HTS and CoO Required on ALL Packages

[wilsonharborsales]

HTS codes and Country of Origin are now required on all packages entering the USA. Many packages are still not clearing because the HTS or CoO are not in the manifest. This effectively means that the de minimis is gone, but no tariffs or taxes are assigned to the shipment unless China or Hong Kong are the CoO. Chit Chats will no longer accept items where China or Hong Kong are the CoO.

Has eBay sent anything out? Seller protections or any announcements? I don’t think they have updated their labels to include the longer form declaration.

This does likely mean that the infrastructure is being put in place to apply tariffs in the future to Canadian shipments.

[dinomitesales]

"Country of Origin" is the country of manufacture of the item. So, in the case of comics/photos, the country in which the item was printed.

You can use an HS Code lookup tool such as this one offered by Canada Post. You may also have success by simply doing a Google search for "What is the HS Code for ______".

Comic books, for example would be 4902.99 (unless they're part of a collection and more of a "bound" style book rather than a staple-bound single issue, in which case 4901.99 would be more applicable).

[sin-n-dex]

---

@silverpinups wrote:

Thanks for your reply....

Country of Origin. Do you mean Shipping from or where to item was produced? Where do I find the HTS code for comics and vintage photographs?

Sorry I'm getting to old for these constant changes.... 

---

Where the item was produced. There should be something in a comic that shows copyright and where. For photographs, I've been going by where the photo was taken (I don't have photos, but I have postcards, kind of the same thing, only the postcard states where, or has a postmark).

Stallion Express has requested a list of my inventory (all 12,000 items) with the country of origin. I'm 2% done making the list (downloaded titles from eBay and turned it into a spreadsheet). The brick and mortar store that supplies me with both of my items will sign off on it. I've already sent the list of items, I just have to fill in some more fields on the spreadsheet. Stallion is aware I did not get invoices as I collected stuff and they're signing off after the fact (confirming the origin of the goods that I got from them). I have the sales record on eBay with some of that information, but Stallion wants my entire inventory to give to their broker (as proof that I don't sell stuff from China/Hong Kong... those items have been removed, so they are not on the list, I am planning to ship those with Canada Post on my other eBay account).

C.

[silverpinups]

Thank you!!

[silverpinups]

Where the item was produced. There should be something in a comic that shows copyright and where. 

Most of the comics I sell are graded by CGC (encapsulated) so it will be either Canada or USA.

[wilsonharborsales]

I would switch to Chit Chats.  They are requesting HTS and CoO on the manifest which you can add when you pay for shipping.  How could Stallion possibly cross-reference the millions of items in lists that people send them.  It would be nuts.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@wilsonharborsales wrote:

I would switch to Chit Chats.  They are requesting HTS and CoO on the manifest which you can add when you pay for shipping.  How could Stallion possibly cross-reference the millions of items in lists that people send them.  It would be nuts.

---

Stallion is 5 km from where I work, Chit Chats is a 1.5 hour drive to Burlington. I was with Chit Chats but switched when they closed their branch near me. I drove to Burlington for three months and switched to Stallion when someone on the US form messaged me with a link to sign up.

Stallion has on their website (on Wednesday, this wasn't there Monday) a way to enter the CoO and HTS code directly onto their website now. They were asking for invoices to show where items were sourced, I'm working on something my supplier can sign off on. For the Monday package (that they were asking about) I sent the eBay sales record which states what the item is (which defines where it's from).

C.

[wilsonharborsales]

Excellent.  It feels like everyone is close to a solution.  Hopefully we can all get back to business and there aren't any new issues 🙂

[hold.your.own.media]

Nice. I tested Canada Post for a US shipment this evening and the clerk was unaware of anything being held up at the border, or the CoO / HS requirement. So I shipped a bubble mailer as a tracked packet to the US. Lets see how this plays out :).

[silverpinups]

Nice. I tested Canada Post for a US shipment this evening and the clerk was unaware of anything being held up at the border, or the CoO / HS requirement. So I shipped a bubble mailer as a tracked packet to the US. Lets see how this plays out :).

Report back when it  passes through US customs.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

I sent multiple items on the 4th that went through customs normally. They went through on the 5th and had the normal scans showing they were moving through USPS normally on the 6th. These were different types of items. Some had a Canadian country of origin, others Indonesia. I only used the HS codes (although I will input the full HTS codes now). Knock on wood, but no issues so far.

There doesn't seem to be any real delays with traditional carriers so far in my experience. It's a fluid situation, so that can change. 

I think the reason why Chit Chats and Stallion now require such extensive documentation is because they have a different level of liability than Canada Post since they are technically importing and exporting the packages on your behalf. When you send something with a traditional carrier, you are still the exporter. Maybe that is an oversimplification or my terminology is incorrect. 

[recped]

LetterPost for international is not supposed to contain any potentially dutiable goods so declarations and HTS codes are unnecessary. Goods are ok for Lettermail (domestic) which don't need either.

If CP staff are telling you they need them for letterPost they should also tell you that shipping goods via LetterPost is not allowed.

[recped]

---

@wilsonharborsales wrote:

I would switch to Chit Chats.  They are requesting HTS and CoO on the manifest which you can add when you pay for shipping.  How could Stallion possibly cross-reference the millions of items in lists that people send them.  It would be nuts.

---

The Stallion manifest input forms now or will shortly have those fields, in the past (and maybe still today) shipments to the US did not display those fields (which I always though was odd). If you try to buy an overseas label from Stallion those two fields do show and are mandatory and always have been.

[recped]

---

@ilikehockeyjerseys wrote:

Maybe that is an oversimplification or my terminology is incorrect. 

---

The gist of it is correct.

One thing I don't think people understand, Canada Post shipments do not clear customs at the actual border, they travel "in bond" to the USPS International Service Center (ISC) this is where the customs processing takes place.

It's the same as mail arriving in Canada (by air or ground) the goods arrive and are moved In Bond to CP Gateway in Mississauga (or Richmond BC, Montreal and ???). At one end of the building customs processes the package and then passes it to CP who process as normal. If there was duty to be collected customs puts that big yellow duty form on the packages, CP collects the duty (and their fee) from the recipient and sends it back to Canada Customs (keeping the fee portion for CP).

[sin-n-dex]

---

@wilsonharborsales wrote:

Excellent.  It feels like everyone is close to a solution.  Hopefully we can all get back to business and there aren't any new issues 🙂

---

I'm awake right now at 3am because I'm concerned of the trucks going over again and Customs finding more packages from China in the shipment. The fact they did a random check (I'm not sure it was so random though, I have the idea they might have known what was supposed to be inside when they checked), and found something from China tells me people are trying to sneak stuff across and not have their customers pay the tariffs.

Stallion did tell me that everything this week is being cleared by formal entry and there's tariffs, so I'm hoping the worst thing that happens is I have to pay tariffs (and praying it's just the 10%, people buying clothing from China are paying 30% tariff). If tariffs are the worst thing that happens I'm in good shape, it's only a few packages so far and only one had significant value.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@silverpinups wrote:

Nice. I tested Canada Post for a US shipment this evening and the clerk was unaware of anything being held up at the border, or the CoO / HS requirement. So I shipped a bubble mailer as a tracked packet to the US. Lets see how this plays out :).

Report back when it  passes through US customs.

---

I've seen posts from people of parcels in the US... the question is, are tariffs assessed on these packages. I'm going with the assumption people who posted here about using Canada Post to mail packages are not sending China made goods, so technically there should be no tariffs. I'm just wondering how well Canada Post is working in case I need to use them in future.

C.

[recped]

@dinomitesales wrote:

A lot of people don't know this but there is a distinct difference between HS Codes (Harmonized System Codes) and HTS Codes (Harmonized Tariff Schedule Codes). The former is a 6-digit number that is standardized amongst pretty much all countries to identify a product. The latter is a system unique to the United States that is longer than 6 digits (often 10 digits) that has the same first 6 digits, but then adds additional digits to further classify the item into even more distinct categories that match up with the tariff/duty schedule for the States.

So when sending things to the States it's always a good idea to use the HTS Code (longer than 6 digits); elsewhere in the world the HS Code is fine.

Utilizing ChatGPT (or your AI of choice) makes it very easy to determine the proper code to add to your label.

---

HTS codes are not exclusive to the US, they are used in all countries including Canada

The first 6 digits of the code are the same in all countries, the last 4 digits a set by individual countries as sub-categories in their Tariff Schedule.

To the most countries only the 6 digit codes are required unless the value is high enough to require a formal customs entry. When shipping to the US, at least up until this week, only the 6 digit code was required for shipments valued at less than US$2500. Although only 6 digits are (or were) required, the extra 4 are optional so there is nothing wrong with using them if you like (and the input forms allow for it).

[sin-n-dex]

---

@ilikehockeyjerseys wrote:

I think the reason why Chit Chats and Stallion now require such extensive documentation is because they have a different level of liability than Canada Post since they are technically importing and exporting the packages on your behalf. When you send something with a traditional carrier, you are still the exporter. Maybe that is an oversimplification or my terminology is incorrect. 

---

I'm hoping the updated website that has us putting in HTS code (which is what I've been doing) plus country of origin is enough for things to start moving smoothly across the border again.

I think your simplyfing what's going on with third party carriers is accurate.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@recped wrote:

---

@wilsonharborsales wrote:

I would switch to Chit Chats.  They are requesting HTS and CoO on the manifest which you can add when you pay for shipping.  How could Stallion possibly cross-reference the millions of items in lists that people send them.  It would be nuts.

---

The Stallion manifest input forms now or will shortly have those fields, in the past (and maybe still today) shipments to the US did not display those fields (which I always though was odd). If you try to buy an overseas label from Stallion those two fields do show and are mandatory and always have been.

---

I don't think I've been filling out the HTS code on overseas shipments, I might have put the country of origin, but I can't remember. Going forward I'll make sure I include that now so packages move smoothly through the system.

C.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@silverpinups wrote:

Thanks for your reply....

Country of Origin. Do you mean Shipping from or where to item was produced? Where do I find the HTS code for comics and vintage photographs?

Sorry I'm getting to old for these constant changes.... 

---

@silverpinups  - A few additional links for you and how form looks at ebay labels

 if you choose to use.  It gives you the option to send a QR code that you can provide at counter to have cp print for you. (Haven't used the CP system in ages)

HS tariff code accepts 6 digits in the format shown. eBay labels has not been modified yet to accept additional characters

Country of origin box is where the item was originally manufactured

Weight = unpackaged weight should be per unit

Total value is extended total value

Package weight is extended weight of items enclosed - Never more than package weight (Filled in at top of form)

HS Code Comic book -  4902.90  (4902.90.20.60)

CP - HS Codes lookup  -  https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/information/app/wtz/business/findHsCode?execution=e1s4

Global Post lookup tool - https://www.goglobalpost.com/hs-code-lookup-tool/

US Gov Website - https://hts.usitc.gov/

   (When HS code is critical)

Tool for checking tariffs:  https://www.tariffinder.ca/en/getStarted

[snopp81]

I seen the CoO on the label yesterday, why can't ebat auto add the HT code like etsy does? this would make it alot easier and less people will forget as the hts code is still not required