Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)
CUSMA, also known as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, is a free trade agreement that replaced NAFTA in July 2020. CUSMA provides preferential, duty-free treatment on specific goods that meet the rules of origin, determining the extent of North American production required for a product to be considered.
CUSMA-approved products are not eligible when shipped through Chit Chats International Tracked to the U.S. These shipments will still be subject to applicable tariffs. To benefit from the CUSMA agreement, please use USPS-based DDP postage options such as Chit Chats U.S. Edge or Chit Chats U.S. Select.
How to Check if Your Item Qualifies
You can determine if your product qualifies under CUSMA by:
- Looking up your 10 digit HTS Code (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) on the official US site here
- Check the Special Rate column — if you see “S” or “S+”, your product may qualify for CUSMA duty-free treatment OR if it shows Free in the General Duty column.
- If the item is not eligible under CUSMA, for country of origin Canada, you will see base rate duty + Canada blanket tariff.
CUSMA applies to countries of origin being Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
How to submit CUSMA certification
To access preferential, duty-free treatment on CUSMA eligible items, you'll need to submit the required details through your Chit Chats account. This must be done for each eligible HTS Code. Once your submission is approved, you'll receive an email notification, and the preferential duty-free rates will automatically appear when you purchase DDP postage for that HTS Code. After submission and there are no errors, please expect same day approval.
NOTE: CUSMA Certification is done by product (country of origin and HTS code) - not by shipment and not by SKU. Validity is for one year and done by product. If you would like to add any other additional products, simply submit a new request.
Go to Settings > Shipping > CUSMA Certification to fill out your CUSMA form. Remember to sign the CUSMA pdf before submitting to Chit Chats.
Reference this step by step tutorial for more information on how to submit your CUSMA Certification:
Note that we have implemented a digital signature to eliminate the need to download, sign and upload the certification form as noted in the video below. If you have already begun the process, please ensure you digitally sign on the 'basic information' step.
Tip: While it’s not mandatory to attach documents to your package, it’s a good idea to include the CUSMA certification in an envelope affixed to the parcel. Make sure to also keep a copy accessible in case it’s requested by U.S. customs.
Additional Fees
Even if the item is duty free under CUSMA there wibe:
- tariff (reciprocal tariffs may still apply depending on the item)
- Customs Processing fee
- Broker Line Item fee
Read more about CUSMA Certification and how it may affect you here.