Just the Goods Quick News - Update Regarding Potential Tariffs on Canadian Good Entering the United States
Hello everyone,
I hope you’re all well 💚🌼
As promised, this message offers an update to the news dropped Monday concerning the [possible] imposition of tariffs on Canadian shipments into the United States. Please also find at the bottom news about two items recently re-stocked at JustTheGoods.net
First, a 30 day pause has been granted during which time things will continue as usual. Considering we were originally given 24 hours notice Section 321 of CUSMA would no longer be honoured, this is a relief. What this means is that any order I can make and ship to the United States before the end of February will be brokered on the Canadian side of the border and shipped as USPS domestic mail without any additional charges.
One exception to this is that -- as of February 4 -- no product made in China may cross under these terms, so I’ve removed the option for items such as the stainless steel gua sha tools and bamboo toothbrushes made in China to be added to shopping carts destined to the United States. Any orders placed before February 4 that didn’t ship before February 4 will be adjusted accordingly -- I’ll remove and refund items from baskets to ensure updated packing slips prior to shipping.
Insofar as the future is concerned …
I’ve had an introductory meeting with a US customs broker who is confident Just the Goods can be onboarded as a client. Of course, since no one knows what will happen over the next few weeks, I’ve been asked to wait before formally initiating a contract with them. I’m anticipating a detailed information packet to understand the details of their service protocols, and I’ll hopefully receive that well in advance to keep any potential transition period as short as possible.
*If* these tariffs are imposed, and if they do not provide a de minimis exemption, then I will be exploring a scenario that may involve…
Increasing product prices for clients shipping to the US to cover the cost of the tariffs and new additional brokerage fees. Please note: I currently absorb the cost of brokerage fees into the US because they are paid in Canadian dollars and it’s quite straightforward whereas needing to contract an additional service processing tariff charges would be a further step beyond.
E-posting orders then remitting customs documentation to the US customs broker and pre-paying fees before a batch of parcels gain permission to travel to the border.
Transporting pre-cleared parcels from Winnipeg to the USPS office in Pembina ND using my current service
Since this would add steps to the existing process, it isn’t likely that I’d be able to resume shipping twice a week to the US -- which is something I’ve currently paused due to unusually high order volume and was hoping to reinstate by March.
And, *if this process moves forward*, please note that I will no longer be able to recommend US-based virtual mailbox service to clients outside of the US and Canada, nor will I be able to pursue discount shipping services to international destinations that rely on collaborations through USPS (i.e. AusPost, Asendia, FlatExport, etc.). I haven’t yet conducted research on alternate options since, at the moment, that may not be a wise use of time. I’ll wait -- along with everyone else -- to find out what happens at the end of this 30-day pause.
Naturally this interruption has led to the delay of both production and shipping so this week I only managed to ship 181 of the 225 open orders destined to addresses in the US. Whether you are in the US, Canada, or elsewhere and your order has been affected, please accept my apologies. Today I’m catching up on correspondence and administration, and I’ll be back to production tomorrow and Sunday, hopefully getting caught up so the next batch to be posted on Thursday/picked up Friday will be closer to what I had hoped for this time of year.
Thank you again for your patience and understanding while I sift through the implications of any possible changes and plan for contingencies. My goal will be to continue making ordering and receiving as seamless as possible for everyone, regardless of what happens.
Wishing you well, always!
Milena
Ps. For those who have requested this information, I’ve re-stocked limited edition calendula salve and limited edition cooling arnica and menthol salve — find both on the first page of JusttheGoods.net 😊
Ps Ps. About this newsletter…
You are receiving this newsletter because --- as per the conditions outlined by the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation that came into effect July 1, 2014 --- you've been in touch with Just the Goods in the past either by making a purchase or requesting wholesale information within the last two years, subscribing to this newsletter either at justthegoods.net or via Substack, or you have chosen to remain subscribed to this newsletter rather than choosing to click the unsubscribe link at the base of each of each one. With that said, if you would prefer to no longer receive communications from Just the Goods, please let me know and I will remove your email address immediately. And of course, you may also unsubscribe using the link below 🙂