do not have the technology to determine if a round is live or inert and simply have banned them all.

Unprimed cases and lead/copper bullets are mailable. (US laws require import/export paperwork)


It has been my experience that shooters in both Canada and the US are not aware of all the export regulations that the US has implemented in the past few years. Those living in countries outside of the US became aware of these restrictions much sooner than individuals have in the US due to the fact that knowledgeable businesses within the US were the first to face these export regulations and informed their foreign customers of what had to be done.

Just to name a few items that currently require import/export licensing...

Firearms, barrels, ammunition, cartridges cases, bullets, primers, powder, and many firearm parts all require export licensing. Export means to exit the USA.

The procedure is for the foreign customer to obtain an import license *[International Importation Certificate(IIC)] from their authorities, then send that to the person or company in the US who will be exporting the item/items. That person or company will then use that import license to apply for the export license they require before shipping.

*The International Importation Certificate(IIC) had to be created to satisfy the US exportation laws implemented.

Now many officials are not aware of all the regulations and a huge portion of the population are not. The laws are inadvertently and sometime deliberately broken all the time. Some times individuals get caught, sometimes businesses get caught. Penalties can be severe.

If you have any doubt about exporting cases, bullets, parts, etc. that you may have been doing for years with no problems I suggest you contact the US State Department. http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/index.html

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[Dennis Sorensen]

From a reply I just received directly from Stephen M. Geis, DDTC Response Team - GeisSM@state.gov

My question in black, his response in red.

From: Sorensen's [mailto:sorensens@shaw.ca]
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 3:15 AM
To: PM-DDTC-Response-Team-DL
Subject: individuals exporting componemts



I hope you can actually answer a question rather than push me onto a link. I have searched for quite some time and can not find the information I need.

One simple question...

Can a person residing in the US export cartridge cases or bullets to a friend as a gift without obtaining import/export licenses or paperwork? Can they just simply mail it making a customs declaration on the package? I know businesses require export licenses.

Please respond as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Dennis

**************************************************​

Stephen M. Geis
DDTC Response Team
Contractor, Lionel Henderson & Co., Inc.

Individuals who export ammunition or ammunition components (cases, bullets, primers, and powder) – even as a gift-- must obtain an export license form DDTC.



NOTE: Information in this message generally discusses controls and information contained in the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), both of which are authoritative on this matter. The Response Team fields basic process and status questions, and assists exporters in identifying how to get answers to more complex questions handled by the Directorate of Defense Trade Control's licensing and compliance offices. The Response Team's services are not a substitute or replacement for the advisory opinion, general correspondence, and commodity jurisdiction processes delineated in the ITAR, which should be used to obtain authoritative guidance on export control issues, and do not in any way relieve exporters from their responsibilities to comply fully with the law and regulations.

The above information was obtained by the following procedure.

Go to the US State Department website

http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/index.html

On the left top corner click on “Response Team” – that will take you to this link - http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/response_team/index.html

Which states:
DDTC Response Team
Contact Information:
· Phone: (202) 663-1282
· E-mail: DDTCResponseTeam@state.gov

The DDTC Response Team provides responses to the full range of defense trade inquiries, and can significantly facilitate your defense trade solutions while affording licensing and other officers in DDTC more time for casework. By handling telephone calls from industry and the public, it supports the work of licensing and compliance officers by allowing them to focus on their core activities.
You can reach the Response Team by telephone at (202) 663-1282, or by e-mail at DDTCResponseTeam@state.gov. Although telephone numbers for key personnel are provided elsewhere on this web site, please call the Response Team first when you have a question.
The Response Team fields basic process and status questions, and assists exporters in identifying what they need to do to get answers to more complex questions involving issues substantively handled by DDTC's licensing and compliance offices. Every effort will be made to provide substantive responses within 24 hours of receiving inquiries.

****************************************************​

This is where I inquired and received replies... Obviously linked to the US State Department. A “contractor” hired to explain the regulations to those who wish to learn.

Anyone can phone or email them and receive very quick responses about the latest regulations...

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[Bill Wynne]

Individuals who export ammunition or ammunition components (cases, bullets, primers, and powder) – even as a gift-- must obtain an export license form DDTC.

That seems clear enough.

Dennis, can you buy from gun related products from anyone in the United States? If so, how is it shipped?

Concho Bill

 

[Bill Wynne]

Lynn,

Don't go over the edge on this. You have posted this on most all of the forums and it looks silly if you ask me.

I do not find anything that you have copied and pasted to be in conflict to anything that Dennis has said.

Please drop this subject. If you need to send some brass to someone in Canada then just do it your own way.

Concho Bill

 

[CYanchycki]

Bill

speaking for myself, when it comes to bullets for relaoding we are fortunate we have a few benchrest individuals who import them using a exporter from the US. They do it in accordance to US laws. These individuals are avid shortrange shooters who frequent the US shoots and are not going to jeopardize there ability to enter the US by trying to bring them into Canada circumventing the law.

We also have a good bullet maker in Canada for those of us who have decided to shoot his bullets.

For brass we have our own Lapua Distributor on the east coast of Canada.

VV powder I buy from an importer in Saskatchewan. Cannot wait till the 8208 is readily available in Canada. The sad part it is more than likely made in our plant here in Canada and we have to buy it back from you fellows south of the border.

Barrels, triggers, stocks and optics most buy from Canadian Importers or bite the bullet and import them themselves. It is costly to get the US export paper. Somewhere in the vicinity of around 300.00-350.00 US for the first item on the certificate. The import paperwork for we Canadians cost us a stamp if we mail the application or nothing if we do it via e-mail.

From what I have gathered a scope now can be imported without export paperwork if it is not classified as a tactical with any sort of range finding reticle like milldots. A regular crosshair or target dot I here is okay. It has been a few months since I discussed this with one of our major US dealers.

There are a few dealers in the US who are being fair with exporting and being reasonable with fees.

In regards to the tools required for reloading dies, presses, etc. we can have at it. We just usually get killed with shipping. Some places are real good on shipping others need to get a bit of an education on reading a map and realizing that once one crosses the Canada/US border we do live in wood homes and not IGLOOS....

Anyways hope this answered for you.

Lynn in all honesty my interpretation of the quoted articles especially minor components, it is relating to minor components of a firearm. Just by what is mentioned that is why I say that. Minor components relating to Category 1 firearms not exceeding 100.00.

I have ordered replacement parts for my Browning Buckmark from Brownells and it was shipped no problem as I made sure my orders were under 100.00. There are parts that are listed for that pistol which say cannot be sent unless you hold a valid FFL. I do not even try if that is mentioned.

I am not about to jeopardize my clean record with the US or be the person who causes a US based business to get hit with a MAJOR infraction.

Regardless this is my opinions on the matter.

Calvin

 

[Dennis Sorensen]

That seems clear enough.

Dennis, can you buy from gun related products from anyone in the United States? If so, how is it shipped?

Concho Bill

There are so many items that can no longer be shipped. There is something about Brownells not being able to export firearm related parts if the manufacturer is not registered with the State Department. It has nothing to do if you are licensed or not...Something about a third party shipment. I think the manufacturer can export but when you only want one of something it may not be easy to get.

If one really wants a product it is a matter of finding an exporter in the US who has a license and will ship. Then the paperwork has to be filled out and submitted. It just delays things on this end... The worst part is the costs on the US side. Export licenses for businesses have gone way up.

I inquired a while ago to Lilja about barrels and at that time he was adding $75 per barrel for export costs. I don't know what has happened since. I'll have to inquire again and with Shilen and see.

I started this thread for general information and to supply an answer to some Canada Post inquiries... and hoping simply to educate those not aware of the newer export laws; and the links I have posted exist.

I have deleted Lynn's responses as I don't wish to argue with him as on previous threads. Lynn is free to post his own thread. Anything he posts in a thread I have authored will be deleted.