October 2025 Monthly Roundup

Our monthly summary of everything that went down in last month. Find all the updates from October including new features, important reminders and announcements.

Our monthly roundup is here

Don’t miss a beat with Chit Chats’ monthly summary including improvements, new features and any bug fixes for October.

New Features & Updates

Shipping Calculator

  • The Shipping Calculator now includes fields for Country of Origin, HTS codes, and shipment value, enabling more accurate quotes for U.S.-bound shipments and tariff estimates.

Vague Description Detection

  • Our platform will alert you and prevent vague product descriptions when creating postage. Learn more about what qualifies as a sufficient description on our blog.

Country of Origin Enforcement: U.S. Shipments

  • To comply with U.S. sanctions, Chit Chats will block U.S. postage creation for products from restricted countries.

Service Updates

Tariff Calculation for U.S. DDP Shipments

  • Informational materials (books, magazines, etc.) are exempt from reciprocal tariffs, regardless of origin or CUSMA certification. See the CBP FAQ on informational materials here
  • Products potentially subject to Steel or Aluminum tariffs (e.g., shampoo) may be declared at 0% tariff. However, certain HTS codes may still be assessed a flat 50% tariff per CBP guidance. Learn more

U.S.-Bound Chit Chats International Tracked

  • International Tracked is back for U.S. DDP shipments. No manufacturer info is required, thus ideal for collectibles and vintage items.
    • Note: CUSMA does not apply to this service. Tracking may show the Netherlands due to our provider’s location, but shipments are in direct transit to the U.S. Universal Postal Union rules prevent altering tracking updates.

CUSMA Certification & SKUs

  • CUSMA no longer requires SKUs—only Country of Origin, description, and HTS code. Approved items matching these criteria will automatically appear as duty-free.

Etsy Integration

  • Discounted values from Etsy now import automatically into Chit Chats, removing the need for manual updates.

U.S. Shipment Compliance: Sanctions

  • U.S. sanctions restrict imports from certain countries. Therefore, any shipments including a product from the below Countries of Origin will not be eligible for U.S. postage:
    • Cuba
    • Palestine
  • This list may change with evolving U.S. policies.

Location and Branch Updates