First Brexit – now tariffs

[limburger 22085xp 1]

it’s been pretty much par for the course since the orange cheetoh started this idiocy.

He announces tariffs, but there aren’t any systems in place to actually do the work … and then he also changes it which is even worse. The guy and the rest of his cohort fail to understand that one of the reasons why governments tend to be slow in implementing things like is is because there’s a ton of forms that need to be changed (or added).

Heck, I bet that the ‘de minimis’ rule existed *because* the paperwork required wasn’t worth the gains and only succeeded in slowing things down to a crawl …

Then again … everything he is doing appears to be designed to kill the little guys and benefit the big boys.

It really sucks that (especially our hobby) has a lot of these small companies that simply can’t handle the additional admin required by these shenanigans. Add in a lot of folk reaching retirement age and you can pretty much predict the collapse of an entire industry.

It kind of is a blessing that 3D printing has become good enough that consumers can manage this with a bit of effort, because that may very well be the only way we can get the kind of stuff these small companies design.

(that is until they implement tariffs on digital goods or find other ways to make life hard for designers and creators).

[torros 23839xp 1]

Pendraken put up a big post on their forum about this https://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,23851.msg373013.html?PHPSESSID=442d7255510139df69f9f0ff2434a9e1#new

[grantinvanman 6249xp 0]

The general trend is the blocking of US orders. No tariffs, no problems.

So much winning. At least South Park keeps me entertained!

 

[jeffersonpowers]

It sucks because it’s all just the actions of a bully who wants to throw his weight around, without any regard to the consequences. He’s fixated on the tariffs because that’s something he can make unilateral decisions about without needing approval from congress. The worst part is the continued false narrative that he’s somehow “won” and the foreign sellers are paying, when in reality it is the end user (in this case, the American consumer) that ultimately pays the bulk of the cost. At this point I think he believes his own bullshit.

However, once the dust settles and people know which form they have to fill out and who to mail the check to, I think it will be fine. Sellers will pass the cost on to their US customers and absorb the extra admin time into their day-to-day business (if they think it’s worth it to keep selling to the US — some may not, and that is their choice). As a US resident I don’t have a problem paying an extra 10% for my miniatures if it means I can still get them — it means a model that used to cost $10 will now cost $11, not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

One silver lining at least: in anticipation of a lot of “we’re suspending orders until we figure this out,” I did a flurry of orders last week for a ton of stuff that’s been on my “I’ll get around to ordering that sometime” list, so I’ll have a ton of new miniatures soon. Not that I need them, but “need” is a strong word…

• This reply was modified 3 months, 4 weeks ago by jeffersonpowers.

[zoidpinhead 12713xp 0]

There have been posts from most of the UK indies about this now.  Most are either suspending orders to the US arriving after the 29th or are adding additional charges.  Here’s some more information about the process from Gripping Beast:

All shipments to USA that arrive 29th August onwards will need to arrive with customs and tariff charges already paid – the order will need to be sent on what is known as a DDP service (Delivered Duty Paid). This is a decision taken by the US, nothing to do with us or the courier and mail services. As a result, we have to pay the relevant charges as part of the shipping cost when we book the courier.

Nick Ayre at North Star Figures has confirmed this is the current advice from Royal Mail in the UK.

It should be noted that it isn’t just the tarrif 10% that US customers will pay but also the admin charges imposed by the courier services. Gripping Beast again:

This means that there will be soon an extra cost added to US orders (only) to cover these custom charges and any administration costs that the courier/mail services charge.

As I stated earlier in this discussion, my experience was that the % charges for implementing the tax were far in excess of the % value of the tax itself, given the relatively small value of these orders.  So alas it won’t just be a 10% uplift.  It is to be hoped that the new DDP process is more automated that the old systems were.  However, like any good commercial enterprise should, couriers will be trying to get as much money out of having to do this as possible.

[limburger 22085xp 1]

if they had systems in place and their software wasn’t made last century by the lowest bidder … then yes this would get ‘fixed’.

Couriers that work on a global scale probably have such systems.

But the US government itself ? Not so sure about that. They might be using an excel sheet created by a now ex-employee.

[grantinvanman 6249xp 0]

From Canada Post today (I have a business account as I sell used guitar stuff sometimes). Effective today, it’s deals for Certified Hosers only, eh! No more US sales from me. Hard pass on doing whatever it is that’s required for this BS.

THIRTY-FIVE PERCENT ON TOP NOW

– are you winning, yet, MAGA? Yeah, that’s what I thought  😂

Quote:

As you may be aware, the United States has suspended its duty-free “de minimis” threshold of US$800 for all countries, including Canada. Starting August 29, 2025, all shipments entering the U.S. must have duties prepaid before crossing the border – regardless of their value.

This change, mandated under U.S. Executive Order 14324, applies to all business shipments from Canada, whether sent through the postal system, a Canadian courier, freight provider, or any commercial channel.

At Canada Post, we’ve been working to understand the order, assess options, and secure solutions that will ensure we can maintain continuity for your business. We are moving swiftly to make the necessary updates to ensure your shipments remain compliant and continue moving smoothly across the border.

What’s changing

Goods valued at US$800 or less that are shipped to the United States through the postal network will be subject to an ad valorem duty. This duty will be equal to the effective tariff rate applicable to the product’s country of origin under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). For Canada, the current IEEPA rate is 35% for most goods.

What this means for your business

Starting August 29, 2025, every package shipped from Canada to the U.S. must show proof that duties have been prepaid before the shipment can be accepted for delivery.

What this means:

•

After this date, Canada Post will only accept U.S.-bound label requests that include a valid Declaration ID – a 13-character code that confirms duties are secured before the shipment is accepted.

•

The new U.S. customs regulations will impact your costs, delivery process and customer experience.

Keeping your shipments moving

To meet the new U.S. requirements, we’re partnering with Zonos® to collect duties before they enter our network and remit them directly to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

What this means:

•

You will be able to access this solution through Canada Post’s software systems – Snap Ship and Shipping Manager; through our web services and APIs; and at post offices across the country.

•

A Zonos Verified Account will be required – information on how to create an account through Canada Post will be coming soon.

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