So how much is the Duty on Art again?

Royal Mail introduced its new "Postal Delivery Duties Paid" service today for those wanting to send art to buyers in the USA

There's just one problem. It doesn't tell you what the duty will be until you've paid the postage! 

So how does the artist add any duty payable into the invoice he or she sends to the artist - given artists want paying before they ship?

I posted this comment on the Royal Mail Facebook Page

WHY are you only telling people what the duty is AFTER they have paid the postage.
For people to make an informed decision about whether or not to send a package they need to know ALL THE COSTS before they pay anything.
What provision have you made for people wanting their money back if they decide not to send after finding out about the cost of the duty?
HOW do you ensure that people are using the correct tariff code so they can continue to enjoy EXEMPTION from Duty by using eg the correct code for sending original fine art - as per the Harmonised Tariff Schedule agreements?

There's NO SCOPE to 

• identify what your package is about and to.......
• identify the correct tariff COMMODITY CODE - remembering of course that 
• IN THEORY some items - like original fine art paintings, drawings and prints are EXEMPT from paying any duty 
• but others, like reproduction prints or hand-painted or hand-decorated manufactured articles; collages, mosaics are NOT EXEMPT
• identify the applicable duty rate so you can make provision for this in the price you charge / quote to your buyer if overseas (as in "price before all applicable tax, duty and shipping")

9701 21 0000 is the tariff code applies to fine art paintings, drawing and print which are exempt - and below is the US version of the Harmonised Tariff Schedule which says this.

What is not clear is whether the new duty Trump seeks to levy is in addition to any status identified in the Harmonised Tariff Commody Code Schedule

This is the USA version of the Harmonised Tariff Schedule

Plus to quote the UK Integrated Online Tariff 

Heading 9701 does not apply to mosaics that are mass-produced reproductions, casts or works of conventional craftsmanship of a commercial character, even if these articles are de-signed or created by artists.

For the purposes of heading 9702, the expression ‘original engravings, prints and lithographs’ means impressions produced directly, in black and white or in colour, of one or of several plates wholly executed by hand by the artist, irrespective of the process or of the material employed by him, but not including any mechanical or photomechanical process.

Heading 9703 does not apply to mass-produced reproductions or works of conventional craftsmanship of a commercial character, even if these articles are designed or created by artists. 

I've done some more reading today. 

I continue to be absolutely horrified by the way in which the US side of the documentation continues to be POOR - particularly the website relating to Customs and Border Protection which is shambolic and really out of date in relation to Trade

This is what I got when looking at Importing in the US. Note the date on the document

THE BOTTOM LINE

My take on it is I don't care if people say "they've worked it out" - this is a government and an administration which is comprehensively and seriously failing to provide proper, comprehensive, articulate and up to date guidance to people engaged in trade!!

If I was an artist exporting to the USA I wouldn't.

If I was an artist wanting to enter an open exhibition or art competition in the UK - and then re-export to the USA - I wouldn't.

That's about as plain as I can make it