I'm in Canada, and started buying online from the U.S. about 10 years ago. At that time, I almost never paid duty. As time went on, I started being charged occasionally with duty. At this point in time, it's really a "hit or miss" situation, as Dunster noted. I have now found Canadian online stores, and although prices "per yard" are higher, I no longer have to worry about duty charges. Also shipping charges are lower. It's also nice to be encouraging Canadian sellers.