McMaster Carr

[brownslane]

Well doesn't THAT suck! It appears that McMaster Carr is now refusing to deal with Canadians. Over many years I have bought from them. My previous order was for a $1Grand back in November. Well, no more!

It seems that they have had a policy to not sell into Canada. No problem, I own a warehouse in Lewiston, NY, so they ship to me there and I broker the goods per my importing business. Well, effective now, they will not sell to any Canadian customers, regardless of shipping location no way, no how! Guess somebody is harboring resentments from the war of 1812!!

Sad for them, because they have lost a customer who spends a couple of Grand a year....apparently things are going really well for them and they don't want/need my business!

[Ty_Handke_83]

Well that sucks...
Wonder what brought this about

[brownslane]

Well that sucks...
Wonder what brought this about

Ty, some years ago (three, maybe four) they stopped shipping across the border. No probs....ship to my Lewiston address. Now they won't even do that! I'll bet their Cdn business partner(s) complained. I know that the strong CDN dollar has driven a lot of my Canadian customers to buy from my US competitors...they drop ship to a mailbox account, then go across and smuggle the parts back into Canada. I cannot compete because I always professionally broker imported goods. I make my living at the border so I am not about to mess that up! So perhaps enough canadians were buying directly from them that they felt they had to stop sales to us to protect their partners....just a guess, though.

The problem for me is that products like Hysol is either not available up here or is twice the price!

[Ty_Handke_83]

Hmm, didn't think it's been that long since I've ordered stuff, but now that I think about it... yeah. Kinda sad that I haven't been able to touch my cars in that long...
I find it's happening a lot though... One downside to our dollar being stronger.

[Daryl DeArman]

Well they were "busted" years ago for being in violation of Export Administration Regulations. Perhaps keeping track of what Countries they could sell what to made it too much hassle.

You could always give your business to their largest competitor (Grainger) of course they do $22MM/day in sales so I doubt your or my $1K a year in sales volume is going to be of much concern to them.

[Tiago Santos]

So who are their partners in Canada? I've had the same problem before, they DID ship to Canada up to a couple years ago but only to businesses - no private orders. Then they stopped that. Guess it's even worse now. Seems strange, unless they were not declaring the true value of orders, I don't see how they would get in trouble. I think they just don't need the business and the extra hassle, however small it may be.

[Daryl DeArman]

Seems strange, unless they were not declaring the true value of orders, I don't see how they would get in trouble. I think they just don't need the business and the extra hassle, however small it may be.

From the e-CFR: "The export control provisions of the EAR are intended to serve the national security, foreign policy, nonproliferation, and short supply interests of the United States and, in some cases, to carry out its international obligations. Some controls are designed to restrict access to dual use items by countries or persons that might apply such items to uses inimical to U.S. interests."

Sounds to me as though they got a hand slap for selling switches, relays or wire and a box of nails to someone in a Country that they shouldn't have. Rather than assign an employee or two to keep track of the regulations and what they can and can't export and to where they just simplified it: "no exports"

[starkejt]

In retaliation, Tim Horton's has closed all of their US restaurants.

[problemchild]

Now you need a passport, green card, or enhanced drivers license to order.

[Rick Kirchner]

Or, they sold a bunch of stuff to a canadian front company who sent it on to the Iranians.....

[brownslane]

Part is that I have both a US-registered and a Canadian business. The only way they could tell is by my credit card...all my banking is domestic. So that is how the "red flag" was raised. The interesting thing is that through NAFTA, I have the ability to declare all goods I import into Canada, so the fact that they would ship to my US address and to my registered US business would let them off the hook vis a vis EAR and other export requirements; I am the exporter of record.

Sigh, I guess I am off the Grainger to spend $300 to bond my floor pan....

[romoman]

Part is that I have both a US-registered and a Canadian business. The only way they could tell is by my credit card...all my banking is domestic. So that is how the "red flag" was raised. The interesting thing is that through NAFTA, I have the ability to declare all goods I import into Canada, so the fact that they would ship to my US address and to my registered US business would let them off the hook vis a vis EAR and other export requirements; I am the exporter of record.

Sigh, I guess I am off the Grainger to spend $300 to bond my floor pan....

That's not really true. They can still be on the hook if they know you intend to export it. .

[grapefarmeral]

A few years ago I had a good client that wanted me to start doing projects in Canada. I spent months trying to get through the Canadian bureaucracy, till one trade minister/assistant told me and I quote "we don't want you here. Your client will get tired of waiting and find a Canadian company to do the work" and they did... I wouldn't be surprised if...

[Brad Smith]

How does Pegasus do it? They have awesome service to either my home address here in vancouver, or my US address.

[Ty_Handke_83]

"we don't want you here. Your client will get tired of waiting and find a Canadian company to do the work"

But yet when we deal with any Canadian companies, the price is always twice as much as it should be.
The sad part is when it's still cheaper to get stuff in the US, have it shipped up here, pay the import fees/taxes and all that, and still save a few hundred bucks. Although the number of companies willing to ship up here (without directing you to their Canadian partners at double the price) is dwindling by the day.

Free trade my "rear end"

[DB4 Tim]

So you saying the Iranians don't even want to you Chinese bolts

Or, they sold a bunch of stuff to a Canadian front company who sent it on to the Iranians.....

[Rick Kirchner]

only the best Chinese stainless for our centrifuges!

[Comp89]

I sent an email to McMaster-Carr (New Jersey) and here the reply is that they [FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial] will ship to either in Canada or the US[/FONT][/FONT]

[brownslane]

I sent an email to McMaster-Carr (New Jersey) and here the reply is that they [FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial] will ship to either in Canada or the US[/FONT][/FONT]

Can you PM me the email address? I will just place my order with them. I believe it was the folks in Chicago that kicked me to the curb...
Thanks, Tom


Here is the excerpt from the original email I got from McMasterCarr:


Aur Exports Distribution export.regulations@mcmaster.com
Feb 10 (7 days ago)



to undisclosed recipients


[FONT=&quot]Due to the complexity of U.S. Export regulations, McMaster-Carr only accepts orders from our established customers in Canada. We’re sorry we can’t help you.[/FONT]

[Comp89]

The email I used nj.sales@mcmaster.com

reply from [FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Amanda[/FONT][/FONT] cle.sales@mcmaster.com