Fees for importing from Canada?

I may be purchasing some merchandise valued at around 2000.00usd from Canada. Do I have to pay a Duty tax if I am in the USA? Also if items are listed as gifts, does this stop me from having to pay anything? What are my options?

Yes you will probably have to pay duty tax on the import. Listing goods as gifts is illegal and while it is a common practice for some suppliers, if you get caught, you & the supplier could be liable for big penalties.
A better idea is to ship in several small lots, rather than one big one. This will reduce the liklihood of Customs paying attention to your packages, plus, if you do get duties, they will be smaller.