Here’s the short version:
The packages that got stuck a few weeks ago are now on their way back to me, and I’ve submitted all the required customs paperwork. If all goes well, I’ll be able to start re-shipping by the end of this week. I’ll send new tracking numbers once I have them.
We’ll likely reopen US orders in early October. I'd like to work through this current batch and make sure we have a reliable system in place before taking on new orders. With Knit City coming up at the end of September, we’ll probably close the shop for a week or two and reopen once we’re back and settled.
And here’s the longer version, if you’d like the full story:
We use a service called Chit Chats to handle our US shipping. They take care of getting parcels across the border and handing them off to USPS. If we were in Vancouver, we could drop packages off directly at a Chit Chats location but since we’re in Victoria (on Vancouver Island), we first have to ship everything to Chit Chats. In this case, we used Canada Post to send several large boxes.
Unfortunately, the boxes were flagged as oversized. They weren’t too large to be accepted, but they were big enough to require what Canada Post calls a “team lift.” Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but due to current job action at Canada Post, employees aren’t working any overtime. One result is that team lifts just aren’t happening. The boxes sat for weeks, and only now, after a lot of back-and-forth, are they being returned to me.
They should have crossed the border under the old tariff rules, but since they missed that deadline, I’ll need to re-ship them with new postage and updated documentation.
Once I have the boxes back, I’ll re-ship using DDP (delivered duty paid) service through Chit Chats. That means there will be no extra fees or charges on delivery.
To maintain duty-free status under CUSMA, we have to prove that each item’s country of origin is Canada. That means submitting separate documentation for every colourway and variation. We submitted our first 100 product records last week and are currently waiting for approval from Chit Chats’s customs broker so we can resume shipping.
At the moment, US Customs and Border Protection is still adjusting to these new rules, and Chit Chats is still fine-tuning their system, and we’re hearing that shipments are taking longer than usual to cross the border. But they are moving!
There will now be a small fee per item charged for brokerage, and a separate processing fee per package from US Customs. Going forward, those costs will be built into our US pricing.
Thank you again for your patience while we wait for things to settle down. I know delays like this are frustrating, and I really appreciate your understanding while we navigate this messy transition.