Shipping to US (from UK or anywhere else) after 29 August...?

[JonGZG]

“Important information about changes to the export of goods to the USA from the UK.


As you may be aware, on 30 July, ....

<BIG SNIP>

Michael Irwin
Director of Export
Royal Mail & Parcelforce”

Thanks for that - is it from the Royal Mail website?

Jon.

[Cat]

This spring and summer as a US consumer, I have embraced what our German friends call "Hamsterkauf" — horde-buying like a hamster!  I've worked out what all I'm likely to need for planned projects from outside suppliers from now through 2026 and stuffed my hamster cheeks.
: 3
 
When the de minimus change was announced, I did a final flurry of EBay purchases from the UK.  Those are all in transit now, and should safely clear customs in New York well before the 29th.  (How long they actually take to get here is always a dice roll: when any package gets to the Boston USPS Distribution Center — odds are pretty good it will get distributed to my city's post office 15 miles away, but always a chance they will punt it anywhere in Eastern Mass or even up to Nashua New Hampshire and then the game of sports parcel is on to see who gets the volley next...)

Last week, I put in an order with Badger Games here in the US for a variety of imported goods before they might have to raise their prices.
 
Chaos and confusion may well delay or stop the change, but whatever happens prices ain't going down any time soon.  So it won't hurt building the mountain higher now.
 
My whisky cellar is quite well stocked now too.
 

[pixelgeek]

So manufacturers in the UK and EU will need to collect the duty prior to shipping?

I suspect that we will see a few stores stopping sales to the US until this gets figured out.

[HerbertTarkel]

So manufacturers in the UK and EU will need to collect the duty prior to shipping?

I suspect that we will see a few stores stopping sales to the US until this gets figured out.

That’s what I read from the Royal Mail summary.

And I agree - why would anyone do the work of US duty collection?

Glad I cleared out the stuff that I usually sell to the US prior to this.

So much winning. So, so much winning.

[JonGZG]

The Memsahib, who is into collecting 1/12 miniatures (aka "Doll's House" stuff), tells me that several small UK manufacturers/suppliers in that field have announced that they are stopping all shipping of orders to the US, at least until this all shakes out and we see what is really happening. I think we'll most likely see the same here.

The sad fact is (and this is NOT a political comment!!!) no-one, absolutely no-one, in a position of authority or government ANYWHERE in the world actually cares (or even thinks) about tiny numbers of individual traders supplying tiny (relatively, in their terms of reference) numbers of buyers in geeky little specialist hobbies. We don't even show as a blip on their radar.  They're not out to get us, all their policies are set for much, much bigger reasons, and we just get caught in the blastwave.... 

Jon.

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

I think it’s time for me to buy a spin caster.

[OSHIROmodels]

Thanks for that - is it from the Royal Mail website?

Jon.

An email to someone who has an account with them (not me).

[Rick]

Time for US customers to develop a personal friendship with the owners of UK small companies - this will then be 'personal correspondence' between two individuals and not a trade agreement at all, no sir! 

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Wargames Atlantic have done something of that sort. Partnerships with exchanged masters and molds for licensed production across the ocean.

[pixelgeek]

And I agree - why would anyone do the work of US duty collection?

Well there is also the vexing 'how to collect US duty' question that needs to be answered. This is what I think is going to cause shipping stoppages as companies won't want to collect something until they know exactly how to pay it.

How is the duty status going to be displayed on a parcel?

So many questions remain unanswered.

[pixelgeek]

Time for US customers to develop a personal friendship with the owners of UK small companies - this will then be 'personal correspondence' between two individuals and not a trade agreement at all, no sir! 

Countries are relentless about postal duties and this is a sure fire way to get a company shut down due to fines.

[Rick]

Countries are relentless about postal duties and this is a sure fire way to get a company shut down due to fines.

I did mean this as a joke, at no point have I advocated the breaking of any national or international laws, nor did I intend any company or individual associated with a company to view this comment as instruction on how to circumvent postal laws. My solicitors details are available on request.

[carlos marighela]

There's always this.....

[BeneathALeadMountain]

There's always this.....

You’ll still have to work out the country of origin of all those sub parts 

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

[JonGZG]

An email to someone who has an account with them (not me).

Thanks James - I finally found the same (or very similar) on the RM website, here if anyone wants to read it....

https://www.royalmail.com/usabusinessupdates

I guess the key to this will be how simple they make the whole thing for the small business user. The info given seems to suggest that there will be a system for RM to collect the taxes at the point that the postage is purchased (for several years now I've been buying all my postage online anyway, though as a "personal" rather than a business customer - guess this may be the time to upgrade to a business account...).
If the system can be made relatively painless in terms of additonal information and paperwork, then MAYBE it will work... time will tell, I suppose.

A supplementary question - what do other manufacturers (of metal figures) use as the HS code for describing their products? I've never been able to find anything that EXACTLY describes metal collectable figures, game figures, "toy soldiers" or similar - the one I've used for years is 95030085, which is technically for die-cast metal toys - which I've always figured was about close enough, and I've never had it queried by anyone.

If anybody has any better suggestions, I'd love to know? These things will become much more important as the new systems are introduced...

Jon.