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Having trouble making sense of the U.S.-Canada tariff situation, what applies to you and how it affects you as a buyer or seller? Here’s what you need to know
Ed. note: This article was originally published on Feb. 12, 2025 and is frequently being updated to reflect the latest events.
Buyers and sellers of vintage, antiques and secondhand are affected by the trade war happening between the United States and Canada either directly or indirectly. We’re here to answer your questions on what this means for your purchases and shipments, and for the community.
For the purposes of this article, we are only discussing tariffs that relate to the retail/resale sector. We are not covering steel, aluminium, dairy, electricity, etc.
On Mar. 6, U.S. President Donald Trump paused some of the 25 per cent tariffs he levied Mar. 4 on Canada and Mexico, only for “USMCA (CUSMA)- compliant goods.” For an explanation of what that means and why it’s unlikely to include your vintage products, scroll down to the relevant question below.
USMCA/CUSMA is the free trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is called USMCA in the U.S., CUSMA in Canada and T-MEC in Mexico.
The reprieve from tariffs on those particular goods will last through Apr. 2. If a deal is not reached at that point, the tariffs will resume on USMCA-compliant goods.
For any good travelling into the U.S. that doesn’t meet USMCA/CUSMA requirements or the “de minimis” exemption (more below), the 25 per cent tariff remains in place.
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs of 25 per cent remain in place on $30 billion worth of American goods, including retail, but the Canadian government has paused its forthcoming second set of tariffs on $125 billion worth of goods until Apr. 2.
Tariffs are a surcharge applied to a product when it enters a country.
It is the importer — meaning the business who is ordering the goods or the individual consumer who has placed an order for the goods — who pays that money to the federal government.
Think of it like a duty that gets collected. The U.S. government (U.S. Customs & Border Protection, or CBP) collects the tariffs on items shipped to the U.S. The Canadian government (Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA) collects the tariffs on items shipped to Canada.
If you’re ordering from an online marketplace or directly from a reseller, you as the consumer would pay the tariff on the final selling price of your item.
If you’re running a company importing in bulk or receiving a large shipment, you would pay the tariff on the cost of your shipment.
Tariffs are calculated on the value of the good, but are paid over and above any existing applicable tariffs, customs duties and taxes. So any given purchase may have a tariff, a customs duty and a tax applied.
As of Mar. 6, U.S. consumers and companies must pay U.S. tariffs of 25 per cent on all goods that do not comply with USMCA/CUSMA and that originate (a.k.a. were manufactured in) in Canada and Mexico, and tariffs of 20 per cent on all goods that originate in China and Hong Kong, for all shipments valued over US$800 (which is the “de minimis,” or duty-free, exemption).
According to the Associated Press, approximately 62 per cent of Canadian exports are not considered USMCA compliant. Being USMCA compliant means you can prove an item’s origin to be Canada, United States or Mexico, which is difficult to do with vintage, antiques and secondhand goods.
As of Mar. 4, Canadian consumers and companies must pay retaliatory tariffs (called a surtax) of 25 per cent on certain goods that originate in the U.S., including clothing, jewellery and more (see a partial list below), for any shipments valued over CA$150 when sent by courier and over CA$20 when sent by mail.
Just as with the U.S., the Canadian surtax applies even when the item has been exported from a country other than the U.S. into Canada.
Tariffs are applied based on country of origin and stand even if the product is being exported by another country other than the ones involved in the trade war.
In the U.S., if the item was originally made in Canada, Mexico, China or Hong Kong and is valued over US$800, the tariff applies.
As far vintage, antiques and secondhand products go, these tariffs may apply to everything coming into the U.S. — including items that previously fell under free trade regardless of value, such as antiques over 100 years old — if those items are not compliant with the regulations of USMCA/CUSMA.
In Canada, the tariffs apply to a range of vintage and secondhand products (see a partial list below).
Tariffs are paid on top of any existing rates of duty.
For example, a bale is filled with women’s silk suits and dresses, all made in Canada between the 1980s and 1990s. It's valued over US$800 and heading to the States. The bale is already subject to a duty of 7.1 per cent according to the tariff rate schedule. The new 25 per cent tariff gets added on in addition to that initial 7.1 per cent.
Here are some additional scenarios:
A shop in the U.K. sells a vintage painting to a U.S. customer. The painting is valued over US$800 and was originally created in Canada. The customer must pay a tariff of 25 per cent, because Canadian products are being tariffed no matter where they arrive from.
A Canadian shop sells an antique coat originally manufactured in Canada to a U.S. customer. It's valued over US$800 and it's over 100 years old. The coat receives a tariff of 25 per cent because it is not USMCA compliant, and the customer must pay that duty.
A Canadian shop sells a vintage armoire originally manufactured in Canada to a U.S. customer. The selling price is $3,500. The seller has a certificate of authenticity for the armoire, knows all about the manufacturer, and is able to complete a certification of origin to ship alongside the armoire. The armoire is considered USMCA-compliant by U.S. border agents, and does not receive a 25 per cent tariff.
A Canadian shop sells a vintage hand-beaded dress originally manufactured in India to a U.S. customer. The dress does not receive the 25 per cent tariff, even though it's valued over US$800, because i wasn’t made in Canada, Mexico, China or Hong Kong. However, the dress might be subject to other, existing tariffs due to its country of origin, and its value exceeding the duty-free exemption.
A shop in Japan sells a vintage necklace to a Canadian customer valued over CA$150. The necklace was originally manufactured in the U.S. It has precious stones and is on Canada's list of made-in-U.S. items. The customer pays a 25 per cent surtax.
A U.S. shop sells a vintage platter made in Mexico to a Canadian customer and the selling price was US$190. The customer does not have to pay the new 25 per cent surtax because the surtax only applies to U.S.-made goods. However, the platter may be subject to additional existing duties because its value is over CA$150.
The Mar. 6 adjustment to the U.S. tariffs indicates goods that are USMCA/CUSMA compliant (i.e., they meet the rules of the current free trade agreement) will not be subject to tariffs.
The USMCA-compliant exemption only applies to goods being shipped into the U.S. Canada’s surtax will be applied, even if the goods comply with CUSMA requirements.
A good that is USMCA/CUSMA compliant means that it is accompanied by a certification of origin to prove that it was made in Canada, the United States or Mexico. See below for more info.
If the value of the goods is lower than US$2,500, the full certification of origin isn’t required, but a written statement must be included with the shipment to certify that the goods originated in Canada, the U.S., or Mexico.
They can be, but it’s not always easy. You would need, ideally, a certificate of authenticity.
Jewellery, antiques and items that have been professionally appraised may have this.
Tags, written documents, research and/or records can be used to trace a producer to North America, but the materials used to produce the item also need to meet certain requirements outlined in USMCA.
This is difficult in many cases — secondhand items are often missing tags, marks and manufacturer information.
A certificate of authenticity is best. Or you’d have to be able to prove, if required, through maker's marks, written documents, research or records that the manufacturer of your item was located in North America.
You also have to prove if components were sourced from outside North America, that those materials would pass the rules of origin check in Annex 4-B of the USMCA agreement.
The certification of origin declaration for goods valued over US$2,500 is rigorous as it asks for certain manufacturer and origin information to be included.
For goods valued under US$2,500, you only need a written statement to certify origin. That's a declaration from you that the product is what you say it is. To write that statement, you would have to be 100 per cent certain that the item you’re sending originally was:
a) 100 per cent produced within North America using North American materials, or;
b) 100 per cent produced within North America using materials from outside North America, and still meet the entry requirements for those specific materials as stated under the USMCA agreement.
And you'd have to be able to prove it if asked.
For sellers, if you know the manufacturer and can do some research on how that manufacturer conducted their business, you may be able to provide enough information to satisfy the requirements.
If the value of your goods is under US$2,500 and you want to claim USMCA compliance, you don’t need a certification of origin but you do need a written statement to certify your good was made in Canada, U.S. or Mexico.
If the value of your goods is over US$2,500 and you want to claim USMCA compliance, you need to complete a certification of origin. You can search online to find a template for this, but there are no “official” forms you need.
The certification of origin has nine points of data that need to be included, including detailed reference to the USMCA/CUSMA agreement and how the good meets the rules of origin.
Visit the Canada Border Services Agency site to get all details — note that if you’re the reseller shipping the item into the U.S., you are considered the exporter, and your customer is the importer.
The producer is the manufacturer of the good, which you might not know — in which case you won’t be able to meet the USMCA compliance rules.
Ordering into the U.S.: If the item is valued at less than US$800, it currently doesn’t matter if it’s not USMCA-compliant. It meets the de minims exemption that is still in place and can arrive duty free.
If the item is valued over US$800 and is without certification of origin paperwork or a written statement certifying that the product was made in Canada, the U.S. or Mexico, it will be subject to a 25 per cent tariff paid by the importer (customer).
Ordering into Canada: If the item being shipped via courier is over CA$150 (or via mail, over CA$20), and on the list of goods receiving a surtax, it will receive a surtax of 25 per cent regardless of whether it’s CUSMA compliant.
Buyers: Remember that it can be difficult to prove origin when it comes to vintage, antiques and secondhand. If your seller sends an item over the ”de minimis” exemption that likely made in Canada, U.S. or Mexico but can't prove with certainty that’s where it was manufactured using approved materials, you may still have to pay the tariff.
These are just some of the categories and products included on the list of U.S.-origin products that Canada is collecting a 25 per cent surtax on.
Art & collectibles
Clothing & accessories
Jewellery
Home decor & furniture
Luggage & bags
For the full list, click here.
The “de minimis” exemption that allows items valued under US$800 to enter the U.S. duty free remains in place for the time being, which means as long as the value of your shipment coming into the U.S. is under US$800, you won't be subject to possible tariffs, even if the item is from Canada, Mexico, China or Hong Kong.
The country of origin must be noted on all packages (more on that below).
However, the U.S. government has announced the “de minimis” exemption will be removed at an unspecified date, once it has established a way to receive payments.
Based on previous statements of the Trump administration, buyers and sellers should expect the de minimis exemption, if not removed altogether, to be lowered upon the renegotiation of a new trade agreement.
In Canada, there is an equivalent to de minimis called value for duty, which is the base amount used to calculate duty owed on goods being imported. You can think of it like a de minimis exemption.
The value for duty of an imported good (the item being shipped) in Canada via courier (e.g., FedEx) is CA$150, meaning that any goods being imported via courier with a value under CA$150 are not subject to duties or the retaliatory tariff (surtax). Any goods imported via courier over CA$40 are subject to tax, however.
The value for duty of an imported good (the item being mailed) in Canada via mail (e.g. United States Postal Service) is CA$20, meaning that any goods being imported via mail with a value under CA$20 are not subject to duties or the retaliatory tariff (surtax). Any goods imported via mail over CA$20 are subject to tax, however.
In addition, “goods that are made in the U.S. and are repaired or altered across the border — for example, a specialized good in the U.S. might require repair in Canada, or vice versa,” would not be subject to the surtax, according to the CBSA's documentation. However, “if the good were in Canada, it would need to already be duty paid.”
Note that there is a different value for duty exemption of CA$200 for in-person border crossings after you have visited the U.S. for between 24-48 hours, and CA$800 after 48 hours. This is not the same as the CA$150 value for duty for packages being shipped via courier, or the CA$20 value for duty for items being shipped via mail.
Any product arriving to the U.S. by way of another country that was originally manufactured in the U.S. may also be exempt from any other applicable tariffs or duties under the “domestic status” provision.
These items are considered previously imported and have either had their duty and tax paid or are free of duty and tax.
For example, if a Canadian shop is shipping a product that was originally manufactured in the U.S., it may not be subject to duties.
Canada has a similar system whereby items originally made in Canada may be re-imported and may qualify for duty-free re-entry.
Both of these exemptions are independent of the current tariffs. They were already in place.
The current U.S.-Canada tariffs only apply to goods originating in China, Hong Kong, Canada and Mexico for import into the U.S., and to goods originating in the U.S. for import into Canada.
Continued below
Continued from above
The tariffs are expected to cost the average U.S. consumer an additional US$1,200 per year and the average Canadian consumer CA$1,900 per year.
For U.S.-based vintage sellers, the impact of Canada's retaliatory tariffs might not be felt as immensely, at least not immediately. The Canadian dollar is weak, which means sales to Canadian consumers are lower in general.
For Canadian secondhand shops, the impact of the U.S. tariffs could be broader. Some Canadian e-commerce resellers we polled see up to 85 per cent of their clientele from the U.S.
As long as de minimis is in place, purchases entering the U.S. under US$800 with a country of origin of China, Hong Kong, Canada or Mexico will not be subject to tariffs. That's good news for both Canadian sellers and American consumers.
But for any American consumer ordering over US$800 from a Canadian seller, they may have to pay both normal duties, and the 25 per cent tariff if the item was originally manufactured in Canada, Mexico, China or Hong Kong and that item is not considered USMCA/CUSMA-compliant (see above for how this works).
If the item is considered USMCA/CUSMA-compliant with a value over US$800, U.S. customers do not have to pay a tariff, at least through Apr. 2.
And for any Canadian seller importing bulk shipments or large pieces from the U.S., they're subject to Canada's retaliatory tariffs and are seeing their costs raise, too.
For a detailed picture of how the tariffs may affect individual Canadian sellers and any sellers that source in bulk or ship large volumes, watch our Mar. 3 interview with CityNews Toronto (below) and read the corresponding article.
While any shops, resellers or suppliers that are shipping goods under US$800 into the U.S. or CA$150 (via courier) CA$20 (via mail) into Canada will be exempt from tariffs, the tariffs will still impact everyone on a broader scale due to the effect tariffs have on our economy. For a deeper dive on this, watch our recent Instagram Live.
Any shop, reseller or supplier that is buying or selling goods valued over US$800 into the U.S. may be subject to a tariff if that import is not USMCA/CUSMA compliant.
Many products in the vintage, antiques and secondhand category total over US$800, including luxury resale products, bulk bales of clothing, antique art and jewellery, vintage and antique furniture, wholesale buys and more.
Not necessarily. The ways buyers will pay a tariff are:
1) If you are a U.S. consumer or company (the importer) purchasing goods valued over US$800 that are originally from Canada, Mexico, China or Hong Kong from any seller outside of the U.S.
However, if the business shipping to you is located in Canada or Mexico and can certify their product is USMCA/CUSMA-compliant, you as the buyer would be exempt from paying tariffs.
2) If you are a Canadian consumer ordering certain goods that originated in the U.S. In that case you will have to pay the surtax.
In either case, you would be subject to additional tariffs between 20-25 per cent, depending on what you are buying and from where.
Small secondhand businesses across North America rely on cross-border sales and with duty-free shipments into the U.S. and Canada still allowed, it’s business as usual for most. Please continue to support as you can.
Shopping local has always been a good idea, too — find vintage, antiques and pre-loved shops near you, or online-based businesses that ship to you, at the Shop Secondhand Directory, which lists over 3,000 shops and services across Canada and the U.S. in more than 130 categories.
If you ship into the U.S. or Canada, label the country of origin on all packages — not just the packages containing items from China, Hong Kong, Canada or Mexico that are going into the U.S., and not just the ones from the U.S. that are shipping into Canada.
No matter what the country of origin is, label it so it can be inspected properly. For example, if the country of origin of the product is France, declare it as such.
For vintage, antiques and secondhand, the country of origin is the place the item was originally manufactured. You may not know this information, in which case proceed to the next question.
You also must include the corresponding 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code which can be found on the U.S. International Trade Commission website, or on the Canada Border Services Agency’s tariffs portal.
If you want to meet USMCA/CUSMA compliance for goods entering the U.S. and valued over US$800, scroll up to see what’s required.
If there are no tags or clues to provenance for your item based on its materials, assume it was made in China and declare it as such.
If you have reason to believe an item was manufactured in Canada or the U.S., also declare it as such — but if you can’t prove it, don’t tryto claim it as USMCA/CUSMA compliant with a certification of origin.
Again, items entering the U.S. will not be subject to tariffs at this time so long as they are valued under US$800, no matter which country they are from.
Check directly with your shipping provider or marketplace seller for more best practices.
Now is the time to revisit your sourcing strategies, your marketing tactics and your local networks.
In a Feb. 5 Instagram Live (linked below), we covered tariffs with vintage seller Sarah Israel, founder of Dwelling on the Past, and she shared some tips:
Go local. Join buy-and-sell groups or collectors' communities in your area.
Make connections. Host events with fellow sellers to expand your audience.
Optimize your online presence. Make sure your shop is easy to find. Update SEO-friendly descriptions, list shipping details clearly and highlight your location to attract regional buyers.
We have shared many more ideas on how to navigate this new era in our other tariff content below. Follow us on Instagram for timely updates.
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have a free trade agreement they signed in 2018 called USMCA in the U.S., CUSMA in Canada, and T-MEC in Mexico.
The agreement is not set to expire until 2036, though there is a planned review between all three countries scheduled for 2026.
Upon taking office in January, President Trump declared a national emergency that allowed him to circumvent the free trade agreement and apply tariffs.
Then, the U.S. announced a 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico would go into effect on Feb. 1. In response, Canada threatened to retaliate with its own 25 per cent tariff.
After reaching a temporary agreement, the countries agreed to pause their respective tariff measures for 30 days. That pause expired on Mar. 4.
The U.S. also imposed 10 to 15 per cent tariffs on goods originating from China, initially including the removal of the “de minimis” duty-free exemption — but on Feb. 7, they walked that back due to customs screening delays at the border.
The China tariffs — which increased to 20 per cent on Mar. 4 — remain, but only for goods valued over US$800. These are added on top of existing tariffs of 10 to 25 per cent.
The trade war between the United States, Canada and Mexico officially began on Mar. 4, the U.S. applied 25 per cent tariffs on goods valued over US$800 originating in Canada and Mexico.
The government stated its “de minimis” exemption — which allows goods valued under US$800 to enter the country duty free — would not be removed right away, allowing more time to acquire the personnel and infrastructure required to collect duties on lower-value shipments.
On Mar. 4, Canada enacted retaliatory tariffs, called a surtax, of 25 per cent on a suite of American goods valued at $30 billion, which includes secondhand staples like clothing, jewellery and glassware.
The Canadian surtax applies to goods that originate in the U.S., even when exported from a country other than the U.S. into Canada.
Just two days later, on Mar. 6, the U.S. offered some reprieve with its tariffs, indicating they would be paused through Apr. 2 so long as the goods in question were USMCA-compliant.
Canada is planning more tariffs on another $125 billion worth of goods, but on Mar. 6 paused the second set of tariffs until at least Apr. 2.
Catch the full discussion below or on YouTube.
Catch the full conversation below or on YouTube (the tariffs conversation begins around the 30-minute mark).
Catch the full conversation below or on YouTube (the tariffs conversation begins around the 25-minute mark).
— With files from Suha Momand
How is the trade war affecting your buying and selling? Let us know in the comments!
