Fri 23 Sep 2005
I’ve managed to scrape together enough money to build or buy the skateboard I’ve wanted for a long time. In New Zealand from a local skate shop it costs around NZ$500. From the US it cost US$150. An easy decision you would think, but the freight from California for a longboard is about US$75. Also, I would probably have to pay 7% import duty (what happened to free trade?) and 12.5% GST. That works out to a little under NZ$400.
What to do? Should I risk $400 and hope I get what I’m after, or spend $500 and know I can go back to where I bought it?
Is anyone coming from the US to NZ who could bring it with their luggage?
It’s here! I just had the call from my wife that a big parcel has arrived for me. I’m feeling sick…
…might have to go home early 
Hey you shouldn’t be stung for GST, because customs don’t collect GST if it’s less than $50.
I know this, because I’ve imported heaps of radio control gear (in varying value parcels), and only got stung on the NZ$700 transmitter.
Not sure about import duty. Somewhere on their site is a list of all the different products, and whether or not duty applies. The argument being that ones manufactured here attract duty.
If the goods are below $50? or if the GST is below $50 (goods below $400)? I had a look on the customs website and they charge 7% for skateboards, but nothing for surf or snowboards. I guess the skate industry aren’t as good lobbyists.
Actually if you read this page, it looks like they add duty to the cost+freight, then calculate GST, and if the “total owing” (GST + duty I guess) is less than $50 they won’t bother collecting it.
So you need to come in under about $370 goods+freight
The manufacturer put me in touch with his NZ distributer, but they’re still NZ$449 so I just ordered it from Skates On Haight. US$149.99 + US$70.75 freight. Will work out to about
NZ$320NZ$330 by the time the bank takes their cut of the forex. Stoked!!