How are you going to handle things if there are tariffs March 4?
Summary: sin-n-dex initiated a discussion about potential tariffs affecting sellers, particularly for those shipping to the USA with Canadian items. They plan to temporarily pause their eBay store to evaluate how new tariffs might impact their sales strategy. Others in the discussion shared varied responses: recped and romancranch expressed plans to wait and see but highlighted concerns about potential changes in customs charges. Some participants like sparx_63 and byto253 decided to cease selling to the USA altogether, citing reduced stress and uncertainty around enforcement of tariffs. randomchans and others discussed transitioning shipping methods, with some expressing a willingness to absorb costs or pass them on to buyers, while others are considering alternative market focus on Canada or international sales outside the USA. Overall, the thread reflects caution and diverse strategies among sellers facing regulatory changes.
I know it's not for two weeks, but I'm getting ready. Wondered how other people would handle it and maybe it will give me some new ideas of things I haven't thought of before.
Currently my location is USA on my listings (which means I provide domestic USA shipping, but I use Stallion, so they take my items across the border). I'm thinking of things I can do to deal with this, but I'm not sure what's best and won't know what to do until there's a process in place for dealing with tariffs so I can respond appropriately.
On March 1 I'm going to put my store on time away, and on March 2 I will drive to Stallion in Mississauga with my last parcels to get them over the border on March 3 (in case tariffs start March 4). Then I'm going to stay on time away until I know what's going on (like will Stallion allow me to pay tariffs, how much is it going to cost, will it work on all items I sell, is this a temporary measure until I figure something else out, etc, etc).
Things I'm thinking I might do, depending on the outcome:
- Change item location to Canada (so if there's tariffs buyers will be aware the item is coming from Canada and they might have to pay)
- List items on the dot CA site to attract more Canadian buyers
- Open a store on dot CA (probably with my other eBay account that's registered in Canada)
- Ship with Canada Post (that seemed to have the fewest problems the last time)
- Continue to be showing a USA location and pay the tariffs myself (might not be feasable for all items I sell, might have to take stuff out of the store)
- Try to attract more international sales (other than USA)
I don't know which I'll do yet, these are just things I'm thinking about to deal with the changes. I do think my USA location is hurting me with Canadian buyers (however when I send offers out, I do state I'm in Canada and Canadian buyers are purchasing, but they aren't bidding on my auctions right now).
Wondered what others were thinking of doing to deal with this (other than perhaps a time out to do other things). I'm currently working on listing my jewellery on a crafting type of platform (with the location in Canada), I never had time for that before, but since I'm not listing on eBay right now until I know what's going on with tariffs, I thought I'd work on something else. Once that's done I have a project to do for my family that I never had time for. Just think of the free time I'll have for a week or so until they sort out how to collect tariffs and put measures into place so items can get across the border.
I do know some people never stopped selling or shipping to US the last time, but since there are things going on in my store, stopping seems to be the best idea until I figure out what to do. (The main thing is the USA location, if there are tariffs perhaps minimally I'll have to change my location to Canada and ship with Canada Post, the postage on eBay is pretty close to what I pay at Stallion, but Stallion allows me to do a domestic USA sale with a USA item location).
C.
byto253
·1 year agoI hope folks remember that the tariffs are related to and applicable based on the Country of Origin, not that they are shipped from Canada.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoIt's still going to be border mayhem. Even with the third party shippers it will be mayhem.
C.
intimewithmusic
·1 year agoYou are historically correct however we are not faced with the 50 year old International Harmonization rule. We're faced with Trump's 2025 version of tariffs on goods flowing into the USA specifically. His objective is to profit on goods coming from Canada and sold inside the USA. He doesn't care where something was made. He's not following rules.
The de minimus extraction was on the books before Trump's "reign" to protect USA buinesses from Temu and the like which had nothing to do with Canada. If he wipes out the de minimus in Canada my point will be clear. Trump could care less about the COR.
This is a topic that eBay needs to address so speculation doesn't impact sellers. A seller has one simple requirement. Fill in eBay's customs document. That's it. Hopefully, on Tuesday if tariffs are implemented and the de minimus is set to zero, there will be some sort of response from eBay.
itolduandso
·1 year agoIt can go either way. Put tariff on Chinese made products regardless from where they are coming from or put tafiff on anything coming from Canada regardless of what origin. If you have been following the orange wrecking ball, bpth option were on the table already. We don't know yet.
But I agree, ebay needs to make it transparent for sellers and buyers. For Ebay needs to show total ESTIMATED selling price including tariffs.
The same way it does for shipping.
By showing the total price including shipping AND tariffs, I still have a chance to compete with the US seller.
But without that - FORGET THAT.
US Buyer will just FILTER out sellers from Canada because of the uncertainty about how much it's going to cost when received. (Not to mention there may be delay on the border too, as an added pain).
US Buyer would never waste time worrying and calculating how much the total cost would be ordering from Canada, if they have US based options, EVEN if the US price is higher.
Making it hard for buyers to make purchase decission is going to kills the cross border business, it's not the 25% tariff.
This is what the orange wrecking ball does not understand.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoUSA buyers already filter to look at USA only listings on eBay.com. They see mine because I put a USA location and ship with USPS (if I start shipping with CP I will have to change the item location to Canada, and then get filtered out).
When the China tariffs hit and de minimis had been wiped out temporarily, customs was treating everything as if it came from China even though they were shipped from all sorts of places. Stallion told me that everything was going across via formal entry and there would be tariffs, even though none of my packages had goods from China. (That didn't end up happening because de minimis was reinstated and then everything was permitted entry, so the tariffs didn't materialize). It very much annoyed me that I had gone through great efforts to remove all China items from my eBay store only to have everything else I shipped be treated like it might be from China.
I will point out with Stallion they do not require tariff code and country of origin for international shipments and it will default to one HTS code (I don't know what the item is), and it defaults to country of origin being China. So that's why it's important to fill that in.
C.
itolduandso
·1 year agoFor Stallion you need to put Country of origin (that's new).
HS Code short version was already needed for EU (without it there would be delays on inport to EU)
For US needs 10 digits now if it's longer for Chinese made items (I just use 10 difits for all), that' s because the 10 digit code includes the tariff information.
This is another problem with Ebay. If I sell an iPhone, eBay should display that HS Code and include that with the order information so I don't need to search for it. THat would save a tone of time for everybody. In fact subcategory could have a 6 difit HS code assigned to it without any issue. But ebay just doesn't care, only money that's what they want,
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 year ago@itolduandso
For couriers HS codes and other field info has been mandatory forever. Customs is a legal document.
HS codes are based on the type of item something is. Customs just wants to know that it is a book. Not that it is a Stephen King book. Why sellers shouldn't be using the listing name. Instead they should be using what the item physically IS. It would be super risky for eBay to be filling in HS codes because they would never be as knowledgeable as the shipper. (It would be similar to the seller defaulting with weight of item, weight of package and measurements. Often those need to be modified at final packaging.) When you are signing the label it is your name on it so it needs to be accurate. The more important part is that any info you include originally when creating a label is the same info on the label when it prints. This was a big problem in the past with eBay labels. Seller would fill in country of origin of goods and eBay would default to Canada/Province incorrectly.
-Lotzofuniquegoodies.
Re: Looking up HS codes. There are multiple sites for doing that it. On average it only adds a bit more time to look them up. CP, USP, Fedex and gov sites are good ones to use.
Disclaimer at bottom of an eBay label.
By clicking "Purchase shipping label" you agree to these Delivery Service Terms & Conditions and to your information being passed to Canada Post for the purpose of providing you with access to this service and for related purposes.
recped
·1 year agoThis is not true and has never been true (except for US shipments). Stallion has always required an HTS code and country of origin for any shipments to International destinations other than the US.
As of last week they are also requiring it for US bound shipments.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoI did a shipment to the Netherlands where I didn't fill it out, they filled out a HTS code (not sure what the code was for) and put the country of origin as China. So it's required on the form, but there seems to be some default being filled in if I don't provide it.
I can post a screen cap of the label.
C.
recped
·1 year agoHmmm, interesting.
Are you importing eBay buyer info via Stallion? If so maybe that is the difference, I don't import, mostly as a holdover from when I was printing USPS labels through Stamps.com
If Stallion is importing the info from eBay then either eBay is sending or Stallion is adding the incorrect HTS/CoO incorrect info you are seeing pre-filled.
Another reason I don't import is that for my Canadian/Overseas orders I don't want them sending the Stallion internal tracking numbers back to eBay.
My volume is pretty low so doing it manually is not much of an issue, I can understand with your volume any automation you can do is very helpful.
Here is a weird thing, when Stallion added the HTS/CoO fields to US shipments they also added them when shipping within Canada, fortunately they are not required fields.
intimewithmusic
·1 year ago@itolduandso @byto253
I've never heard Trump say anything indicating only Canadian made goods would be tariffed. I have heard him repeat constantly the words ..."25%" and, "on everything" (except aluminum & steel). To me "everything" means the COR is not considered. No one really knows. You can't believe anything he says.
I think it would be impossible for them to tool up the customs procedures by tomorrow to encompass a zero de minimus allowance and incorporate any sort of COR dinstinctions in every single shipment. There would need to be a long process of implementation. This is why I'm hoping for a continued de minimus, (even if the threshold is reduced) to allow eBay sellers who rely on the US buyer to function.
All they would need to do to stop Temu is to lower the threshold to a point where they can't make money. I don't know what that point would be. Their widgets are pretty cheap. I would hope we might get at least a $200 threshold but even that might allow Temu and other Chinese companies to continue to exploit the US market duty free.
intimewithmusic
·1 year agoJust got this: They have decided removing de minimus WILL overload their customs processing. Apparently we have been spared temporarily with no indication of when it will come into effect except whenever the border can handle it.;
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/amendment-to-duties-to-address-the-flow-of-illicit-drugs-across-our-northern-border/
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoC.
intimewithmusic
·1 year ago@sin-n-dex
Spared ONLY until US customs retools their staff and software to process the tariffs... could be days, weeks or who knows. If they plan it well they might lower the de minimus in increments IE: 800 600 400 200 etc. slowly turn off the tap to maintian accuracy. One thing's for sure...the border is going to back up.
prescilaschina
·1 year agomrdutch1001
·1 year agoCanada had a $20 limit on imports for decades and now y'all in a tizzy over the USA having to face maybe a $0 limit?!
Life goes on...
C'est la vie!
Que sera,sera!
Have a good day everyone!
intimewithmusic
·1 year ago------------------------------------------------------------------------
The internet changed that. Raising the limit was what facilitated the creation of these platforms in the first place.
If every widget you sold required two finiancial transactions, the online purchase AND a separate payment of 25% duty on delivery, platforms like eBay, Etsy, Reverb, Discogs, Ruby Lane, Bonanza etc would not exist. If these platforms didn't exist a lot of seniors and part time sellers would be far worse off.
All you have to do is read the posts. Sellers who currently sell in the US won't go away. Most will focus on increasing domestic sales making it harder for sellers currently doing well inside Canada.
Sellers who sell domestically should be the first ones on the pro de minimus band wagon because sellers who can no longer compete in the US will choose the next best market Canada, all the while enjoying new Expedited Lite rates. They will simply sell CDs. coins, prospecting items, electronics, stamps, magazines, sewing products, books, DVDs, cross stitch, toys and clothes right here at home. I don't know how many will but if that happens the prices on popular Canadian bought items will likely drop with more competition.
Seniors enjoy their few eBay pennies. Many are retired business people who aren't so dumb eh? ;>}
.....Oh Canada, the true north strong and duty free....
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoDT is just jerking the countries around >typical of a bully wanting control of the sandbox...these are the games DT plays>DT gets off pulling the strings like a puppet, gets the attention while watching the reaction of his puppets bobbling about like rag dolls....makes him feel good and a sense of accomplishment while standing overhead looking down with whip in hand and thoughts of "Gotcha!" whilst pushing puppets heads into the sand and reprimanding "do it again and it will be worse next time!"..."Bow to me and say yes, sir, yes sir"
sparx_63
·1 year agoI no longer sell to the United States.
hansatrade
·1 year agoCan you afford that? Surely not me... 🙄
My today's shipment below...
sparx_63
·1 year agoAbsolutely
intimewithmusic
·1 year agoIt's not a question of "I no longer sell..."
The question is "Can I still compete...."
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoOne can always Let the buyers decide and then assess whether or not you "can still compete"...
intimewithmusic
·1 year agoYes. If it takes too long to stabilize repeat buyers may find new sellers.
I'm not sure Americans are associating tariffs with buying things on eBay yet. They have so many other distractions.
Highly collectible one of a kind items of lower value (IE: Sponge Bob Square Pants Lunchbox) might be spared if it's the only one on eBay unless the US falls into a recession.
nhl_automotive
·1 year agoEveryone needs to take a breath and wait and see what happens. I'm not convinced they'll be any tariffs and if there are, I'm not sure they'll last long.
randomchans
·1 year agoStallion’s email update has them rolling out their new Canada Post DDU (Duty Delivered Unpaid) shipping program. So for Canadian sellers using our NY shipping address…I suppose, in theory, this removes any hesitation to start using a Canadian item location.
I wonder how this program works. Does Stallion take our packages and hand them off to Canada Post (…in Mississauga??) for processing? Why use Stallion when there are hundreds of Canada Post locations all around us? Hopefully Stallion has negotiated better shipping rates than ebay has
If anybody has been using Stallion to ship to the USA via Canada Post, how has the experience been? Stallion’s USPS service has been really impressive. Instant scan and ebay tracking update when items are dropped off and then the USPS reception scan the very next day. Delivery within a week. Doesn’t matter if I’m shipping to NY, FL, CA, AK or HI it’s been completely reliable, predictable and insanely fast. Would be a shame to not be able to use it anymore.
hansatrade
·1 year agoHere is (maybe) a good news for some of us. I today sold an item to a buyer from the EU. Please look at the VAT charge - 27% (!!!!), so more than coming (or not) US tariffs. AND PEOPLE STILL BUY! 😀
recped
·1 year agoI today sold an item to a buyer from the EU
Hungary I assume, they have the highest rate of any EU country.
As far as "people still buy", yes I agree but it can be a rocky road. When eBay started collecting VAT for the EU/UK I had a very significant drop off for quite a long time. Eventually there was a recovery but it has never come back to the pre-VAT days.
When US Sales Tax landed there was very little resistance, almost insignificant.
I don't know about the collection of GST/HST in Canada because I have always collected this, it may have slightly helped me since other sellers didn't have that tax free advantage anymore.
hansatrade
·1 year agoProbably, but I remember a buyer from Croatia was charged even more. Here anonther EU example from a few days ago: Poland - the VAT charge was only 5%.
randomchans
·1 year agoWould you classify the item you sold as "wow this is rare I NEED it" or "just meh"?
If you don't mind me asking, are you shipping directly to the buyer in EU? Or shipping to ebay's global shipping hub in Chicago?
hansatrade
·1 year agoIt was a rare item, very unique, yes. It was only an example people may still buy, if the US tariffs are imposed on us. I shipped directly to the EU (Hungary).
itolduandso
·1 year agoThis is regular Tax in EU, albeith higher than average. If you go there to a normal store you pay same.
EU doesn't charge import Tariffs on the item.
hansatrade
·1 year agoIt's obvious. That was only an example showing people can still buy - even if a high tariff is imposed on them.
Personally, I would probably survive the tariffs, because my items are rather unique (antique collectibles). However, the sellers who offer common items, which can be purchased elsewhere for less, will be in real trouble.
chastershop
·1 year agoI list on both Canada and US site. Like most of you my main sales are from USA. To prepare for if there are tariffs, I have been slowly going through US site and if the item has no country of origin, it goes to another platform. If it says country of origin is Canada then the listing goes to Ebay CA site and I have the CA site changed to omit USA for shipping to. If the tariffs do not happen then I can change that.
I am using a crosslister so it is easier but still have to convert the shipping and make sure the item location is on the new listing etc with some editing.
Crossing fingers that tariffs do not happen. It is in all our minds and so stressful.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoIs the cross lister a software program? Can you share details? I haven't figured out an easy way to get items from the dot com site to the dot ca site, without taking it down, dredging up the photos, and making a new listing.
What you're doing sounds like a lot of work (at least it would be for me, I have currently 11,471 listings), hopefully you don't have many listings to make changes on and time to do that. I've been postponing making any changes since so far all the changes I would have made would be for nothing, since not much has happened yet.
C.
intimewithmusic
·1 year agomusicyouneed
·1 year agoI came across this good article I don't think that it will happen too soon for mail. I think that it probably will affect those oufits that take our mail across the border, ie chit chats, etc.
Despite growing consensus for the need to reduce the number of packages coming in through de minimis, the sheer volume means that any changes to the regulations need to be well considered and implemented on a time frame that gives shippers and CBP time to adjust, a half-dozen private logistics experts, former customs officials and politicians told Reuters.
The need to pay duties on the millions of low-value packages coming from China each day also risks slowing a shipping system built to move parcels quickly and that is ill-equipped to store large quantities of goods for any length of time. American shoppers have become accustomed to nearly seamless delivery of online orders of affordable clothing and gadgets from China.
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, supports ending de minimis exemptions entirely for all countries, not just China. But she said Trump's surprise order caught the shipping industry off guard. The federal government traditionally would solicit input from affected parties and give them months to prepare.
"You have to have put in place some sort of an infrastructure," DeLauro said. "You don't start saying, 'I'm going to change the world,' and then don't figure out how the heck you're going to do that."
She also criticized Trump's order as being too geographically limited. She said companies currently manufacturing in China could move operations to places such as Vietnam and Thailand and export it from there in efforts to skirt the de minimis ban on Chinese goods.
Trump has now put the Commerce Department in charge of figuring out how to make his policy work.
A particular challenge is the government-owned United States Postal Service (USPS). Although USPS only accounted for about 5% of last year's total de minimis shipments, some 75 million parcels, experts described it as the Achilles heel of any policy to remove tariff exemptions on low-value shipments. USPS, with a history developed around the receiving and sending of letters, is not set up to assess and process duties on packages of sweaters, shoes and headphones coming from abroad.
Express carriers like FedEx, UPS and DHL have in-house customs brokerage divisions that collect any tariffs owed by package recipients, and these companies often handle every step of a delivery, from drop-off to doorstep. In contrast, USPS receives items from foreign postal services that are flown into a handful of international mail facilities at major U.S. airports. These packages often arrive with limited information about their contents. In addition, USPS is not set up to process tariffs.
"The postal service has absolutely no way, themselves, to collect duty or pay duty to the government," said Cindy Allen, CEO of Trade Force Multiplier, an international trade consultancy service, and a former CBP official.
Following Trump's order, USPS on February 4 temporarily stopped accepting incoming packages from China and Hong Kong as it worked to figure out how the duties might be collected. It reversed course some 12 hours later.
In a public statement, the postal service said it was working with CBP to "implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery."
To start processing duty on millions of incoming packages, USPS would likely have to partner with customs brokers, experts said. Another option would be to exempt USPS from the new rules. But that could drive a surge of low-value goods into the international mail, where CBP has struggled, opens new tab to effectively screen parcels and comply with legislation aimed at stopping fentanyl trafficking.
USPS did not reply to requests for comment. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the agency, told Reuters last year that it works tirelessly with U.S. Customs and other partners "to combat illicit drugs entering the mail."
DHL, UPS and FedEx said they comply with all regulations and have the capacity to adapt to the changes as required. CBP did not respond to a request for comment.
CBP is also going to need more people inspecting incoming packages, experts said. It is unclear where those extra personnel might come from given that the Trump administration is now focused on downsizing the federal workforce.
The Trump administration intends to reinstate the ban on de minimis "in short order," an administration official told Reuters.
Whenever that is, it could be another rocky rollout, said Lars-Erik Hjelm, a lawyer specializing in international trade law who used to work for U.S customs. Global shipping routes can be circuitous, with goods frequently passing through various countries before entering the United States. Hjelm said that presents a challenge because it would be harder to establish the Chinese origin of the merchandise.
"It's going to be chaotic, no matter what," he said.
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 year ago@musicyouneed
Very interesting and well expressed. Here is another in a similar vein and how it relates to any proposed De minimus rule overhaul. Generated via Amazon but related. How any tariffs will be collected will be in the final pudding. If/when there is going to be tariff collections, either in advance or pre delivery its IMPERATIVE that it is properly documented with an actual physical invoice.
https://sellercentral.amazon.ca/seller-forums/discussions/t/4a357d5d-cfa9-4a88-a6eb-15a1156468bb
Also of note how Amazon intl returns:
With eBay returns both parties (buyer and seller) are basically on their own.
https://www.carbon6.io/blog/amazon-tariffs-guide-sellers-de-minimis-rules-2025
flipistics
·1 year agoAnyone planning to turn sales off to the states and are using Canada Post, I've noticed over the last 2 weeks that US sales are taking longer to get cleared by customs than normal. In the past I've found they usually clear within 3 days of me mailing the item. Lately it's sometimes closer to 5 days. That could potentially matter with the 4th approaching.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoI have a store on another platform that has a location as Canada and sales aren't being turned off there. I'm not sure if they have discounted Canada Post rates, haven't sold anything there yet (and set up the store in February 2025), so I don't know how that will work in that case. But I figure if the location is Canada, and there are problems shipping, that will be expected.
What I can't do is have problems shipping while appearing to be a domestic US seller. The Niagara Location is the crux of my problem (but also solves other problems).
C.
intimewithmusic
·1 year agoAll the talk is about tariffs. Too bad no updates on the de minimus. If you get neg feedback is eBay going to back you up?
intimewithmusic
·1 year agointimewithmusic
·1 year agoHi. Oops I should add, on the other hand both my last 2 recent shipments from Kelowna to the UK were delvd in 10 days or less leading to glowing feedback!. (Tr Pkt Int). Yippee! 🤸
cottagewoman
·1 year agonhl_automotive
·1 year agoI just don't see it working out as USPS doesn't have the staff or room to process billions of parcels for tariff charges. Pretty much they'll be on every country so every single international package would need to be checked.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoHe's announced today that tariffs are going ahead next week "on schedule/as planned".
Since I'm on the dot com site (the US one), the only thing I can do is update my location to Canada so that if there's tariffs, the buyer can expect them. The buyer isn't expecting tariffs if I have a US location (like a few dot com sellers here who use services like Stallion).
I'm scheduled for time away by the end of day on March 1 (and I'll change that if the news suggests tariffs happening sooner than March 4. I'm prepared and planned what I'm going to do if they happen March 4, but I do not trust Trump as far as I can throw him.
C.
dinomitesales
·1 year agoReminder that the tariffs themselves shouldn't affect us too much. Ultimately it's going to come down to whether or not the de minimis is taken away (or significantly reduced), of which I don't think there's been any announcement (someone correct me if I'm wrong).
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoThat's what I'm banking on, that there's still a de minimis. I'm even OK with them lowering it (for my own eBay business). It's not common that I have sales upwards of $100 USD, so I can deal with a lower de minimis if it will keep me selling here. but every once in a while I have one great sale (like yesterday, with the auctions one guy spent $455 USD). so it's those things I'll have to deal with if the de minimis is lowered.
C.
cottagewoman
·1 year agoThe current DT executive order for the Canadian tariffs repeals de minimis treatment of Canadian goods. Get ready for border mayhem again just as it happened with the repeal (then reinstatement) of de minimis on Chinese goods.
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoI ship with Canada Post and there was no"border mayhem" when I shipped packages to the USA at the time of your reference "just as it happened with the repeal (then reinstatement) of de minimis on Chinese goods." I am not intimidated by any of this and I shall carry on!
cottagewoman
·1 year agomrdutch1001
·1 year agoI sell on .COM as well as .CA plus I sell on Etsy>and I use flat rate shipping for all my items regardless of where they are listed. Have been using Canada Post for many many decades and for online selling that has worked well for me for the past 20+ years so I have no need to change anything.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoI hear you there! That's totally what I think.
I've been using Chit Chats and Stallion Express since 2016 (we started off with the Mississauga office of Chit Chats because my husband worked in Mississauga, although we lived an hour away). That was the beginning, and it was the greatest thing to happen to my business.
C.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoThat's mainly why I'm on time away at the end of the week, I'm counting on them reinstating it if they cancel de minimis, because of border mayhem. I just don't want to be caught up with this drama next week. I had to deal with it the last time (because of China tariffs, I had actually stopped selling and started again when Canada tariffs were postponed). Then there was border mayhem about possible China packages coming in from Canada, so yes, every package had to be checked. I'm going to wait it out again to see what happens before I start selling again.
C.
cottagewoman
·1 year agosin-n-dex
OP1 year agoI do use flat rate shipping, but I'm using Sixbit so I have "shipping policies", so it's one policy change that will update 100s of listings at once. (For instance, there's a policy for postcards, stamps, coins, banknotes, etc).
C.
dinomitesales
·1 year agoI'm doing nothing in preparation. I sell on eBay.ca with my location in Canada. My Canadian sales will go on as they always have with no change. For any shipments to the US it's the buyer's responsibility to be cognizant of any fees/tariffs that may be imposed on their purchase; and it's the buyer's government that is responsible to collect that fee, not me. I do not use any cross-border shippers.
I'm more concerned with any upcoming Canada Post disruptions once the temporary agreement expires come May.
ricarmic
·1 year agoMy current plan is to do nothing different until it happens.
If it happens, and I have to pay more (ie the tariff), or things to the US take too long to get there, because partway like you I can't just exclude US folks because half of my stuff is on .COM, I'll shut down here, and maybe put all my effort into the non-postal/non-ebay other venues I started building during the last postal strike.
Assuming it persists, I'll probably formulate some sort of plan to zap all the .COM stuff and keep .CA blocking the US folks. That plan will depend on how things progress tariffs wise and how much I care about selling on eBay vs the other venues.
I'm fortunate in that I'm sort of "semi-retired"now, although my spouse would probably chuckle about that comment, but this might help me move further along that way too!
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoThanks to everyone for input on this. It probably wouldn't be so difficult for me to figure out if it isn't for the fact that I'm offering shipping to the US as domestic shipping (so that's one thing that will have to change if there's tariffs, unless I want to do Duties Paid Postage to the US).
In any event, when it hits the fan I'm going to be on time away and see what happens. I don't like the idea of not having sales for a few days/weeks while this is sorted out, but the China tariffs caused lots of chaos which made me wish I hadn't been selling that week until things were sorted out.
C.
recped
·1 year agoWhatever moves the Mango Man makes are hard to predict. It appears that the blanket 25% is off the table and replaced by more targeted tariffs such as the recently announced tariff on Steel and Aluminum and the just announced tariff on Automobiles in April.
Or maybe nothing will happen because Trump will be too busy selling out the Ukraine to Putin and initiating tariffs against the EU.
flipistics
·1 year agoA few places have said the 25% would be in addition to the targeted ones. The most important question for us will be whether the de minimis will be removed or not. I have doubts it will be right away since it'll likely take a few months for their new sales tax ... er tariff collecting department to be up and running, but Trump seems intent on creating general chaos so it's possible he'll let them come into effect at least for a week or so first.
I've been trying to reorganize my stores so I can quickly filter out and change the shipping policy on items that may be affected by tariffs. That way it'll only take me a few minutes to adapt to changes without needing to shut down.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoI have software (SixBit) where I can batch change items (to update item location for one, or revise TOS in the description, etc). It will take a few days to implement changes to the entire inventory, but it can be done. I'm just waiting to see what happens to see if anything needs to be done at all. Someone mentioned that Trump's chaos is to get a reaction from people (like get his CBP people to be freaking out about tariffing imports, for instance), and that the best thing to do is wait a few days to see if anything's going to stick before reacting. Just because Trump has all his government departments freaking out over changes doesn't mean we have to react to everything he does.
But there may be a need to react if any change lasts longer than a few days, so I'm waiting to see how that plays out. If de minimis doesn't go away (even with tariffs) then most of us are OK to continue shipping until that changes. But we find out what's happening kind of at the last minute, so this time I'm going to shut down and be ready for changes. I have one last trip to Stallion planned on March 2 (and hoping for no bad driving weather), and I'll get my packages there. I will make a trip out Friday before Stallion closes to get out anything that sells during the day. The fewer customers I have to explain customs problems to, the better.
C.
brieonline
·1 year agoInteresting times. According to Dump, he's serious and has been saying the tariffs will start on March 1st, but that could be an error—although if you ask him, he doesn't make them.
I can't speak to everyone, but I cannot eat the 25%, nor should I!
I've stopped selling on my .COM site. I've been transferring everything to my .CA site- and adding a disclaimer on every listing that buyers are responsible for any/all taxes and duties ,also known as tariffs- because that's what a tariff is. What is bothering me is #eBay has yet publically declare what is and isn't a duty- I hold two degrees in international trade- a tariff is a form of duty, and as we all know- and our government- hell- oops- I said a bad word- Heck- the WORLD has been telling Americans that they are going to be paying for any/all tariffs. EBay has to clarify the reality of the situation to sellers and buyers so no one is surprised on the first day of tariffs. Even if eBay feels they do not want to tick off the Dump- and inform us that we are responsible for the tariffs- this would mean one of three things- All our prices will have to be raised by 25% to US buyers- and we call it a US Administration fee- which buyers won't believe.
The other possibility—and I'm not suggesting it—is a class action against eBay to force them to comply with international norms related to tax/duty laws and regulations, but that would be a headache. This could potentially lead to a resolution of the tariff issue, but it would also involve a significant amount of time, effort, and legal fees.
The final option, which I don't like—but am doing—is to stop selling to the US until the situation is resolved. I've opened my.CA and.UK to plenty more countries—with some exceptions—Russia/China and a few others that don't have a form of tracking mail in place or are in areas of conflict—or to places I'm not comfortable selling to (i.e., Iraq, UAE, countries that violate international human rights, etc.).
The other measure I am doing if we don't have any direction from the government or eBay is making the changes (stop selling to the US) effective THIS weekend- I don't want stuff to get hung up with either a courier company- who doesn't know what's going on either- or Canada Post, and there is a delay before it reaches US Customs for clearance- after the duty goes into effect. Although- they may allow it to go through because it was in the system before the tariffs went into place- they may also decide to reject the item and return it to sender- or clear it subject to the buyer paying the tariffs when someone knocks on their door- I don't want to deal with either headache of losing the shipping cost- or the argument with the buyer on why they have to pay the tariff- and we all know what happens if the buyer complains to eBay- we will be paying the tariff to the buyer UNLESS they send out an email clearly explaining what a tariff is.
I've said it before- that we have to stick together- as Canadians and as eBay sellers and mean it. Like most of you who have stores- I have yet to be compensated for the inability to create sales during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the 10 days following that. Nor have I received any compensation for the failure for most of January and 10 days of February been able to create a newsletter- We all know that if these problems happened in the US on the .com site- both situations would have been corrected in a matter of hours- not weeks- but on the .ca site? 'Just Canadians- they should be happy with what we give them'. Which is...?.
For the record, the exemptions for less expensive items will be removed, so everything you sell, including a 5-cent coin, will be subject to the tariff (unless it's a US coin). I sell a fair amount of coins, and I'm curious to see what happens when they realize that most coins these days are made of steel—an additional tariff? It might be an idea to inventory all your stock to see where it's made- We can't forget that if an item is made in China- the Chinese tariffs will apply, even if it's coming from Canada.
Anyway, good luck, everyone. Stay strong. I honestly believe this could open up new markets for Canadian sellers, offering us new opportunities and growth potential. We have to find a way of working together to make it easier for all of us. Not that I'm an expert in everything—I'm not Donald—but if there is anything I can do, please reach out.
femmefan1946
·1 year ago@brieonline
I can't speak to everyone, but I cannot eat the 25%, nor should I!
You are making the same mistake as 47.
The Seller does not pay the tariff, the BUYER pays the tariff.
That means that, even if the seller reduces their price by 25% the Buyer would still be hit with a 25% tariff on the reduced price-- and that would be in addition to the price the Buyer thought he was paying.
So.
Sell at $100 +25% tariff- Buyer pays $125 = Angry Buyer
Sell at $75+ 255 tariff- Buyer pays $93.75 = Angry Buyer
The only hope is that the eBay invoice shows the price breakdown as "25% tariff on imported goods" rather than burying it it. as seems to happen sometimes with eIS/GSP where the "shipping cost" included duty and sales taxes making the program seem to charge unusually expensive shipping.
flipistics
·1 year agoWe don't know how they're going to be eventually implemented, but I wouldn't make any assumptions at this point. Trump may very well bring in a law that the tariff has to be prepaid by the shipper before the item is accepted into the country. I could actually see him doing that. Marketplaces would have to start charging the tariffs on checkout, assuming it's actually legal for them to even do so.
brieonline
·1 year agoHope for the best, prepare for the worst. Who knows- this may all be just his normal double-speak. We don't have a choice but to accept that the threat is real. If we aren't prepared, we all could be scr*wed. As such, I'm forced to delete selling to the US effective today- because I don't want anything that goes into the mail to get caught up in this game he's playing. What he's doing is legal- not very smart, but legal- he has the authority. Marketplaces will have to collect it- one way or another- or it could be paid via Canada Post or a courier. Chances are, you're right- he won't let US Customs release the items to be delivered unless it's paid. If he allowed US Customs to do so- and charge the receiver (buyer) when it's delivered- there goes his fungus (I can't say the word on eBay- 4 letters- starts with an S and ends with a T) about the exporting country pays the tariffs.
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoYou do whatever you need to and/or feel you need to...but, I for one am changing nothing. I want FACTS before I leap into the whatever...
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 year agoIf tariffs were to be collected that way, that would be a major change to the apple cart so to speak.
Customs authorities collect tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods. In the United States, this is done by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
This would be a massive overhaul (180) of how customs functions have been performed for years.
brieonline
·1 year agoI agree with you- tariffs, like duties, are the buyer's responsibility. The example I gave was if you had a $100 item- and raised it to $130 on your .com site- that would cover MOST of the increased cost of the 25% tariff (keeping in mind you have to pay the tariff on the additional $30.) #eBay has to send out a statement clarifying the eBay position- and simple say IF tariffs come into play, that it would be treated like other forms of duties and the buyer is responsible for it- that would solve the problem- then the buyers and sellers know what's going in- this isn't rocket science. I know eBay doesn't want to get into the middle of some international tariff debate, I get it- but it doesn't have a chance. Canada and Mexico are the first- but the orange one has already informed the EU that they are next.
sparx_63
·1 year agoI am refusing to do any business with the USA. Absolutely amazing how much worry has been reduced once this decision is made. As long as Canadian sales are enough to pay for my store, I will keep it open. Not going to worry about tariffs at all. 🙂
femmefan1946
·1 year agoI noticed over the weekend that only of ten shipments, two went to the USA, one overseas. The rest went to Canada.
That is a (probably one-off) reversal of my usual Canada-USA reversal.
hansatrade
·1 year agoNo change here: 5 shipments yesterday - 4 US and 1 UK.
regs43
·1 year agoNot changing anything. I ship with Canada Post (Chit chats is like 1.5 hour round trip for me so not even worth the 75cent savings on a package, and right now CP is giving a discount on the discount lol)
If tarriffs happen the buyers can pay for it, not my problem, their country wants them to get "rich" for tarrifs and half don't even know that its a tax that hey as the importer pay , so let them learn!
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoNot changing a thing, tariffs or no tariffs. I do not sell anything of a value over $50; have nothing made in China>99% of my items are made in Canada or Made in USA. I will continue to offer my items to USA as well as Canada(I do not sell outside of Canada and USA) same as I have been for the past 10 years. I have always used Canada Post and will continue to do so.
romancranch
·1 year agoJust wondering what will happen to us Canadian buyers March 4th if we buy from USA sellers.
I just received 2 packages from the USA. One was some German made coffee from usa seller I buy from. I had customs fees, our 11% tax, the 9.95 handling fee and 8% duty (said special category) The other package was 2 clothing items from USA seller. The customs fees 11% tax, 9.95 handling fee, and one clothing item 8% duty and the other clothing item 9% duty. So if Canada puts counter-tariffs on, would that replace the 8%-9% duties? or would the 25% be on top of the other duties?
fergua3
·1 year agoYes if the items you purchased are subject to the counter tariffs. But Canadian tariffs are expected to be 'targeted' not just blanket tariffs like Trump is threatening, so only some things could have tariffs on them.
However, it depends on the wording of the Canadian counter tariffs. They could increase the existing duty amount to 25% or they could add it on top of existing duty amounts. Nothing has been stated on paper yet.
I must point out that despite all of Trump's tariff threats, not one tariff has come into being yet. He keeps pushing dates: January 20, then Feb 4 became March 4, March 12, April 2. He keeps saying how great tariffs are.....if they are so 'great' why is he delaying? He's just costing the US all this wonderful money he says tariffs will bring in.
recped
·1 year agoIF and it's a big if the Trump Tariffs are resurected (25% on everything) AND the de minimis exemption remains in place for Canada I will do nothing.
If the tariffs return and the de minimis goes away I may switch to a DDP service and add the tariff amount to my shipping/handling charge to US buyers.
I'm curious to see what DDU service Stallion comes up with. If it's not a good option i might have to go back to Canada Post Tracked Packet.
hansatrade
·1 year ago...........