Starting May 2025, the U.S. administration has implemented tariffs for shipments originating from China and any of its special administrative regions (Hong Kong & Macau). These items are no longer eligible for entry under Section 321, de minimis. In other words, all shipments entering the U.S. with any products with a Country of Origin being China and its regions will be subjected to tariffs. 


As of now, the U.S. related tariffs only affect products of Chinese origin; this is subject to change in the future depending on the U.S. administration.


THIS ARTICLE COVERS:


What are My Options for Shipments Subjected to Tariffs?

For any U.S. bound shipment that includes even one Chinese origin product, you must either use our Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) or our Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) options. 


Tip: When using the DDP solution, consider dividing your shipment. Any package containing at least one Chinese-origin product will be fully subjected (all items) to tariffs, regardless of the origin of the other items. Splitting your order into two shipments—one with Chinese-origin goods and one without—can help you minimize duty charges, as only the Chinese origin shipment will be tariffed.


If your shipment is subject to tariffs due to the inclusion of a Chinese-origin item, the entire shipment will be assessed at the following current rates: 30% for Chinese-origin goods, 25% for goods of Canadian or Mexican origin, and 10% for goods from all other countries.


Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU)

The DDU option does not require you to pay any tariffs and duty fees upfront; these costs are passed onto the recipient upon delivery. That said, once the package is made available for delivery, the recipient (the one receiving the package) will be required to pay the applicable duty fees related to the shipment. As it stands, the following DDU options that you have access to are the following:


It’s important to note that if you use the DDU option for any shipments that are not subjected to tariffs, your recipient will not be required to pay any customs and duty fees. 


Delivery Duty Paid (DDP)

If you would like to appear as a U.S. business or you would like to pay for the duty fees upfront, you can use the U.S. DDP options, which are our USPS based postage options (Chit Chats U.S. Edge, USPS Priority Mail, etc). Your tariffed shipment will not see these postage options unless the following information is included:


Because these shipments are crossing into the U.S. via a different method, you must include the manufacturer’s information, which is the information related to the manufacturer of the product. If you are unable to provide this information, then you will only be able to access our DDU postage options. 


Moreover, it is very crucial that you include a valid HTS code when creating your U.S.-bound shipments of Chinese origin. If you do not include one that is associated with duty rates, you will be notified in the tracking events of your shipment:

Tip: If you require assistance in finding valid HTS codes, consider using the user-friendly Chit Chats HTS Lookup Tool and cross reference with the official U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule website. 


Important: For products with a Country of Origin being China or its special regions, each Chinese origin product line (distinct HTS code) within a shipment can only have a maximum value of $250 USD. If the value exceeds $250, you will be unable to ship the product with Chit Chats. This restriction applies to all U.S. bound services.



How are Tariffs Calculated?

Tariff fees are calculated by the duty rate indicated in the official U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule website, the sold value of the goods, and the Country of Origin. This is why it is extremely important to include a valid HTS code at all times, but especially for the U.S. DDP postage options.


It is important to take note that our platform does not import discounted rates from connected stores, with the exception of Shopify. This is something that we are currently working on implementing for the other stores; in the meantime, please ensure that the values for your imported shipments are correct. Lastly, always include an invoice as documentation for U.S. customs.


Tariff, Broker, and Shipment Items Fees

If you are using any of the U.S. DDP options for your Chinese origin shipments, you will see different fees associated with the entry method and tariffs:

  • Tariff Fee

    • Combination of the general rate of duty and any applicable ‘ad valorem’ tariffs (Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs)

  • Broker Conveyance Fee

    • The merchandise processing fee that is imposed by CBP for informal entries.

  • Shipment Items Fee

    • The individual item processing fee imposed by the broker to process the individual HTS coded items in the shipment.



While we strive to provide the most accurate tariff estimates possible, these fees are determined by the U.S. administration and our customs broker; therefore, they may change without notice. As such, all tariff calculations are estimates only.

If an adjustment is required—whether due to an overestimate or underestimate—it will be automatically applied to your account and reflected in the Transactions section as either a refund or an additional charge, similarly to a postage adjustment.