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

If base duty applicable it will be noted on the U.S. classification site
If base duty shows FREE in the general rate of duty column – then country of origin will determine if additional duties apply (i.e. COO china = Section 301)

If there is no rate in the row for your specific HTS code, the rate in the preceding row would apply.

Example: 7013.91.50.00 has base duty of 6% and country of origin Canada will also have in addition Section 122 10% tariff. However if CUSMA approved – then no Section 122 and no base duties. Learn how to apply for CUSMA with Chit Chats

The Base Duty Rate is found in Column 1 under ‘General’ on the U.S. classification site
Preferential/MFN Rates are found in Column 1 under ‘Special’

Chit Chats can only declare preferential tariff treatment for CUSMA countries (CA, MX, US)

If the Section 232 Tariff is applied to the entire value of the item, the Section 122 Tariff is excluded.

If the Section 232 Tariff is applied to a percentage of the item (whereupon Chit Chats will ask for the percentage of the metal content), the Section 122 tariff is only applicable to the non-metal content of the item.

If the item is COO China, a Section 301 tariff may apply.

If the item is CUSMA-eligible, the Section 122 tariff is excluded, but the Section 232 is still applicable.

If you import shipments and do not include a value for metal tariff it will default to 100% so a value must be provided (i.e. 0% or another number to ensure the calculation is using the correct amount).

There is currently a flat 10% tariff (Section 122) applied to all countries, except the US. This is on top of any base duty that is applicable to the product’s HTS code.
Items made in China may have an additional tariff applied (Section 301 tariff) – check the U.S. classification site to see if applicable. This will be indicated by a 1 in the General rate of duty column and then you can search by that HTS code to see the % applicable.

Informational materials are exempt however depending on the country of origin there may be additional tariffs (i.e. Country of origin China – Section 301). Note Section 301 only applies to country of origin China – not Hong Kong. This duty rate varies from 7.5% to 25% and determined by the 10 digit HTS code.

None of these have occurred as of yet; we will await instruction from CBP via their guidance, and our broker and should something change we will update all our clients. 

In many cases, the terms duties and tariffs are interchangeable. Always check the U.S. classification site for what base duties would apply and then also the country of origin will determine if additional tariffs/duties apply. 

301 tariffs reference can be found on CBP website.

Our support article provides links for Section 232 (steel, aluminium, copper tariffs)

Invoices for value over $300 USD – attached to outside of package.

Other documentation not required – you should have this available should customs request it but not required to be attached to the package.

CUSMA certification – not required to be attached – as long as you have submitted CUSMA through your Chit Chats account and approved you’re all set. 

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.

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

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.

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

• Resources & Support Contacts
• HTS Codes, Tariffs & Duties
• CUSMA
• Glossary
• Country of Origin & Manufacturer Information

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.

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.

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.