Canadian Customs and Indian herb pills

[sky777]

Hi!
I am fan oh Indian medicine. Time to time I buy herbal food supplements from herbs. My favorite brand is HYMALAYA (http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/ ).
Usually I buy at eBay. But last time almost all seller rejected to send to Canada due Customs problems. Why like this?
Some products of this company we can buy at Canadian websites like well.ca but of course with high prices .
I bought product but it stays on Customs 3 weeks.
It was not banned. Why situation like this?

[sandy_beach]

Anything like that is regulated by Health Canada. If you go to their website you can see what vitamins/supplements can't be brought into canada.

[bylo]

Plus, just because unapproved pills got into Canada in the past doesn't mean that they'll be allowed in now or in the future.

The same thing applies with value. There's no duty or HST on packages valued at CA$20or less. Often Customs will let in higher valued packages duty/HST free as well. But again just because you got several >$20 packages into Canada duty/HST free before doesn't mean you have cause for complaint if they apply duty/HST on the current package.

[sky777]

Yes, right.
But it was not prohibited if Canadian websites as www.well.ca sells those products.If Health Canada prohibited this well.ca can not sell it too? Or I am not right?
http://well.ca/brand/himalaya-herbal-healthcare.html

[sky777]

Plus, just because unapproved pills got into Canada in the past doesn't mean that they'll be allowed in now or in the future.

The same thing applies with value. There's no duty or HST on packages valued at CA$20or less. Often Customs will let in higher valued packages duty/HST free as well. But again just because you got several >$20 packages into Canada duty/HST free before doesn't mean you have cause for complaint if they apply duty/HST on the current package.

I am ready to pay.It is not issue.

[bylo]

Usually I buy at eBay. But last time almost all seller rejected to send to Canada due Customs problems. Why like this?
Perhaps because you're not the only person to experience problems with Customs and the eBay sellers got tired of dealing with unhappy Canadian customers.


Some products of this company we can buy at Canadian websites like well.ca but of course with high prices .
Is what you bought also available in Canadian stores like well.ca? If so then you have grounds to appeal to Customs, but first...


I bought product but it stays on Customs 3 weeks.
It was not banned. Why situation like this?
How do you know your package has been sitting at Customs for 3 weeks. And how do you know that it's not banned?

ISTM that if Customs rejects your package they should inform you and you should then have an opportunity to appeal, e.g. by showing them that others sell the same thing. But it's also possible that Customs is backlogged and is simply taking a long time to process your package.


I am ready to pay.It is not issue.I understand. I was just using that situation as an example that it's a gamble and sometimes you lose (by having to pay duty/HST.)

[sky777]

. And how do you know that it's not banned?
There is not information about it on Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca
And they continue to sell it http://well.ca/brand/himalaya-herbal-healthcare.html

[Kasakato]

If your item was banned, you would have received a letter indicating it was destroyed. If an item is questioned by a BSO, it will be held and tested. A three week wait for lab analysis is not unusual.

[sandy_beach]

OP, why don't you be specific about what supplement it is. That brand makes several.

[sky777]

OP, why don't you be specific about what supplement it is. That brand makes several.
Easy
I ordered :
Mentat
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/products/mentat.htm
Septilin
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/products/septilin.htm

[Ottomaddox]

Easy
I ordered :
Mentat
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/products/mentat.htm


Mentats? Do you wash 'em down with Nuka-cola?

[sky777]

Mentats? Do you wash 'em down with Nuka-cola?

Read first what is it.
No idea what you are talking about.

[HoleyMoley]

Easy
I ordered :
Mentat
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/products/mentat.htm
Septilin
http://www.himalayahealthcare.com/products/septilin.htm

Maybe I didn't search properly, but I couldn't find either product on well.ca's website.
I found the Himalaya brand, but not those two specific products.

Even if a Canadian retailer sells the exact same item, importing it from overseas isn't automatically legal.
Supplements sold in Canada that make a health claim are required by law to have a Natural Product Number (NPN). (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/about-apropos/index-eng.php)

No other country uses the same NPN, so manufacturers only apply to it products destined for Canada. If the product does not have an NPN number, Customs is following the law by refusing it. They aren't reading the label or checking to see if it's already for sale in Canada; they are strictly looking for the NPN number, which is probably what happened to the seller previously.

It's kind of like the bilingual/French requirement law in Canada. Legally, all products sold in Canada must display information in English and in French (http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/01248.html#2.4.1). If it doesn't - even if it is a known product like Coca-Cola - it isn't compliant with Canadian law.

[sandy_beach]

Probably the customs officers don't know what the heck this stuff is since it contains so many ingredients.