Howdy Folks! You have likely heard "de minimis" mentioned more frequently of late & may be wondering what it means to you, are you affected? What is the result of it? As an exporter of goods to many countries around the world, Little Lemur works hard to understand the regulations surrounding the transport of goods between countries so you don't have to. In this case, you likely want to know more. This is especially true if you are a customer in the USA, as you will notice many changes not only to the prices of your imported goods, but also the goods available to you.
As a Canadian business this blog will focus on the import rates and restrictions applied to Canadian goods travelling to the United States. Many of the same regulations apply elsewhere in the world, as the USA has suspended de minimis imports globally & your understanding of one countries import regulations will add insight into others.
What Is "De Minimis"?
De minimis import status is what allows many small business' around the world to enjoy a stable & rather easy trade relationship with foreign nations. In the case of the USA, this meant that customer orders below the value of $800 USD could be imported from Canada & delivered to American customers without them having to pay a tariff or import duty. This made international trade more affordable, so goods from around the world could be enjoyed by average US consumers; while leaving the larger importers to concern with things like HS codes & tariff/import rates. Without de minimis everything from your cute silly socks to stickers will be inspected for valuation & have a tariff applied before import to the USA; which means more cost to US consumers for everyday imported goods.
DDP & How It Affects Pricing
In light of de minimis being suspended, there is another change in import regulations to the USA that is causing issues for sellers wanting their products to enter the country. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is another headache for small business' that compounds atop the already difficult situation created by the suspension of de minimis. Now, not only does every order receive a tariff & import duty, the seller must calculate & pay it before shipping the item to US customers.
Many small business' opt to use the DDU (Delivered Duties Unpaid) shipment option, which is a process most customers are used to. You place an order for your international product & it arrives to you, sometimes with duties or an import fee you must pay to receive your item. This rate is determined by customs and applied based on where you live & the import regulations that require specific payments.
The USA is now requiring all international shipments arrive with DDP status, which means if your order of stickers arrives at the US border for import and the tariff & duties have not been paid by the shipper (in this case Little Lemur) it will simply be returned at the shippers expense & you do not receive your item. This is why US customers are going to see fees applied to all their international orders at the time of purchase, as these fees must be calculated by each shop & paid before the order is sent off. It also puts the task of calculating these rates in the hands of small business owners, which can be problematic for some.
HS Codes & Why So Many Places Are No Longer Shipping To The USA
HS (Harmonized System) Codes are a standard numerical code assigned to product classes for global calculation of tariffs & import duties. Everything from a ceramic mug to a vinyl sticker has a specific category & sub-category of HS code to assign for proper import.
At Little Lemur these rates are rather easy to calculate, we primarily sell vinyl stickers which all have the same HS Code. This code is used to determine the tariff rate & exclusions (if there are any) that would apply to the products being sent. Many shops sell a wide variety of items & finding/applying all applicable HS codes to their product collection, to calculate tariff/duty rates so they can charge & apply them to every order before shipment to the USA, is a hurdle they cannot quickly overcome; so they close sales to the USA instead.
It is expected that the closure will be temporary for most, as the USA is a large and beneficial market to engage & trade with. The uncertainty of if everything is calculated correctly for orders to properly reach each customer has created a period of hesitation in many. While they re-work their systems for USA imports they are unable to sell to those customers, as there is no guarantee the order will arrive in good time, or ever.
What Little Lemur Is Doing & What USA Customers Can Expect
As mentioned, Little Lemur produces mostly the same type of product (Vinyl Stickers) & our shipping systems have been updated with HS Codes since early 2025, in preparation of the coming tariffs that first applied in March, 2025. While de minimis was in effect US customers saw little change, as most sticker orders are below $800 USD.
The combined rate of tariff & import duties (or the "ad valorem duty") applied on all orders from Canada going into the USA, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is currently 35%. This is the rate, atop your order value, that must be paid before shipment on goods travelling to the United States.
It is the opinion of Little Lemur that this is simply too high a rate for anyone to shoulder, customer or seller. With this in mind we will be splitting the fee in order to keep our pricing within an acceptable range for US customers. Little Lemur will pay 15% of the fee & charge US customers a 20% fee on orders at checkout. This fee will only apply for as long as de minimis is suspended, as that action is what has resulted in it's necessity.
Having paid this fee at the time of placing an order to the USA, customers can rest assured that their order will arrive without the need to cover any further import fees; as DDP shipment means your order will only make its way to you if all fees are prepaid.
We will be monitoring the situation and will update this post and any fees applied as the situation changes and develops. Thanks so much to everyone reading this messaging, I know it was a bit long; but the situation is complex & understanding it is how we move forward together. I care very much for my US customers & feel poorly for them, having to pay so much more for international goods around the world; in a time when funds are likely already tight. Thank you all so much for your continuing support in buying my silly little stickers. They are a luxury good that folks often give to friends for free & I certainly understand if you need to divert funds to other life expenses for the time being.
Stay happy, healthy & of course, sticky!
- Leems