How are you going to handle things if there are tariffs March 4?

[sin-n-dex]

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.

[intimewithmusic]

---

@mrdutch1001 wrote:

Canada 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!

---

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 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....

[intimewithmusic]

Yes. 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.  

[intimewithmusic]

Just 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-i... 

[mrdutch1001]

DT 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"

[sin-n-dex]

I've seen a few posts today that de minimis is spared. Waiting for official word from stallion. We've been promised an update after they confirm with cbp.

C.

[intimewithmusic]

@sin-n-dex 

---

@sin-n-dex wrote:
I've seen a few posts today that de minimis is spared. Waiting for official word from stallion. We've been promised an update after they confirm with cbp.

---

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. 

[recped]

---

@sin-n-dex wrote:
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

---

This 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]

---

@recped wrote:

---

@sin-n-dex wrote:
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

---

This 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.

---

I 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.

[prescilaschina]

I agree, US buyers will exclude Canadian sellers to avoid the hassle and uncertainty, no matter what we do to make our sales more appealing.

[recped]

---

@sin-n-dex wrote:

---

@recped wrote:

---

@sin-n-dex wrote:
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

---

This 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.

---

I 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.

---

Hmmm, 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.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@recped wrote:

---

@sin-n-dex wrote:

---

@recped wrote:

---

@sin-n-dex wrote:
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

---

This 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.

---

I 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.

---

Hmmm, 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.

---

I do it manually. I don't disagree that it's a required field, it just seems if you miss it (which I have many times, might be the reason some of these packages have been delayed at customs in Europe), Stallion will fill something out by default. Unless that's recently changed, the NL package I sent out was 2-3 weeks ago. With US, if it's not filled out, it lets you go on, but then gives an error when you go to print the label.

I would do automation but like you said, Stallion numbers will be posted back to eBay (I assume anyway, haven't tried it to see), I would prefer to continue to pretend my orders actually all ship from the US and share the "I'm in Canada" detail on a need to know basis. I do let everyone know I'm in Canada when sending out offers just so they don't pay and get upset with me later. If they outright buy it, I try to ship fast and say very little unless it comes up.

C.