US Postal Service blocks packages from China, Hong Kong

[SidB]

i'm not sure the new round of tariffs on Chinese made products will mean those of you in the US will not be able to ever get dinosaur figures made in China.  It will probably mean big delays in getting them however, as each and every piece of incoming mail has to now be checked by Customs AND has to have HTS and CoO codes on them.....the vast majority of people don't even know what those are but businesses who ship abroad do.  However, the new rules include lettermail apparently, so it's possible letters and cards could get rejected and sent back to their origin country, if they don't have these codes and that huge delays will occur while each piece of lettermail is inspected by US Customs.

So i can foresee weeks long Customs delays getting shipments from outside the US, but not a total inability to get them.  Apparently this is all still being worked out and the rules keep changing, so in time US buyers should have some clarity.

By the way, the new rules don't just effect Chinese made goods coming from China.  They effect Chinese goods coming from any country outside the US.  So a purchase of a dino figure from the UK (or any other country) will be effected by the new tariffs as well, if it was manufactured in China...this applies to used items and gifts as well, not just new items....CoO code is 'Country of Origin', meaning the country where the item was made.

Would this country of origin rule also affect Eofauna figures which ship from Eofauna warehouse in Spain? They are manufactured in China and then shipped to Eofauna and then shipped again from there to the end customer.

Let's hope not, considering that virtually all companies now manufacture their lines in China. It would signal the end of dinosaur collecting, as we know it. The 'golden age' would be over. I suppose that manufacturing could be eventually relocated, but that would take years and end up in hefty price increases.

[andrewsaurus rex]

Yes, anything that is at least 51% manufactured in China or Hong Kong is subject to the tariff rules, regardless of what country it is shipped from.  So Eofauna figures shipped from Spain will be subject to tariffs.

To clarify, from now on ALL goods and packages (including letters) shipped to the USA must have HTS and CoO codes, not just Chinese made ones.   The difference is that goods made in other countries, at this time, are not subject to tariffs but still must have the HTS and CoO codes.  Chinese/HK made goods are subject to the new tariffs.

One snag is that many shippers are refusing to ship goods that are made in China to the USA.  Probably because they were caught off guard by this sudden rule change and are not set up to deal with brokering Chinese made goods through US Customs yet.  However the bigger carriers like UPS are accepting Chinese made goods.

[thomasw100]

This pretty much reminds me of the situation right after the Brexit. Manufacturers and shipping companies as well as administration in both UK and EU were so uncertain about the procedures that shipments slowed down initially.

After a while, standard procedures were established and things returned to sort of normal. The end result was of course increased end customer prices due to customs dues and handling fees and more bureaucracy to deal with.

So my suggestion for people in the US would be to wait with placing orders from China for couple of weeks until the procedures and end customer prices are clear. For people in the EU or UK my suggestion would be the opposite. If you consider purchasing something from PNSO or Haolonggood I would order it rather now than later.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

When it comes to Lana I think they have a U.S. base so pieces can enter the country and then be shipped. I'll keep up contact with them we have a good working relationship , and see what they say.

[bmathison1972]

The brief halt yesterday only affected USPS since that is a government operation. Not sure how some of these rules would apply to things like Fed-Ex, DHL, and other non-government run entities. The CoO is not new and does not mean there will be delays, but we shall see.

[bmathison1972]

By the way, how would tariffs work. For example, if I bought a figure made in China from Australian-run MiniZoo. Would the charges be added at the time of purchase? Or maybe factored into shipping costs. I doubt it would be charged to me after it entered the US and went through customs.
Speaking of which I don't ever remember seeing a CoO on anything routed through another country, even though it's not produced in the country it was shipped from.
I might send personal emails to dealers in Canada and Australia and see what they say.
I'll also reach out to Toymany, for whom I'm am affiliate.

EDIT: there were Chinese tariffs during Trump's first term and I don't remember anything out of the ordinary.

[postsaurischian]

Deleted- Admin

I thought this site was Apolitical. Why is it that comments like this are allowed? Either we ALL avoid discussing politics, or it's GAME ON! Which is it?

Forum rule 6 is "Topics concerning politics and religion are discouraged". So, T @thomasw100, please refrain from making overt provocative political comments that mention names or motivations. I'll delete the one you posted. We can (and should) still discuss the situation.

This was just a small dose of sarcasm. I have not engaged in any serious political discussion.

Member "Postsaurischian" for example has on many occasions made much more explicit political comments.

I think that the member who complained and asked right away why this is allowed has gone a bit overboard.

After all, we are not living in a parallel universe and political changes have an impact on us.

And @postsaurischian has faced bans when he has broken rules.

So, this is now a formal warning, with an additional request to observe another rule, 4, Respect. . . moderator requests. Thanks.

Well, how did I get involved in here ? That's weird.
Explicit political comments? On many occasions?? Oh, man ........

[andrewsaurus rex]

By the way, how would tariffs work. For example, if I bought a figure made in China from Australian-run MiniZoo. Would the charges be added at the time of purchase? Or maybe factored into shipping costs. I doubt it would be charged to me after it entered the US and went through customs.
Speaking of which I don't ever remember seeing a CoO on anything routed through another country, even though it's not produced in the country it was shipped from.
I might send personal emails to dealers in Canada and Australia and see what they say.
I'll also reach out to Toymany, for whom I'm am affiliate.

EDIT: there were Chinese tariffs during Trump's first term and I don't remember anything out of the ordinary.

Tariffs will be assessed by US Customs when the package enters the US.  You will then have to pay whatever carrier is delivering your package (eg USPS, UPS, FedEx etc) the tariffs, plus most likely a brokerage/processing fee before the carrier gives you the package.  If the system is anything like Canada's, using the Postal System as the carrier will be cheaper because courier companies charge very high brokerage fees, whereas the post office will probably charge a more modest, $10 fee.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

from Lana :

It should not have a major impact. I've been reviewing some customs data from the US these past couple of days, and if every package sent from China to the US had to be opened and inspected, I think US customs might just collapse due to the sheer volume of parcels. Additionally, there is a severe shortage of staff handling international packages. The solution we've discussed with our carrier is as follows: First, we will fill out the HS code and prepay the customs duties when sending the packages. When the package arrives in the US, it will be automatically cleared. The likelihood of being inspected is very low, and if any inspection results in additional charges, I will cover them. However, since the new regulations are still in the testing phase, I expect there will be some delays once the packages arrive in the US. This is normal, as both Chinese sellers as senders and US customs need time to adapt to the new rules.

[andrewsaurus rex]

From what i am hearing most packages with CoO codes for China/HK ARE being inspected.  All packages without the HTS and CoO codes are being rejected by US Customs and sent back to country they were shipped from.  Haven't heard anything about lettermail being sent back but that is what is supposed to happen, even though it is stupid.  One problem is items are being sent back that were shipped/mailed before the new law came into effect, since there was no advanced warning.

Any packages with incorrect CoO codes (eg not declaring China/HK when they should have been) are being fined heavily if being transported by a large carrier (today there was a fine of $50,000 levied against a Canadian carrier because a T-shirt aboard a large shipment of packages was not coded properly as being made in China ie the person who sent the package coded it as being made somewhere else, falsely).  Individual items being sent through the the mail that are made in China/HK but not coded as such are being confiscated and destroyed.

[thomasw100]

Lana Time Shop just posted this statement on their social media:

"Hey everyone!
We know new customs policies can sometimes be confusing, but don't worry—we've got you covered! 💪
✔ No surprise fees! We now cover all customs duties upfront (yes, even for orders placed before Feb 4), so you won't have to worry about unexpected charges when your package arrives. If there are any rare extra fees, just reach out—we'll take care of it for you!
✔ Keeping prices fair. Due to new government regulations, some shipping costs have slightly increased. But don't worry—we're absorbing as much as we can, so you'll only see a small adjustment (just a few dollars on some items).
✔ Fast & reliable shipping. We've worked closely with our carriers to keep costs down and ensure smooth deliveries. Most orders will arrive on time, though some may experience slight delays due to customs processing. We'll keep you updated every step of the way!
We truly appreciate your support and love having you as part of our community! ❤️ If you have any questions (or just want to chat), drop us a message—we'd love to hear from you! 😊
Stay awesome, and happy shopping!"

[bettashark]

I'm concerned about how this situation will impact companies like Safari, who do their manufacturing over there but have their major market over here. Safari seems to have struggled in the wake of covid, slowing production, discontinuing figures, reusing very old molds, and adding a minimum order to their site. This isn't just going to hit companies based in China, but likely all of them.

[BlueKrono]

I'll vouch for Lana Time. My Argentinosaurus arrived after the tariffs went into place, at $0 additional charge to me.