Shipping to the U.S.
Shipping to the U.S. requires your packages to cross the U.S. border. This means that shipments must comply with the rules and regulations of both the shipping carrier and U.S. Customs. If you ship to the U.S. it’s important to know if your items are considered prohibited or restricted. Here are some basic guidelines to follow when shipping to the U.S.
Prohibited Items
Prohibited items cannot be shipped to the U.S. and Chit Chats cannot accept packages containing these items.
Items can be prohibited depending on:
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations
- USPS restrictions
- Regulations from specific government agencies such as the FDA and APHIS.
Attempting to ship a prohibited item will result in your package being held. You can find more details in the Chit Chats Shipment Compliance Declaration, but as a reminder here are some prohibited item categories:
- Fuels (ex. Propane, gasoline, butane, etc.)
- Firearms, ammunition (including replicas) or weapons of any kind
- Explosives
- Flammable Matter
- Safety or strike-anywhere matches
- Glasses
- Alcohol
- Alcohol-based perfumes
- Aerosols (ex. Spray-on deodorant, hair spray, etc.)
- Magnetized materials with a magnetic field strength greater than 0.00525 gauss at 4.5 metres (ex. Strong or industrial magnets or magnetic materials)
- Arc Lighters, Plasma Lighters, Electronic Lighters, E-Lighters
- Disposable and Zippo Lighters
- Dry Ice
- Vehicle Air Bags
- Parachutes
- Vacuum-sealed bags
- Plant matter (including seeds)
- Knockoffs (products that violate copyright laws)
- Food
- Medical devices
- Medicine (prescription and non-prescription)
- Drugs of any kind, including Cannabis
- Chemicals
- Human remains (including hair)
- Animals
Some of these categories are broad, so if you have questions as to whether your product falls into one of them, don’t hesitate to contact us directly.
Shipping Restricted Items to the U.S.
These are items that can be shipped provided they follow certain guidelines for packaging and quantity. Our branch staff are very knowledgeable, so feel free to ask about any item you’re unclear on before packaging it and buying postage. Find further details on the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol website to learn why these restrictions exist. Some examples of restricted items are:
- Batteries
- Paint
- Glues
- Nail Polish
- Gold
- Cultural artifacts
- Knives
Finally, we know shipping can be confusing but we hope this helps to clarify when an item might be prohibited versus restricted. We want to make sure your packages get where they’re going quickly and safely. If you need more help, our staff are always available to answer your questions. Be sure to check out our Help & Support library which has many valuable resources or you can always contact our support team for more information.