eBay

cottagewoman · ‎07-30-2025

As per fact sheet issued by the White House:

https://internationaltradetoday.com/source/974484

reallynicestamps · ‎08-01-2025

I hope the CBSA officers have a nice chat with their US counterparts at the next meeting of the "deep state".

Over tea and crumpets our guys can explain how they handled a Canadian de minimus of $20Cdn /~$14US.

.

Which was to ignore it.

At one point a vice president of Canada Post told the Globe and Mail that over 93% of low value/low bulk parcels were not assessed for import fees, never mind collection.

Because what the public servants knew that the politicians didn't was that it cost more to do the assessment and collection of the applicable fees than could possibly be collected from the importers.

marnotom! · ‎08-02-2025

@reallynicestamps wrote:

At one point a vice president of Canada Post told the Globe and Mail that over 93% of low value/low bulk parcels were not assessed for import fees, never mind collection.

Because what the public servants knew that the politicians didn't was that it cost more to do the assessment and collection of the applicable fees than could possibly be collected from the importers.

Strange how somebody from Canada Post management would be speaking for the Canada Border Services Agency on this subject.

dhslk · ‎08-02-2025

Has ANYONE here had a US customer who has had to pay a tariff on a COO China item shipped from Canada via Canada Post? I STILL haven't had a single customer who has had to. I think that the tariffs are NOT being applied for postal items from Canada. Therefore, I am going to assume that is the case until I get a customer who actually has to pay something. My advice to all is to ship VIA THE POST OFFICE (unless Canada Post locks their workers out), as, hopefully, the same thing will continue to happen for quite some time. If the system isn't yet in place to handle COO China items under $800, how can they possible handle no de minimus from all countries?

Of course, it will hurt because many potential customers will think that there might be a tariff but, so far, the tariffs haven't materialized for my customers. I don't want ebay to jump the gun with interventions, like they did with Canada Post etc. They will only add to the, as yet unrealized, problem.

dhslk · ‎08-02-2025

I think this is incorrect, no? The POSTAL SYSTEM of the RECEIVING country deals with the collection of duties/tariffs etc., NOT the SENDING Postal System. Canada Post would only be involved in tariff collection if a Canadian buyer were to purchase an out-of-country item that is subject to a duty/tariff.

brettjet38 · ‎08-02-2025

Strange how somebody from Canada Post management would be speaking for the Canada Border Services Agency on this subject.

Because the conversation never happened...

itolduandso · ‎08-02-2025

They are not collecting duties yet, that is because USPS isn't even setup to do that. Whether they don't do that at all, I don't know, perhaps. But what the US Customs has been doing is to return packages back to sender. This adds frustration to buyer because they wait for items and sellers can't sell it or re-ship it while it's somewhere in transit.

The bigger issue is also the Seller losing shipping cost as the post office doesn't provide refunds on these. I have yet to receive the refund from Stallion for the shipments that got stuck with customs on packages they sent. Chitchats has sent email to customers saying Canada Post finally providing refunds. It looks like Canada Post doesn't provide these refunds readily.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-02-2025

@itolduandso wrote:
They are not collecting duties yet, that is because USPS isn't even setup to do that. Whether they don't do that at all, I don't know, perhaps. But what the US Customs has been doing is to return packages back to sender. This adds frustration to buyer because they wait for items and sellers can't sell it or re-ship it while it's somewhere in transit.

The bigger issue is also the Seller losing shipping cost as the post office doesn't provide refunds on these. I have yet to receive the refund from Stallion for the shipments that got stuck with customs on packages they sent. Chitchats has sent email to customers saying Canada Post finally providing refunds. It looks like Canada Post doesn't provide these refunds readily.

@itolduandso

Re: Not set up to collect duties/tariffs.

USPS has been collecting tariffs where applicable for years. They charge 5.35 per line plus the whatever the applicable tariff is. Most likely the biggest problem with everything that has changed recently is the volume that has to be processed. (Made very difficult if everything is not filled in correctly. Causing either delays or returns)

https://pe.usps.com/imm_archive/html/imm_archive_20090511/imm/immc7_002.htm

Re: Collecting in advance or at time of delivery.

It's collected at time of delivery. (The alternate method would be billing the individual to the IRS # on file or Tax ID # for a business. Problem being there is no current place for that info with CP. It's a thing with couriers. Has been for years. Wasn't a big issue with De Minimus because they were a straight forward transaction.

Regarding your refund situation (Inbound shipments to Canada)

That has to be done through CSBA.

CBSA has Casual Refund Centres (CRC) located throughout Canada. The centres are responsible for the receipt, review and processing of all casual requests. If you wish to request a refund on duties and taxes paid to CBSA on non-commercial imports, you are required to submit a B2G Form.Dec 14, 2017

Links to get you in the right direction. (As far as I know the processing charge is non refundable but you can try pleading your case to your courier or CP. No guarantees. (Note: Another exception would be if you didn't receive your package.)

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/courier/crp-prio-eng.html

https://clearit.ca/canadian-customs-broker-blog/canada-customs-duty-refund/#:~:text=How%20to%20get%2....

https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc7_002.htm

reallynicestamps · ‎08-02-2025

Canada Post does the collection of the postally delivered imports. And collects $9.95 for the service

She was new with the PO at the time, which was pre-COVID.

I wish I had bookmarked the interview, because it was very enlightening.

It also made me think that the private couriers who charge $25 and more for assessing and collecting import fees might not be making a cash grab but covering their actual costs.

Which is quite an admission from someone with firm political beliefs like me!

dhslk · ‎08-02-2025

I have only heard of a few people having return to sender issues, via Chicago. I am thinking there is some other possible problem (eg. HS code? newly unallowed items? using the wrong service?). I haven't been following this lately.

itolduandso · ‎08-02-2025

I was referring to Shipping cost refund paid to Canada Post for US bound shipping and not to the refunds of refund of duty and taxes as an importer.

itolduandso · ‎08-02-2025

What would be the point of them holding and checking packages if not returning them since they can't get the tariffs paying issue resolved. The Customs guy spends there whole day, opening packages, see it's full of China made tchotchkes only to close the box, tape it and send it off to buyer, or not opening the box at all.

Are you referring to boxes having nothing declared on them, no HS Code and no COO?Are the returns not related to only the the boxes honestly labeled as COO China?

If the returns are just one in a few, maybe I just overthinking and should just forget the whole thing.

itolduandso · ‎08-02-2025

Also, I am still not clear about what is happening to the non-USCMA (and non-China stuff) made items. Made in EU country etc. So the De-minimis for these are still in place till Aug 29. So maybe no teason to worry then?

It's Aug 29 when shipping anything made in EU country will be considered under the 35% tariff.

So now the 35% tariff applies only to items over $800 per person per day.

Yes? Correct?

itolduandso · ‎08-02-2025

I found the answer here:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/De-Minimis-exemption-and-Tariffs/m-p/524927#M164514

So this is resolved. So till Aug 29, no need to worry re. the non-USCMA tariffs (as long as not China made).

Thanks,

@itolduandso wrote:
Also, I am still not clear about what is happening to the non-USCMA (and non-China stuff) made items. Made in EU country etc. So the De-minimis for these are still in place till Aug 29. So maybe no teason to worry then?

It's Aug 29 when shipping anything made in EU country will be considered under the 35% tariff.

So now the 35% tariff applies only to items over $800 per person per day.

Yes? Correct?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-02-2025

@itolduandso wrote:
I was referring to Shipping cost refund paid to Canada Post for US bound shipping and not to the refunds of refund of duty and taxes as an importer.

@itolduandso

If an item you sent gets returned to you that you sent (if I have your clarification correct) those would be considered as Canadian goods returning to shipper. There SHOULD be no duties or customs customs clearance because there was no sale involved. If they are charging you someone is messing up. As for return shipping costs the reports seem to vary on this. According to CP pages the shipping is charged to you. Others have reported it was in their mailbox with zippo being owed. Luck of the draw? Maybe?

A variation of this is a sample sent to customer that they will be returning after examining. In practice it should go to USA or wherever on a TIB. Temporary Import Bond. Again Canadian goods returning. No duties/taxes owing.

marnotom! · ‎08-03-2025

@reallynicestamps wrote:

Canada Post does the collection of the postally delivered imports. And collects $9.95 for the service
She was new with the PO at the time, which was pre-COVID.
I wish I had bookmarked the interview, because it was very enlightening.

Yes, Canada Post does the collection for the taxes, duties, and I suppose the tarriffs due on postal imports, but it's still up to CBSA to assess and charge for all that. I'm not sure where the interviewee would have got the information that they did as early in their tenure, though. I hope they weren't talking out of their sphincter the way certain provincial premiers do at times.

@reallynicestamps wrote:

It also made me think that the private couriers who charge $25 and more for assessing and collecting import fees might not be making a cash grab but covering their actual costs.
Which is quite an admission from someone with firm political beliefs like me!

I've been thinking along these lines, too. While Canada Post could stand to charge a bit more for collecting and remitting taxes/duties/tarriffs due, though, they don't do the actual assessment, which might go some ways to explaining the lower cost compared to couriers. But considering that tradespeople can easily charge $100/hr plus for their services, I agree that the charges that couriers levy for brokerage, etc. may not be out of line in that context.

By the way, did you ever see this Globe and Mail piece?

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-purolator-buys-customs-broker-livingston-amid-heigh...

inuit-art · ‎08-03-2025

From my experience, US buyers stopped buying from Canada at least a month ago (late June or early July). Because of Trump's confusing talks/orders about ending De Minimis?

Do US buyers already pay tariffs on De Minimis? Or they just fear about the possible surprise of tariffs, and stop buying from Canada?

inuit-art · ‎08-03-2025

High tariffs will make parcels drop to minimum (even up to 90% decrease), because US buyers cannot afford the high tariffs, while Canadian/Chinese sellers cannot afford to cut our/their prices in half, or "sell" FREE items (yet, US buyers still cannot afford the high tariffs of $80 to $200 per parcel/item).

easoss · ‎08-03-2025

Totally agree. All you have to do is spread a rumour there's poison in the well and nobody will drink from it. My big worry is it'll never get anywhere close to what it once was. Damaged forever.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-03-2025

@john_koenig99 wrote:
It's a big world. Time to look for other markets.

@john_koenig99

The one big wrench in that idea is other markets are much more expensive to ship to. Even shipping within Canada can be more expensive than shipping to the sometimes farther away USA. Shipping costs may be now one of the biggest factors when it comes to a buyer saying yay or nay to completing a purchase. Feel free to add tariffs + vat for applicable countries + transit times and those could be next on the list.

On that note

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skKpHgF-LaM&list=RDskKpHgF-LaM&start_radio=1

Welcome to our....

Was either that or It's a small world....

intimewithmusic · ‎08-03-2025

I hear you. In November 24 I shut down during the postal strike. This year I shut down sales to the USA for a month. Like you I don't rely on this. I'm so used to working with Americans through music for 50 years I have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that more than one American on the planet loves Trump.