Originally Posted by IDZRVIT

When purchasing items from the USA, have it shipped by USPS if at all possible. In my experience, when shipped via USPS, Canada Customs may charge GST or HST or not. They may also charge a handling fee of a few dollars. This is far better than say UPS charging a brokerage fee on top of duty and GST or HST. As for country of origin, I don't think Canada Customs much cares. They look at the value of the item and assess accordingly, at least in my experience importing from the USA.