On Wed, 08 Sep 2004 07:45:00 GMT, Spehro Pefhany
wrote:


AFAIUI, they also penalize exports by requiring all packages to be
physically handed to a post-office clerk. UPS comes to the door and
picks the packages up.

Right. With USPS the mailer must personally present the parcel along
with the little green customs sticker. Digi-Key will ship USPS
domestically. Since I'm in MN, ordinarly USPS usually arrives 2d day
and it's always considerably less $ than UPS. Digi-Key charges actual
shipping cost rather than marking up "shipping" as well as goods.

The Canadian gov't does not
like money flowing south, makes it as inconvenient as possible.

Nonsense. On imports, the product and country of origin must be
identified and any applicable sales tax (usually no duty on anything
US made and many other things) paid, I don't know how it could be any
simpler without a customs union (which would get into all kinds of
unpleasant issues). "As inconvenient as possible"? Where in the world
do you get that from? I've imported to both countries, and Canada is
more free to imports than the US. Consider bond requirement in case of
retroactive assessments, for example, which isn't even a question in
Canada. FCC waiver hassles with huge potential fines. You can't even
mail a single bl**dy factory-sealed chocolate bar into the US as of a
month or two ago. Complex quotas on many categories of goods. Etc.

All the politically expedient protectionism in all its forms hampers
an orderly revaluation of the USD, which would make US exports easier
and more lucrative and imports less attractive.

Guess I've been told! You would know, having done it in both
directions. The guy at Vancouver actually told me they wanted to keep
money in Canada. I didn't make that up. Maybe I just had an unusual
experience. I've sure seen some horror shows in US
customs/immigration with visitors being treated so badly I wished I
could intervene on their behalf. That was in Boston. Made me want to
pretend I was a Canadian!

say this from personal experience as a consultant. I was detained
for over an hour in Vancouver until I was able to make it clear that I
was supporting a Canadian division of a US Corp and was being paid by
the US corp in US funds from US accounts. I still had to assert
several times that I'd be doing "no useful work"; I'd attend
engineering meetings but I'd not make anything useful that they'd
rather a Canadian should be making.

Any country should verify a visitor's status and legality/tax status
of them working in the country. How it goes depends on how you answer
their questions as well as the facts. You don't think the US, UK etc.
hassle business visitors this way? Or is that ok? Degreed engineers
(American/Canadian/Mexican engineers going in any direction) are
generally free to work (as an employee) in any NAFTA country
temporarily (up to a few years, renewable) under reciprocal rules, but
there are a few documentation requirements (a letter from the emloyer
etc.).

I musta said a "wrong thing" in Vancouver, though I don't know what
that might have been. Never had a speck of trouble entering the UK
or Europe for business or pleasure.