U.S. Shipping Updates: Tariffs, Duties, Compliance & More

Update June 22, 2026

CUSMA registrations are valid for one year and must be renewed annually for eligible products. With CUSMA having been available on the Chit Chats platform for nearly a year, our team is actively developing a renewal workflow that will allow you to renew your CUSMA registrations when required.

We will share additional details as soon as the renewal process has been finalized. At this time, updates are expected sometime in July.

Keeping you informed remains our top priority. We encourage you to bookmark this page and check back periodically for the latest updates regarding CUSMA renewals and other U.S.-bound shipping changes.

Our team continues to closely monitor developments and assess any changes that may impact your shipments. As new information becomes available, we are committed to providing timely updates and clear guidance to help you navigate evolving U.S. shipping requirements with confidence. We appreciate your patience and will continue to keep you informed every step of the way.

Update June 11, 2026

Beginning July 8, 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will require electronic submission of Certificate of Conformity information for applicable products entering the United States.

This change introduces a new reporting requirement for certain consumer products and may affect some U.S.-bound shipments sent through Chit Chats.

What Is Changing?

The CPSC is the U.S. agency responsible for enforcing consumer product safety regulations.

While many regulated products have long been required to comply with CPSC safety standards, proof of compliance was often only requested when needed. Starting July 8, 2026, certificate information for applicable products must be submitted electronically at the time of import.

Without the required compliance information, affected shipments may face customs delays, additional reviews, or refusal of entry into the United States.

Which Products May Be Affected?

At this time, the CPSC has not published a full comprehensive list of all products that will require electronic certificate filing. However, they have released a sample list of codes that will be affected.

Based on currently available information, products commonly associated with these requirements include:

Toys
Imitation jewelry
Certain clothing and textile products

The rest may be the following:

Helmets
Household goods
Consumer electronics
Other regulated consumer products

Please note that product eligibility is determined by specific safety regulations and HTS classifications. Not every item within these categories will necessarily be subject to the new filing requirements.

How Will Compliance Information Be Submitted?

The required data will be transmitted through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), the electronic customs platform used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Further guidance on data requirements will be provided as we approach the effective date.

How to Prepare

If you sell products that fall within regulated consumer product categories, now is a good time to review your product catalog and determine whether any of your items may require a Certificate of Conformity.

We also recommend reviewing the CPSC’s HTS sample code guidance to identify products that may be affected by these requirements.

What Are We Doing?

We know that this comes as a big change for some. However, don’t worry as our team is working internally and with our customs broker to determine how compliance information can be integrated while minimizing disruption to your shipping workflow.

We will continue to provide updates as details are finalized.

Update June 4, 2026

International Emergency Economics Powers Act (IEEPA) Refunds

As shared earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are unlawful. As a result, refunds are being issued for eligible imports that entered the United States under this tariff category.

Beginning April 20, refund processing has started for select entry categories as part of Phase 1. Refunds will continue to roll out in phases, with additional categories included at each stage. At this time, shipments sent with Chit Chats are not included in the first phase of refunds.

We are closely monitoring developments and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

For more details on tariff categories, please visit our blog.

Restricted Countries of Origin – click to expand

Due to ongoing political tensions, the United States enforces sanctions that restrict imports from certain Countries of Origin. As a result, Chit Chats is unable to accommodate any products containing shipments originating from affected countries.

At this time, this includes products with a Country of Origin of:

Cuba
Palestine
Venezuela
Iraq
Myanmar
Côte d’Ivoire
North Korea
Iran

*Please note that this list is subject to change based on evolving political circumstances and future U.S. policies.

Any shipments containing products from the above origins are not eligible for any U.S. postage through Chit Chats.

Important Reminders

No manufacturer info? Chit Chats International Tracked is an alternate solution for you. Read more

We are still not accepting Amazon FBA shipments – this was temporarily suspended at the end of August. If we enable acceptance of Amazon FBA shipments we will update here.

CUSMA

Submit for approval and duty-free treatment if the country of origin is Canada, U.S., or Mexico and you meet CUSMA requirements (Rules of Origin are met). If the HTS code indicates the S/S+ indicator or it shows Free in the General Duty column on the offical US site. Be sure to check that your HTS code is valid (appears on the US site).

Simply provide the country of origin, product description and 10 digit HTS code for approval
Once approved to see duty-free enter the same COO and HTS
If you had previously created SKUs that were approved be sure to enter the HTS and COO that was approved to continue seeing duty-free

Learn more

Incorrect or missing information – click to learn more

Common reasons for delays result from incorrect, vague or missing information – we’ve made adjustments to catch any missing information at time of postage creation.

U.S. Customs Border and Protection has implemented automated enforcement of package descriptions. This means you must ensure that all shipment descriptions are detailed. For example t-shirt is not acceptable but rather men’s cotton t-shirt. If your shipment does not have detailed descriptions this will cause your package to be rejected.

What You Can Do

👉 Ensure you provide a valid 10 digit HTS code
👉 Provide accurate and detailed shipment descriptions. Find examples in our previous blog
👉 Ensure manufacturer information is valid and matches the country of origin
I.e. Country of origin is China – the manufacturer address MUST be a Chinese address
Entering placeholder text (Unknown, N/A, etc.) will result in shipments being rejected and further delays

Update on Informational Material – Oct 22, 2025 – click to see details

Shipments classified as informational materials are once again exempt from reciprocal tariffs, regardless of origin or CUSMA certification. For existing shipments, refresh rates to view updated tariff treatment. For details, see the CBP FAQ definition of informational materials here.

Section 301 Tariffs on goods from China

Depending on the product’s HTS code, an additional tariff for products from China may apply. These can be identified by hovering over the ‘1/’ in the HTS Schedule, and looking up the HTS Code provided in the tool tip, as pictured below:

These additional tariffs are considered ‘Section 301 Tariffs’ and can range from 7.5% to 25%, depending on the HTS Code. More information can be found on the Office of the United States Trade Representative website.

RESOURCE HUB – Find link by clicking for more details

With so much information find key topics below that will provide additional resources and FAQs to help you navigate these changes.

US Shipping Is Changing — And We’re All Feeling It

To our Chit Chats family,

Lately, everything is changing — and fast. There are new rules and regulations, which are demanding the creation of new systems. It’s been a lot to keep up with and you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed.

Behind the scenes, our team is collaborating with our broker to develop the system and working closely with US Customs to ensure our Canadian ecommerce sellers have the information they need to remain compliant.

Not everything is in our control, Chit Chats is adapting as quickly as possible to support you through these transitions. The removal of the de minimis threshold has disrupted shipping in unprecedented ways. Not only are shipments being delayed and rejected but the new requirements are impacting your bottom line.

What We’re Doing to Support You

We’re committed to leveraging our network to mitigate risks where we can, minimize the impact to you where possible. The learning curve is steep for all of us but we’re working around the clock to troubleshoot, communicate and provide solutions to help you continue to ship.

We understand shipping is an integral part of your business but we also know your client experience matters. Whether you’re a solo Etsy artisan, a seasoned eBay seller, or a growing online brand, we know these changes are creating real challenges.

🇨🇦 Chit Chats Puts Canada First

This isn’t the first time Canadian businesses have faced cross-border shipping challenges. In fact helping Canadian eCommerce sellers succeed is at the heart of what we do. Back in 2001, when our founder Derek Nolan saw firsthand how hard it was for small businesses to ship affordably and reliably from Canada and compete globally. That mission has never changed.

Moving Forward Together

We know this is a tough moment, but we want you to know we’re in it with you. Our commitment remains the same: to find solutions that empower Canadian businesses to thrive, no matter how the rules shift. Thank you for trusting us through this journey; we’ll continue to keep you informed and supported every step of the way.

FAQs

Postage Is DDU (duties unpaid) no longer available with Chit Chats? – click for answer

There are no DDU options at this time. We understand that many sellers prefer to have duties collected at the time of delivery from the recipient and our team is exploring if we can provide a solution. There is no timeline if and when a DDU solution will be available but we will update all clients if this changes.

For Chit Chats Edge and Chit Chats Select – is this a postal or non-postal service?

Due to our method of entry into the US, both Chit Chats U.S. Edge and U.S. Select are non-postal services. Other postages partnered with Canada Post and PostNL follow under postal services. You will not be required to pay the $200 ad valorem fee, however you will be expected to pay a tariff fee based on the item(s) declared.

If I ship with USPS Media Mail will this still be available?

USPS Media Mail is available through our DDP (duties paid) option. The country of origin, valid HTS code, and manufacturer information must be declared in order to obtain rates.

Will I need to provide a manufacturer address for books when I don’t have it?

To access DDP (duties paid) postage options you are required to provide manufacturer information. If it cannot be provided our DDU options can be an alternative as you only require the country of origin and a valid HTS code.