Latest Tariffs News from Chit Chats Blog

[sin-n-dex]

See the blog below.

Chit Chats is saying you need a manufacturer name and address (and it's looking as though they want a contact name at the manufacturer, like your account rep there or something).

No one seems to know what to do if the item is vintage. A google search showed that declaring it as vintage instead of providing a manufacturer is OK, but Chit Chats is saying without this info you can't unlock duties paid postage. Stallion has simply not responded to either of my messages (I had proposed two ways of handling, using the contact info for the store where I get my items, or the google suggestion of just stating it's vintage). No reply, and they aren't answering their phone. It just goes to voicemail and I won't bother leaving a message since they never call back.

Since if I can't unlock duties paid postage (if tariffs go ahead), I've had to hide my listings  yet again to wait and see what will happen. I'm going to change my item locations to Canada if tariffs go ahead (to give me more shipping options and not have to deal with this noise of using USPS with tariffs imposed).

I'm getting pretty tired of hiding my listings and people keep asking me what's going on. I have health problems too, so anyone who knows this and sees my listings hidden is contacting me to ask if I'm OK. I'm having to explain it's the latest tariff threat and how we don't know what's going to happen until the day it happens.

C.

Blog:

While we have no firm confirmation on what will happen on April 2, we want to keep you informed on how you can prepare in the event that tariffs are imposed. 

Our team is working on a DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) U.S. postage option that will use USPS as the carrier. This postage will require any customs duties and taxes be paid at the time of purchasing your postage. The benefit of this is that the recipient of the package will not be required to pay any fees. If the tariffs are announced to go into effect Wed, Apr 2, then any USPS postage purchased (Chit Chats U.S. Select, Edge, USPS Priority Mail) would need to be reworked with our DDP solution or the DDU option currently available. 

The DDU option (duties paid by the receiver) is currently available via Canada Post Tracked Packet USA and if the tariffs do go into place, there would be no workflow changes if you are using this postage type. The main difference would be that duties would now be charged at the time of delivery. 

How should I prepare?

To prepare for the potential U.S. DDP postage option, we highly recommend gathering some mandatory requirements that will be required so that you’re ready should tariffs go live. To access the DDP postage shippers will need to provide:

• HTS code
• Manufacturer business name
• Manufacturer contact name
• Manufacturer address 

It is also important to ensure accurate labeling and product descriptions are provided to comply with stricter border inspections. Reference CBP labelling requirements.

While what we have heard is that tariffs are likely going to be implemented on goods with the country of origin Canada, Mexico and China/Hong Kong, we won’t know until further notice from the White House. We have learned that should tariffs be implemented on goods from China/Hong Kong there will also be a secondary requirement if using the DDP postage option to ship these goods. The limit per HTS code per shipment with products of a country of origin being China/Hong Kong will be $250 USD. 

Common questions

How tariffs & duties would be calculated? I don’t know my HTS, so I’m just going to guess?

Tariffs and duties are calculated based on the country of origin and the HTS code associated with the product. It is the shipper’s responsibility to provide accurate information as U.S. Customs can have heavy fi... 

We have multiple resources that can help:

• Chit Chats HTS Lookup Tool 
• Official Harmonized Tariff Schedule Code Resource
• Tariff Finder 
  • You may need to expand the subheader in order to see the 10 digit HTS code.
• Canada Post – Find a Harmonized System Code
  • You will have to add the country of origin in order to find the HTS code after obtaining the HS code.
• Webinars
• HTS Support Article
• Manufacturer Details Support Article

What if the duties are under or over paid? Will I be refunded?

Similar to postage adjustments, any duties that are over or under paid will be adjusted to your Chit Chats account. 

I don’t know my country of origin or manufacturer info so how can I buy the DDP postage option?

Unfortunately, both of these are mandatory in order to use DDP postage. If you are unable to provide this, the only available option would be the DDU option, and a COO is required as well. 

[recped]

OK but who here is going to use a DDP option?

I'm certainly not going to and until such time as Trump eliminates the de minimus exemption neither Stallion of ChitChats are handling packages declared at over US$800 (the DDP option might change that regardless of the de minimus status.

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@recped wrote:

OK but who here is going to use a DDP option?

I'm certainly not going to and until such time as Trump eliminates the de minimus exemption neither Stallion of ChitChats are handling packages declared at over US$800 (the DDP option might change that regardless of the de minimus status.

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If I had to ship from the US and DDP was the only way, I'd use the service and then switch all my listings to being shipped from Canada. I haven't seen how much the DDP option will cost and if it's a good idea. 25% tariffs are pretty steep, so I don't think DDP is going to work out, that's kind of my whole profit margin.

I decided just to hide listings (on the dot com store) until I know what's going on. If the de minimis stays in effect (even if lowered), then I'm good to still say I ship from Niagara.

C.

[38e_avenue]

I will ship tomorrow through CP, but will do some changes: the package slip with all transaction and US salex tax info, will be placed outside in a clear envelope. I always do for international, never did for the US. 

As @recped said, we need to wait until we know more about the de minimis - most of us sell items with a value lower than 800 USD - so don't panic too early. 

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@38e_avenue wrote:

I will ship tomorrow through CP, but will do some changes: the package slip with all transaction and US salex tax info, will be placed outside in a clear envelope. I always do for international, never did for the US. 

As @recped said, we need to wait until we know more about the de minimis - most of us sell items with a value lower than 800 USD - so don't panic too early. 

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I don't often have a sale above $200 USD, so I'm trying not to panic. I'm hoping if they do reduce de minimis it won't be reduced to such a ridiculously low level.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow by end of day what's going to happen. Hopefully I can be back online without too many issues. And I'm really hoping we don't go through this drama every single month... it's getting tiring.

C.

[regs43]

I will continue to use Canad Post and I am not paying for anyones Tarrifs, they can pay that them selves as the importer of the package. Not sure why anyone would want to pay a tarrif for their customer (5% or 25%) HARD NO

[dinomitesales]

If the tariffs go into effect and the de minimis is lowered I think ChitChats is done. I don't understand why anyone would send anything DDP through any CBS.

Do they honestly think retailers in Canada that were previously using their cross-border services through USPS will voluntarily pay 25% of the item's sale value just to continue using them? 

[recped]

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@dinomitesales wrote:

If the tariffs go into effect and the de minimis is lowered I think ChitChats is done. I don't understand why anyone would send anything DDP through any CBS.

Do they honestly think retailers in Canada that were previously using their cross-border services through USPS will voluntarily pay 25% of the item's sale value just to continue using them? 

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I can't speak for eBay sellers but there are quite a few Canada based (mostly) single merchant sites that sell to Americans and sell at duty included pricing, or charge and collect import duties as a seperate line item.

There are lots of companies that ship to Canada on that basis and of course EIS ships most orders DDP (they offer a DDU option in some cases).

On eBay to have differental Country pricing one would have to list on .com (with shipping only to the US) and replicate your listings on .ca with shipping to Canada and everywhere else except the US. It would also be possible to list only on one and incorporate the duties into the US shipping charge.

In any event all we can really do is wait until 4:00pm to find out what is actually happening (maybe, perhaps), since the Mango Mussolini could make changes to the announcement on Thursday (he has said he won't but we have heard that before). The broader his plan the more outrage there will be and the faster the damage will hit average US citizens.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

DDP is similar to free shipping. It would be a marketing choice. It likely does not make sense for low-volume or "garage sale" type sellers, but it might make sense for high volume sellers for the same reasons that free shipping would.

eBay Canada is going to need some sort of feature that provides cost certainty to US buyers. Similar to the GSP. Whether the buyer or seller pays the duty, US buyers are going to be reticent to buy from Canadians if they aren't informed of the complete final total up front. 

Chit Chats providing that could be a competitive advantage to a particular kind of seller, but then the difficulty comes with marketing that to customers. Most buyers aren't eBay sellers who read forums, newsletters, news articles, etc. A lot don't even know what the de minimis is. There is going to be a roadblock where buyers will be afraid of getting hit with extra charges and may not buy because they don't know what to expect.

[cottagewoman]

Once de minimis is effectively ended,  eBay will need to put in place some data gathering for their international marketplaces - not just eBay Canada, if they are going to provide US based buyers with any information regarding tariffs, duties, etc.  As stated above: 

" eBay Canada is going to need some sort of feature that provides cost certainty to US buyers. Similar to the GSP. Whether the buyer or seller pays the duty, US buyers are going to be reticent to buy from Canadians if they aren't informed of the complete final total up front. "

At minimum eBay will need to store the country of origin and 10 digit HTS code (not just the 6 digit HS code they are gathering now) per listing, not at checkout.  This is the only way they can show US buyers duties that will be charged on their order.  Is that going to happen quickly?  Seriously doubt it!  This goes back to my comment on the April 2025 updates - we need to know if eBay is planning in any way for the inevitable future.