Well just discovered that the Mexican customs have strict rule regarding importing kits from China.

The Mexican importer just told me that It is impossible to import 1/35 figures alone because it is hazmat for kids.

And the taxes on chinese goods are pretty high here.

That's why you can find nearly only Tam and Italery kits. No trumpeter kits and Dragon are hard to find.

Ok guys you know why I will stop rapidly doing modelling and start drinking

Help me

Can you not buy them online from the US? Sorry don´t know much about the laws in Mexico.

By "China" do they include HK? What about buying DML and Trumpeter from a Japanese online store? Surely Customs only look at the origin of the parcel, and not the origin of the contents? Don't know much about Mexican Customs control so just hoping to offer a few options...

I live on the border with Mexico, El Paso TX to be exact. I used to manage a chain of camera stores and we had a large Mexican clientele. Mexico had massive import duties on Cameras, so folks would buy them, take them out of the boxes and take them across as though they had them all the time. Perhaps you could do something similar, make a periodic trip to the US and take a few empty Tamiya boxes with you. Put the Dragon kit in the Tamiya box. Of course the border is a dangerous place these days, we used to go to Cd. Juarez all the time, but no longer because of the vicious drug war. FWIW, the prayers and hopes of many of us Yanks are with the people of Mexico.

John

Interesting, I work with these laws here in Europe and models are definitely not considered a toy and therefore not hazmat for kids... I suppose it's the small parts. Strange laws in mexico...

I agree, maybe a US or Japanese seller? Or maybe it's time for a trip to Europe and a fondue?

Cheers
Stef

What are the rules for dropping your bread in the molten cheese?

Hmm... Well, according to the legislation on fondue etaing the participants agree to those rules before the start of the fondue... Last guy I know had to pay for a round of beer at the hockey match we went to after...

Well, MBR and Stefan, according to Asterix the rules are as follows:

"If you lose your piece of bread in the fondue, you pay a forfeit! The first time it's five of the best with a stick; the second time you get twenty lashes with a whip; the the third time you get thrown into the lake with weights tied to your feet!"

I can only add that the lake is Lake Geneva and, as far as I know, the rules still apply today!!

ciao
Edo