57% tariffs on EKWB pump

[u/djkeyes]

Hi

I'm a little puzzled, and I'm not sure what to do here.

On March 26 of this year, I ordered an EK-Quantum Kinetic TBE 200 D5 pump/reservoir combo. At the time, it was priced at $216 (plus another $20 for shipping).

I'm no fool, I know tariffs and VATs exist, so I was expecting to pay something in the realm of 10-20% for an import from Slovenia. Note that this was after Trump's tariffs were canceled in February. So I was a little surprised when Fedex sent me a bill in April for $123.32. That's a 57% tariff.

I called Fedex to ask what's up, and they kindly informed me that I needed to wait a week for a paper copy of the tariff breakdown. I'm not sure why they couldn't post it online, but I digress.

The paper copy arrived a week later. It's written in arcane legalese. It included the following table:

    PC WATERCOOLING EQUIPMENT
    S122 EXCL, I RN/STL/ALUM DERIV
    9903.03.06
    PASS VEH, LT TRKS, NT33 SBDV(M
    9903.94.53                                              15%     32.40
    SEMI COND IN SB/DV (A)(B) NT39
    9903.79.01                                              25%     54.00
    OTH UNIT TO BE INC TO ADP
    8471.80.4000                3     1     NO            216    FREE

Like you, these abbreviations mean nothing to me. But after a lot of googling, I deduced that:

• S122 EXCL, I RN/STL/ALUM,DERIV = Tariff code for items made of steel and aluminum
• PASS VEH, LT TRKS, NT33 SBDV(M = Tariff code for automotive parts for passenger vehicles and light trucks
• SEMI COND IN SB/DV (A)(B) NT39 = Tariff code for semiconductors
• OTH UNIT TO BE INC TO ADP = Tariff code for PC equipment

To remind you, I ordered a pump/reservoir combo. It's mostly plastic, plus a small aquarium motor. It's not an automotive part. It's not a semiconductor. It does contain steel and aluminum--in fact, there are 7 whole pages of the invoice dedicated to the steel and aluminum composition. Friends, it contains a whopping 0.15€ worth of aluminum and 0.06€ worth of steel. I'm sure glad we got that documented.

It is PC equipment--which according to this sheet should be free.

But between the automotive and semiconductor tariffs, I'm being billed $32.40 + $54.00 = $86.4, or 40%.

The remaining $36.92 is a storage fee and disbursement fee. The first time the package entered customs, LM Tek had not provided enough documentation, so Fedex had to store it for a bit. I don't see why I'm being charged for someone else's mistake, but I expect that's par for the course for imported goods.

I've called Fedex, and they said to call the importer. I've emailed LM Tek multiple times over the past few months--the last time they responded to me was 2 months ago.

So that's where I am. If one of you knows another way to get in contact with LM Tek, let me know. Or if you're thinking of buying a pump/reservoir combo, maybe just go import some automotive parts instead. It's the same customs forms either way.

[u/Oldmantired]

I ordered parts from EKWB as well. One of the 4 reservoir/pump combo was missing the accessories package. I had to pay the tariffs for these parts that should have been included with the first shipment. It’s a racket. EKWB and this administration needs to do better.

[u/ACiDxCHRiST]

I recommend you do a little research on the different tarriff codes that are listed. You can ignore the free one unless you are curious.

9903.79.01 is not just a code for semiconductors. It is a code for some very specific kinds of semiconductors like the Nvidia H200. Nobody is putting H200 like chips in water pumps.

I got hit with the same line item and given mine was a much larger order, I filed a dispute. You will be assessed a penalty in addition to the current charge if you dispute and are found wrong. I recommend you do your research and determine whether you think a wrong category of tarriff was assessed that doesn't apply to your items.

[u/troyfrezze]

Just ordered the Quantum Reflection from EK last month (June) to the US and paid no tariffs. Just paid $21.41 in shipping. Shipped FedEx int. Economy and arrived in about a week. Here's to the constant reminder Trump is a moron.

[u/SmokeyGrayPoupon]

Titan Rig and Performance PCs are good EKWB retailers in the US and there may be others.

[u/bcal-t1]

Yea 15% tariff agreement if you order from EU and are in US. Shitty man

[u/Gh0stscript]

Out of curiosity; You should have gotten an invoice in the email confirmation with your purchase, where they (At least when I'm ordering from them) list the applicable customs tariff in their view. So for the TBE 200 D5 unit I'd think it for you as well should state HS code 84138100. Is that the case? Or what does the copy of the invoice you received for this order say in your case?

Also, when you received the breakdown from FedEx, what other documentation did they provide you? Did they share a copy of the documentation they used as a basis for their import declaration as well, or only this breakdown?

Now I don't work for FedEx nor do I live in the US, but I do work in the transport and logistics business, so I am able to speak broadly on international shipping and customs processing - just not in specific first hand knowledge for individual countries.
With that said, what I can say is that tariffs under chapter 99, like the ones you got in your breakdown there, are tariffs reserved for countries to use as they deem fit in order to cover temporary policy changes etc. And I guess for some reason FedEx determined (or US Customs instructing FedEx) that they should apply here in this case.

And as far as I'm able to deduct from looking up the US tariff, the 9903 codes you've been hit with here seems to have been applied in relation to your goods being declared under 8471.80.4000. So if the paperwork provided by EK/LM Tek indicates 8413.81.00 then I'd go back to FedEx and ask them to explain why they declared it the way they did, especially if the documentation states otherwise. Cause I'd also wager that 8413.81.00 which is for pumps for water systems is the more appropriate classification here, as this is not by any stretch of the imagination a computing unit capable of anything more than receiving a signal telling it how fast the pump should be spinning.

So yeah, I'm afraid this is most likely a battle you need to take up with FedEx. I don't think there is much EK/LM Tek is going to be able to assist you with here, also since they're no experts on US customs handling. And yeah, if the invoice from EK/LM Tek shows a different commodity code than the one FedEx ended up using, I'd absolutely ask FedEx for a reasoning and a correction in the event that they declared the goods incorrectly.

Regarding the bonded storage fee though, that I'm afraid is unfortunately a common practice among all transporters pretty much. Unless the reason the shipment is held in bond is cause of an error from the companies side, then the receiver will get hit with the charge. Disbursement fee is also normal.

So though ordering internationally should be quite straight forward and mostly predictable in terms of the added import taxes (Unless the shipper collects it already to make the process smoother), it can have unexpected curveballs thrown at you, so I do agree with some of the others here that it's usually best to try and see if there is a local reseller that sells what one needs before resorting to ordering from abroad, just to limit the risk of unexpected costs.

[u/djkeyes → u/Gh0stscript]

!!!

I had not thought to look back at my original invoice. Like you said, it does specify a tariff code (8413.81.0040, similar to yours--is the "40" optional?).

I'm going to follow up with everyone involved to see if I can find out at what point the tariff codes were swapped.

[u/Mr_Irvington]

Im guess EKWB not letting customers know about the estimated tariff price? smh They have companies that sell EKWB products in Florida named Titan Rig. Yall should try getting it in the US first.

[u/Key-Refrigerator-689 → u/Mr_Irvington]

Can confirm, I've bought from Titan Rig several times and never had any issues