Tariffs

The U.S.A. has eliminated the de minimis exemption for imports under $800. As a result, all shipments to the States must go through U.S. customs clearance and are subject to duties and processing fees.

All duties or fees owed under U.S. imposed tariffs are the responsibility of the customer to pay.

Will I pay duties or fees when ordering from Zipperloft (Canada)?

It depends on the product:

  • The Canada-US-Mexico (CUSMA) free trade agreement governs the tax-free entry of goods between member countries.
  • CUSMA-compliant products (e.g., YKK zippers) remain duty-free, but still require customs clearance at the U.S border.
  • YKK EVERBRIGHT zippers (made in Japan) may incur a tariff.
  • Non-CUSMA products and the YKK Colour Guide (printed in China) will incur the tariff imposed by the U.S.A. on Chinese goods.

How are duties and fees handled for U.S. orders?

The U.S. government requires that parcels entering the U.S.A. have Duties Due Paid (DDP) shipping labels. A DDP label means

  • Duties and fees are calculated during checkout based on the item’s HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) code.
  • The tariff amount is shown at checkout and is included in the total owing for an order shown there.
  • There are no additional charges.
  • Broker and U.S. Customs services fees will apply, regardless of CUSMA status. 

What kinds of additional fees should I expect?

Even though most orders to our U.S. customers won't incur customs duties, U.S. customers will still be required to pay mandatory customs processing fees, shown on Tariff/Fees line at checkout. This fee includes:

  • A merchandise processing fee imposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for 'informal entries'.
  • An item processing fee imposed by the broker to process the individual HTS coded items in the shipment.

Why does checkout show a charge for duties on tariff-free shipments under the (Canada-US-Mexico CUSMA) agreement?

While no tariff is owed on CUSMA-certified goods, with the end of the $800 de minimis exemption in the U.S.A. every parcel must go through a brokerage and be handled by U.S. Customs. As a result, a charge is now levied on every U.S. imported order based on fees set by those organizations, for services rendered. This is charged even if no tariff is owed, and is a flat rate from the broker, and a per-item charge from U.S. customs.

Will there be shipping delays?

U.S. destined shipments are being processed with only an extra day or so for customs checking. Naturally seasonal fluctuations also occur with shipping services as well.

    How can I avoid unexpected costs or delays after shipment?

    All required fees are collected during checkout, based on destination state and country. You should not incur any additional charge for your order, and it should be delivered normally.

    • Review and be aware of any customs fees you are being charged, as clearly listed at checkout.
    • Monitor your order tracking status in case U.S. Customs requests more information from you to process your order for delivery.

    How is Zipperloft helping to avoid delays?

    • We only ship CUSMA-compliant items to the USA. That means items that were produced in Canada or the U.S.A. 
    • We ensure that the customs broker has our valid certification of origin.
    • We will adjust the website website to accommodate changes required by changes in implementation of tariffs.
    • Like you, we will monitor the tracking status of each order in case Customs requests more information from us.

    Why is the U.S. making this change?

    • The U.S. government believes the current system had loopholes that allowed large order sellers to avoid duties by breaking shipments into low-value packages.
    • The stated goal is to enforce fair trade practices and support domestic businesses, however part of the mandate is to force U.S. citizens to look for and purchase from shops in the USA.
    • These changes apply to all countries, including Canada, even though CUSMA remains in place.

    How is Zipperloft applying tariff collection?

    • DDP (duties paid) shipments require fees and tariffs are paid when ordering a shipping label.
    • Implementation of a tariff and fee collection tool on the checkout page expressly for this purpose
    • U.S. customer will be charged applicable tariffs/fees during checkout.
    • Customers in Canada are unaffected.
    • By having Zipperloft purchase prepaid tariff labels, U.S. customers will not owe tariffs or fees when the order arrives in the U.S.A., allowing for more rapid direct home delivery.
    • As Etsy has not yet provided any mechanism to collect fees and tariffs due on U.S. bound shipments made from that platform, Zipperloft has disabled the ability for U.S. customers to place orders through Etsy. 
    • U.S. customers must place orders via the Zipperloft website.
    • Products that are not CUSMA compliant will not appear if your currency is set to US Dollars and those pages may appear blank. 

    We appreciate your understanding as we both deal with the tariff fiasco.  

    -- Dan and Jane

    (ed251126)