BajaNomad

Crossing with trailer at San Ysidro?

Howlin52 - 10-27-2006 at 05:22 AM

I'm taking some furniture down to my place at La Bufadora on a small (10') flatbed trailer on Sunday 10/29. I'd like to cross at San Ysidro, but a friend told me he tried to go through there with a 20' flatbed trailer a couple years ago and got turned around and sent to Otay Mesa. Another friend recently went through San Ysidro (Declaration lane) with a 20' trailer at 4AM and had no problem. Any body got the scoop on this?
If I do have to go through Otay Mesa, is it easier to take the new road south to Popotla instead of going back around to the start of the toll road? Got directions?

4baja - 10-27-2006 at 05:57 AM

we cross with a 20 footer all the time with no problems, sometimes through secondary but through quick. good luck.:coolup:

Bob and Susan - 10-27-2006 at 06:09 AM

under $1000 in value no problem

over $1000 go to Otay

ALWAYS go to secondary if in question

you DONOT want to be looked at as a smuggler

its painless:biggrin:

bajabound2005 - 10-27-2006 at 07:33 AM

We tried to cross last Friday night at approx 1:00 am at SY - we were turned away and sent to Otay. We stayed overnight in a hotel as Otay is not open all night. We had a truck eiyh 18 foot flatbead trailer with our household goods (some furniture, houseware, no appliances or electronics). At Otay at 8:00 am on Saturday we were told we HAD to use a broker. The brokers' offices all said they opened at 8:00 but they did not open until 8:30, some did not show up until 9:00. We got a broker immediately, he gave the load a cursory look and we gave him a list of stuff. Said it would take 20 minutes....4 hours later we had our paperwork in hand and it cost us $150 in duty which included the broker's fee. It took this long because all the computers went down. Then as we were ready to go, the red light/green light system went down. They improvised with a plastic jack o'lantern filled with painted stryfoam balls, green and red. The officer had each driver pull a ball from the jack o'lantern and the color determined pase or no pase....we got a green one!

Also, at Otay, we noticed they waved ALL trucks, vans, campers etc in to the inspection area, even if they were empty.

Go to Otay after 8 am, early is better. Have a list of what you have ready and have some cash to pay the duty. The brokers' all close around 4 or 5, maybe 3 on Saturday and not sure if they are open at all on Sundays.

From the OM crossing follow the signs to the airport. You'll come to a T and see the airport in front of you. Go left and just keep following the signs to Rosarito/Ensenada. You'll come out just north of Rosarito -- keep going til you get to the toll road sign. This way puts you not too far from the 2nd toll booth.

[Edited on 10-27-2006 by bajabound2005]

Howlin52 - 10-27-2006 at 08:25 AM

Thanks for that info Bajabound. Did you declare more than $1000 or less?

Bob and Susan - 10-27-2006 at 12:42 PM

i calculate his was considered $625 at 24% with the broker

without a broker its 17%

bajabound2005 - 10-27-2006 at 03:16 PM

The current duty is 15% with or without a broker. We didn't value it, the broker did. As soon as we drove in, Customs immediately told us we had to use a broker. Customs doesn't decide who has to use a broker based on value, it's on the size of the load. The broker valued our load at $500 US (though is was WAY more than that!) and the duty was $75 US or $810 pesos. So it looks like the broker's fee equaled the amount of duty.

Howlin52 - 10-27-2006 at 06:01 PM

My wife talked to the people at "Baja Relocation" today. It's a company that helps people to relocate to Baja. (real estate, moving service, etc.)They said go to San Ysidro through the regular lanes, not Declaration. They said as long as it's your own household goods, you don't have to declare. Is that what you do, 4baja?

bajalou - 10-27-2006 at 06:16 PM

Get a 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinion on that one Howlin51

Do they give a guarantee with that advice?

Dave - 10-27-2006 at 06:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Howlin52
My wife talked to the people at "Baja Relocation" today. It's a company that helps people to relocate to Baja. (real estate, moving service, etc.)They said go to San Ysidro through the regular lanes, not Declaration. They said as long as it's your own household goods, you don't have to declare. Is that what you do, 4baja?


BS. You'll get pulled over anyway. If you can't prove what you're bringing you are in beeg troubles.

If less than 1k and can prove it then use SY and the declare lane.

Remember: If you use declare you can return. If you don't, you can still return but maybe walking with empty pockets.

Baja Relocation?

fdt - 10-27-2006 at 06:58 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Howlin52
My wife talked to the people at "Baja Relocation" today. It's a company that helps people to relocate to Baja. (real estate, moving service, etc.)They said go to San Ysidro through the regular lanes, not Declaration. They said as long as it's your own household goods, you don't have to declare. Is that what you do, 4baja?

YOU CAN NOT!!! just waltz across in SYS. You can do it legaly through the mexican consulate, it is called a "Menaje de casa para extranjeros", the fee is $127.00 USD but you can only do it once, here is some info
http://portal.sre.gob.mx/calexico/index.php?option=displaypa...
I would call them again and ask about this menaje.
saludos

bajabound2005 - 10-27-2006 at 07:30 PM

I talked to the customs folks about the Menaje...didn't get very far, still said we had to use a broker so you'd still have to pay the broker's fee. You won't have time to do the Menaje anyway, it takes a few weeks to get it approved if I remember correctly.

We were happy with the broker we used from Servicios Aduanales Lares. His name was Jose Rafael Romero. He gladly accepts a propina in advance but give it "to the little girl." This was something he told us afterwards when he told us he didn't earn a propina that day as our 20 minutes took 4 hours...

Bob and Susan - 10-27-2006 at 07:56 PM

how come i always get taken with the percentage????

Howlin52 ...Get a 5th, 6th and 7th opinion on that one:biggrin::biggrin:

bajabound2005 - 10-27-2006 at 09:06 PM

at OM the duty was posted in the office -- a big 15% is what is said! Might it vary with the exchange rate?

oladulce - 10-28-2006 at 12:50 AM

When was the last time you Imported stuff Bob & Susan?

We paid 17% to import a load in May, and it was down to 15% in August. (on U.S. made items)

Isn't that part of the NAFTA master plan- the tariffs will continue to decrease between NAFTA counties until eliminated ?

Bob and Susan - 10-28-2006 at 07:04 AM

we imported stuff three weeks ago

we brought used stuff
washer dryer
bed
chair
etc

it was the stuff left in our empty sold house
the rest we're buying new

value was $800.00 after a $100 break you get automaticly
we paid $136.00 in tax without a broker

thats 17%

Bruce R Leech - 10-28-2006 at 07:23 AM

the thing is you are all correct, it is just that thing are not always the same in Mexico. the interpretation of the law is deferent from one person to the next. so it is important for every one to realize that what you did last time wont necessarily be what will happen the next time:light:

I could tell you some stores about importing things that would be completely deferent than all of these but I wont bore you. and don't Waite for the book to come out all the editors don't want it because there are to many misspelled words and they can read it:lol:

[Edited on 10-28-2006 by Bruce R Leech]

Howlin52 - 10-28-2006 at 05:07 PM

OK, so if I go tomorrow to SY through the Declaration lane I should be allright (I've got receipts showing less than $1000). However, if I get turned around and sent to Otay, does anyone know if any customs brokers are open on Sunday? I've tried to call some,but no live person to talk to. I might be better off to wait till Monday unless someone can tell me there will be a broker on Sunday.

BajaWarrior - 10-30-2006 at 11:03 PM

I crossed this past Friday 8 A.M. at the new Mexicali border with 25 full sheets of 3/4 plywood in my SuperDuty. I was pulling my 20' triple axle flatbed with a 84' Bronco ll loaded with 17 windows inside it and two beams measuring 6"x10"x 16' underneath it, and some misc. hardware, and a new 10" A frame ladder. Also had two ATV's on the back of the trailer. Had my reciept (made it myself including prices) just for the windows and lumber.

My duty was $96. There was only one woman working the office that day. She didn't even get within 50' of the truck and trailer. I followed her to the office and filled out a simple form, went to the bank window, paid, and she stamped my paperwork and I was out of there. They don't do the green/red light thing over in Mexicali East.

Couldn't have taken more than 7 minutes. This is now my 4th load in less than 2 months and haven't had a problem.

Maybe BajaBound had a problem because it was 1 A.M? Not sure on this. I have brought many large loads of construction materials and furniture through and never had a problem but for Pacific side I always used Otay. Brought everything but the slab and the brick to build a home at La Bocana de Santo Tomas from the U.S. without a problem.

I think it's just luck of the draw. I certainly am friendly and professional with them, and that seems to go a long way.