Selling to the US. How is the experience right now?

[piterpater005]

Its been at  least two years sive I have bought or sold anything on ebay.  My usual categories are craft related.  Can anyone share the current climate?  Are there US buyers? How is the shipping with Canada Post?  Are there tarriff issues?  Not a business, just periodically sell off my surplus supplies, patterns etc.  Any insights appreciated.  Was consdering doing a few sales in the New Year.

  Karen

[flipistics]

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@piterpater005 wrote:

Its been at  least two years sive I have bought or sold anything on ebay.  My usual categories are craft related.  Can anyone share the current climate?  Are there US buyers? How is the shipping with Canada Post?  Are there tarriff issues?  Not a business, just periodically sell off my surplus supplies, patterns etc.  Any insights appreciated.  Was consdering doing a few sales in the New Year.

  Karen

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There are US buyers, but it generally has to be for something fairly unique they can't get elsewhere. eBay has brought in an International Shipping Program (eIS) which can take care of all the headache for you. It's higher cost to the buyer which reduces sales, but it means you don't have to worry about paying the tariffs out of pocket or worrying about the paperwork before sending the item.  

You can also just limit sales to Canada and not worry about anything else at all. Treat it like a bonus if something sells. The Canadian market really isn't that bad to sell to.

[marnotom!]

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@flipistics wrote:eBay has brought in an International Shipping Program (eIS) which can take care of all the headache for you. It's higher cost to the buyer which reduces sales, but it means you don't have to worry about paying the tariffs out of pocket or worrying about the paperwork before sending the item.  

eIS can end up being competitive with if not less expensive than shipping the item directly to US and other international buyers if the seller offers "free" domestic shipping.

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[rainbow71113]

Hello,

I sell a lot of craft items and here's what's happening. Paper goods don't have tariffs but do have taxes and because of Trump removing the de minimus of $800 for US buyers they are subject to duty should they be somewhat valuable and brokerage fees might also be attached.  Now, if you are thinking craft kits....that's where we are running into trouble....they go according to the HS codes and generate tarrifs regardless of where they are made but the tariffs are also based on their made locations.  For instance, a Chinese kit was going to cost 140% more for us to ship it down. I sold one kit for $20 and my courier, Chit Chats was going to charge me $65 just in the tariffs and then add on the brokerage fee, taxes etc so I wound up sending it by UPS and the lady told me she got a bill for $10 but never did tell me what it said on that bill.  US sales have been few and far between but because I diversify I still make a little money. Although in the last 3 months I only made as much as I would have done in ONE month before all the Canada Post/Trump issues were in place.  I'm changing some of my kits to no US sales and since I have the ELS shipping this is how I'm still getting some sales for those. It's really a "what do I do with this one" when each sale gets processed...some I can send to the hub with lettermail (this is the shipping rate that the US buyers are also seeing)  some can go with Canada Post tracking, then I have Chit Chats and UPS as backup options. Canada Post was charging us for their tracking options after the label was used but I got a credit back of $4.00 on one item that was said to be vat...but it wasn't for a country that has vat.  Hope this helps, happy holidays!

[reallynicestamps]

...if the seller offers "free" domestic shipping....

Remember that "free shipping" is adspeak for "my cost of shipping is buried in the asking price".

We can ship domestically by LetterMail.

There is a new eBay /Canada Post service called Expedited Lite. 

It is glitching at the moment (mid-december 2025) but keep an eye on it. Fingers crossed.

Tracking is only needed if there is an  Item Not Recieved Claim. Do the math.

In theory we can mail goods to the eIS plant in Mississauga without tracking. Fingers and toes should be crossed at this point.