If you’ve ever shopped for discounted Pelikans or any other fountain pen from overseas, the chances of getting a bargain are now slimmer than ever. That $140 Pelikan from Hannover you bragged about on Fountain Pen Network will now potentially cost you as much as 20 to 40% more. For years, budget-minded American fountain pen enthusiasts could buy pens, ink, and fine writing related paraphernalia from international vendors, often at a fraction of domestic prices. Trade rules, influenced in part by de minimis exemptions, have permitted a gray market to flourish where authentic brand-name goods could be purchased through unofficial channels. It has been a pathway that has allowed people to buy pens that they might not otherwise have been able to afford. Cheap imports thrilled buyers but undercut domestic retailers. Overseas shopping undermined the very U.S. vendors keeping the hobby alive at home. As of August 29, 2025, the ink has officially dried on overseas steals, and the pen market has been redrawn.
Effective 12:01 a.m. EDT on Friday, August 29, President Trump suspended the de minimis exception for goods purchased abroad via an executive order. Supporters cite their reading of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as justification. De minimis, Latin for something of little importance, was introduced by Congress in 1938 to promote trade while reducing the government’s burden of processing low value parcels which generated negligible tax revenue. The value of those goods has changed over time but, since 2015, the exception has applied to parcels with a retail value of less than $800.
The increase was meant as a way to foster e-commerce. It allowed purchases, such as a fountain pen, from overseas to be imported into the USA without duty, provided the declared value was under the prescribed limit. For the past decade, the rule has made the online purchasing of cheap foreign goods a seamless and hassle-free operation. August 29 may just go down as a watershed moment in fountain pen history.
In 2015 only 134 million packages entered the country without an import tax. By 2024, over 1.3 billion packages — enough to give one to every man, woman, and child in the U.S. four times over — worth an estimated $64.6 billion entered duty free, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Critics argue that the de minimis exception has facilitated the smuggling of dangerous drugs like fentanyl as well as counterfeit goods into the USA. It also gave foreign e-commerce companies an unfair advantage over U.S. businesses, harming American workers and industries. Trump called the de minimis loophole “a big scam” and a White House fact sheet from July suggested that removing it “will save American lives, increase revenue, and protect the American consumer and entrepreneur.” Economists say the trade system will eventually adapt but warn of delays and higher prices in the short term.
While U.S. consumers may feel the sting of higher costs, the suspension of the de minimis rule can also be seen as a long-overdue correction to a trade imbalance that favored foreign sellers. Most other countries already maintain thresholds between $50 and $200, so their consumers are accustomed to higher import costs. For American buyers, however, the change represents a shock to the system after years of enjoying tariff-free imports on goods. From the perspective of domestic businesses, this policy closes a loophole that long put them at a disadvantage, leveling the playing field against overseas competitors. Internationally, the flow of small-value e-commerce goods remains mostly unchanged, though some regions, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, are weighing similar reforms to increase oversight of imports.
Any international bargain find is now more fantasy than reality.
To understand how this affects hobbyists, it’s important to look at the new tariff system. Tariffs will now apply to all e-commerce packages entering the U.S. for the foreseeable future, making overseas shopping for fine writing related paraphernalia more expensive. Your final price will depend on the country, product type and value, as well as the shipping method (post office vs. commercial carrier). The accuracy of the customs declaration by the shipping agent will also affect the final price, at least initially. Unfortunately, tariffs are not the only factor increasing cost.
Your overseas treasure hunt just got trickier. Some foreign shops may vanish from the U.S. market entirely, leaving fewer deals and pricier pens behind. Sure, sellers could eat the extra duty, but most will likely just shrug and pass it along – meaning any international bargain find is now more fantasy than reality. If you’ve built a relationship with a trusted overseas vendor, now’s the time to ask how they plan to adapt. Some may offer creative shipping or bundling options, but you won’t know unless you ask.
This shift ensures a more level playing field for domestic businesses, which will no longer be undercut by overseas discounts
The fee you pay depends on how the item is shipped and how well the customs paperwork is completed. Companies like FedEx, UPS, and DHL must collect duties from shippers or recipients and remit them to U.S. Customs. Third-party carriers will utilize ad valorem, the first of two options for calculating import fees. This method utilizes a percentage based on the country’s tariff rate. Packages sent through a third-party courier will be assessed a brokerage fee of approximately $12 to $14.
Fees vary depending on shipping method:
| Method | Fee Structure |
|---|---|
| Third-party couriers (FedEx, UPS, DHL) | Ad valorem: Percentage based on the country’s tariff rate + brokerage fee ($12 to 14) |
| National postal networks (USPS, Royal Mail, etc.) | Flat per-package fee: • $80 for tariffs <16% (e.g., EU 15%) • $160 for tariffs 16–25% (e.g., Vietnam 20%) • $200 for tariffs >25% (e.g., India 50%, China 30%) |
Alternatively, there is a flat per-package fee, with three tiers as outlined in the table above. Parcels sent through government-run or national postal networks (e.g. Royal Mail or USPS) will be most likely to incur this flat fee. After a six-month transition period ending on February 28, 2026, this flat fee option will be eliminated, and all packages will be subject to the ad valorem percentage tariff rate only. For small packages of low value, the final cost could end up being much higher than the item itself. The extra burden on carriers to collect these duties is also likely to slow shipments and delay deliveries.
To illustrate this, let’s consider a real-world example. Last week, you could have bought the new M200 Apricot Achat from an international vendor and paid roughly $55 less than here in the USA, including shipping. If you bought that same pen today and it ships via a national postal network, you’d end up paying approximately $20 more when factoring in shipping, the $80 flat rate duty, and any applicable state taxes. Using a third-party courier can be cheaper despite their brokerage fees, but only if the customs paperwork is accurate. Incomplete paperwork could result in the flat rate fee being assessed. Smaller items, such as a bottle of ink, can be assessed fees so significant that they often exceed the item’s value. These extra costs diminish the benefits of buying overseas and complicate the shipping process. Overall, this new framework is expected to have a chilling effect on international direct commerce.
Pelikan M200 Apricot Achat
| Source | Total Price |
|---|---|
| U.S. Retailer | $246 |
| EU Last Week | $191 |
| EU Today – FedEx/DHL/UPS | $226 |
| EU Today – USPS | $265 |
Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite Ink
| Source | Total Price |
|---|---|
| U.S. Retailer | $40 |
| EU Last Week | $64 |
| EU Today – FedEx/DHL/UPS | $81 |
| EU Today – USPS | $138 |
Buying abroad no longer guarantees savings. In fact, nationally shipped parcels may end up costing significantly more than domestic prices. Examples reflect the price that would be paid by an American shopping from Pennsylvania and purchasing from a vendor in either the USA or EU. Prices reflect exclusion of the VAT and addition of applicable tariff/brokerage fees, taxes, and shipping costs. Prices rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount for simplicity and are provided for illustrative purposes only.
The suspension of the de minimis rule combined with a weakening dollar will create a double headwind which will be extra burdensome for consumers.
The bad news doesn’t end there unfortunately. In the first half of 2025, the dollar fell about 10.8%, marking its worst six-month performance since 1973. A weaker dollar means less purchasing power for Americans abroad. Tariffs aside, goods from other countries will be more expensive due to the less favorable exchange rate. That said, it’s important to look beyond short-term swings. Over the long haul—from around 2011 to the dollar’s peak in 2022—the U.S. dollar rose approximately 50%. Even after its recent drop, the dollar remains approximately 40% above its level a decade-ago. So, while the dollar is weak right now, contextually, it’s still much stronger than it was ten years ago.
The suspension of the de minimis rule combined with a weakening dollar will create a double headwind which will be extra burdensome for consumers. However, not everyone is a loser in this scenario. A more level playing field for domestic businesses is ensured as they will no longer be undercut by overseas discounts. Chartpak, Pelikan’s US distributor, also stands to benefit from stronger control over pricing and the supply chain.
The boost these trade policies may provide to U.S. vendors is important and should not be overlooked. American brick and mortar pen businesses have faced challenges for years due to ongoing inequalities. The new policy is expected to strengthen these businesses, helping existing ones and possibly allowing new ones to start and thrive. This market has shown steady growth for years, even despite gray market competition. The current policy should serve as a favorable tailwind for future growth. A revival of the domestic fountain pen market would be welcomed by both hobbyist and shop owners alike. Positive impacts might include increased investment in inventory, better customer service as businesses compete on experience rather than price alone, and more specialized offerings that cater to collectors and enthusiasts. In the long run, a more stable, locally focused market could foster innovation, community engagement, and a renewed sense of pride in supporting American business.
Those positives aside, domestic prices are certain to be affected by the new tariff rates. Prior to President Trump’s tariff spree, the average American tariff rate on European imports was 1.2%. The rate on fountain pens may have been slightly higher based on the harmonized tariff schedule. The new 15% tariff on goods from the European Union will undoubtedly raise import cost for Pelikan products here in the USA. Chartpak is likely to absorb some of this based on their cost but it would be reasonable to expect something around an 8% increase on Pelikan’s fountain pens and inks at some point in the near future. For domestic shoppers, this increase will be relatively small, but for those who have been buying mostly from overseas, the added cost is likely to be significant.
Whether and when this situation changes again is uncertain. Some legal experts question whether the president can use IEEPA to alter a statutory provision set by Congress, but court challenges will take time to resolve. Even if the executive order is ruled an overreach, we probably won’t see significant action due to the current state of congress.
The suspension of de minimis is likely here to stay and, coupled with a weakening dollar, it means the end of less expensive overseas fountain pens. While this benefits U.S. shops, collectors must adjust to higher costs, fewer options, and a more domestically focused hobby. For now, the thrill of snagging discounted Pelikans overseas is gone. The future belongs to your local neighborhood pen shop.
📦 Collector Tips: Navigating the Post-De Minimis World
- Buy Domestic First → With tariffs + weak dollar, U.S. retailers are often cheapest.
- Bundle Orders → If you must buy overseas, larger single orders make brokerage fees hurt less.
- Choose Your Courier Wisely → USPS = flat fee (higher risk of overpaying). FedEx/DHL = % tariff + $12 to $14 fee (often cheaper).
- Watch Exchange Rates → A strong dollar could make overseas shopping attractive again.
- Support Local Shops → Domestic retailers now have an edge — and more incentive to stock what collectors want.
- Cultivate Local Relationships → U.S. shops now have stronger leverage — loyal customers may see previously unavailable benefits
- Plan for Delays → Customs scrutiny may increase. Factor in longer shipping times.
Good report…thanks for your efforts and I hope my amateur hobby may continue….But….prices are too high on most European items…not wishing to purchase Asian reduces activity…..interests do not die….but can fade with expense….
Thanks. Yes, added expense will certainly result in tempering people’s appetite for these luxury goods.
All packages delivered by USPS will incur an USD80.00 fee in addition to other taxes and tariffs, right?
Every single package. Period.
No matter how big or small.
How is a domestic brick and mortar business better off when *they* have to pay the USD80.00 per package charge TODAY when they didn’t have to pay it prior to the de minimis suspension?
They are already operating on toght/slim margins and that margin just got smaller due to the extra tariffs and per-package fee.
If they can’t afford the per-package fees on the orders they make, they will order less stock and offer fewer choices.
They will have to raise their prices higher than what they offer now, just to cover the per-package fees, which will discourage people from buying, which will shrink their customer base rather than increase it.
If you make something donestic more expensive, while domestic buyer wages remain the same or shrink, nobody will be buying more domestic anything. Domestic buyers just got priced out of the domestic market.
How is that good for anybody? How is this good for domestic merchants?
What am I missing in the math?
U.S. merchants do not buy direct. The U.S. vendors, at least the authorized ones, get their wares through a distributor. The distributor will be hit with the tariff but on a large, bulk order. Prices will rise. The distributor will probably absorb half the tariff and pass the other half along. Even so, prices will now be competitive because you, the consumer, will bear the extra cost. Vendors and Chartpak have wanted to see an end to direct international commerce for quite a while. The playing field has essentially been leveled.
The U.S. retailer also pays a tariff – which is much higher than they paid previously. Any word on how that will impact retailer pricing?
U.S. vendors aren’t buying direct but rather getting their wares through a distributor. Distributor pays the tariff. For goods from the EU, half that cost will likely be absorbed by the distributor and half will be passed along to vendors who will then pass it on to consumers. Even so, prices will now be comparable across the board, taking away the ability of foreign vendors to undercut U.S. merchants.
Nice article, Joshua. Yes, things do seem to change over time, and it will be interesting to see how the tariff policy ultimately plays out for fountain pen lovers. Budgets tend to adjust one way or another to external forces.
Anytime I find a method whereby I can avoid paying taxes, I assume that method functions on borrowed time. Closing of tax loopholes seems a major sport in most of the world.
Whatever they turn out to be, I just hope the rules stabilize quickly, so purchases can be planned effectively.
Agreed but nothing we’ve seen so far suggests any baked in stability. Seems like chaos is part of the design and not just a glitch.
And of course I addressed the thing screaming loudest in my head *first*, without first posting what I should have:
*Thank you* for your article. It explained what I needed to know, even if I haven’t quite been able to grasp the nuances that I am sure I was too dense to understand.
Thank you.
I am definitely going to my *lone* stationery store in my tri-county area and dropping a bundle to support them. Because this weekend may be the last I can afford for a long time.
You’re welcome. Hopefully things level off and we find a new norm but the affordability of this hobby just took a major hit no matter how you slice it. Not a lot of quality domestically manufactured options (pens/paper/ink) that would beat the tarrifs to choose from.
Thank you so much for explaining this. I knew about the exemption being cut; I didn’t know about the flat fee. 😢
Curious: do the Pelikan Hub gifts (usually including a bottle of ink) come from Chartpak, or direct from Pelikan? A tariff on 40+ bottles of ink would be a nasty surprise for a hubmaster.
They are shipped from Germany to Chartpak. Chartpak then distributes the packages within the U.S. No cost to the Hub Master or attendees should be incurred.
Welcome to the world us poor Australian collectors have had since the end of the GFC. 🙂
Yes, many countries have long been in the boat that us Americans now find ourselves in.
If non-US manufacturers are not receiving government subsidies nor using illegal immigrant labour to achieve their cost effectiveness in manufacturing, this is real competitive advantages in international trade, not unequal level playing field! Focusing on balancing every item of trade is diversion from the whole picture. What invisible advantages have the US enjoyed via its dominance in the financial markets and a world recognised position of the US dollars? Should this be levelled? Tariff is isolationism and just imagine what the world will be in the past half century without or there had been a significant drop in international trade.
I 100% agree that tariff is a form of isolationism. This administration is all in on such policies and we’ve seen in the past how that has worked out. You know what they say about those who don’t learn their history. Lots of losers and few winners in the current scenario.
I think that technically what you wrote is accurate and very helpful. However that sword cuts both ways. Many small retailers in the USA have been complaining that right now de minimis is killing their businesses. One big problem right now is almost no postal carrier in the world is accepting packages to the USA. The US govt wants the foreign postal service to collect the tariffs, they are refusing. Until that standoff is solved, there will be zero packages coming to the USA via postal carriers. So, who does this affect? Anyone who has to import from another country. Folks in the USA who buy their prescriptions from Canadian pharmacies because prices are much less expensive. Believe me, if you are retired on a fixed income with expensive prescriptions, this is a big deal. Also, how about those of us who are buying pens and parts to repair or restore older Pelikans? Parts for vintage Pelikans are much more available in Germany. With the tariff changes, the postal service in Germany is not shipping, so my only choice is DHL, FEDEX or UPS which is more expensive. I tried to buy a Pelikan 100 from a guy in the UK, for parts to repair a pen if mine. He is selling on Ebay, which has suspended their International shipping. The seller doesn’t want to use one of the shipping services like UPS, because they require more paperwork. The deal will probably fall through, not because if the tariffs, which I will gladly pay, but because the postal services refuse to ship to the USA. So, while the suspension of de minimis will probably help some US retailers who are competing with retailers in the EU and UK, there will be equally as many who are hurt by the tariffs.and the inability to have packages shipped from other countries.
The lack of postal transport to the USA is an issue but not one that I focused on as it is most likely only temporary. Unfortunately, just another sign of how chaotically this was all handled. This issue goes well beyond fountain pens. Americans are going to wake up to a new reality, one that many of them, especially those coming of age, have never known. It’s a major step backwards in my eyes but I don’t make policy. Parts are going to be a huge issue. That’s why its going to be really important to work with retailers overseas and see what can be done about shipping method and even declaration, particularly on parts whose value can be subjective. Bottom line in my eyes is that the people that stand to lose the most here are U.S. consumers and foreign retailers. Those who stand to gain the most are the U.S. distributor and vendors who now don’t have to compete with foreign prices. On all fronts, the U.S. consumer of fountain pens and just about anything else is the biggest loser.
Chartpak has passed 100% of the tariff on to consumers, not that they have released much of anything for months. US pen and stationary dealers buy many products that don’t have distribution, that is, they buy direct like you or me. Prices are going up folks and none of this is good for anyone.
For many of their wares that don’t have distribution, that is correct, they do buy direct and are going to be hit with the tariff which will invariably raise prices, reduce inventory, or result in no longer carrying the product. Focusing specifically on Pelikan, that is distributed, and I’m told directly that Chartpak doesn’t intend to pass 100% of the tariff along. That is why I quote 8% for EU imported goods.
Excellent read – thank you very much
– b
Thank you for reading. I appreciate it!
Thanks for detailed analyze. Joshua, you often notice that the distributor will compensate the part of the tariff, but why would he? I understand that this may be in the short term(some month) so as not to lose the clients, but not in the long term because it is a reduction of their margin, which is minimal for the distributor because they works through a large volume/batch. At the end, the “rich”(big) seller will receive more benefits (lose less), and the “small”(private/personal) seller will become poorer because he will lose more or will be forced to close the business altogether. So the disappearing market will receive more financial pressure on fans, which will only contribute to a decrease in curiosity, and at the rest can become entertainment only for the wealthiest.
You’re welcome. I spoke with Chartpak to get a sense of what they were intending so my statement is not uninformed. It is not their intention to pass on the full, flat 15% tariff, at least at present. I’m sure that we will see price creep in the future to level things out but that remains to be seen. From those whom I’ve spoken to in the US, distributor side and vendor side, there is general positivity that this will help business. Whether that plays out in real life remains to be seen.
You failed to note that Trump actually moved up the date. De minimus was supposed to end in July 2027, but he moved up the date and created conditions on how it’s paid to somewhat hide the costs from consumers and also add chaos; witness all the international posts that have suspended shipping temporarily. This could have been handled much better.
Also, I’ll add that this “grey” market, as you described it, may not have hurt US retailers that much. I know I’ve only bought from an overseas retailer twice. Only one of those times was due to the benefit I got from the currency exchange.
The long term effects of this are going to be fewer people entering the hobby. And that is bad for everyone.
Chaos is definitely by design in my opinion. This was handled very poorly and most everyone will suffer because of it. Speaking to a number of U.S. vendors, I frequently heard them lament about being undercut by cheap overseas alternatives. I spread my purchases around globally but was definitely enjoying significant savings from purchasing overseas personally. Now that is much less attractive. So there will be a number of us that are forced to retreat to the U.S. market which will total sales that may not have otherwise happened. I do agree that this is bad for everyone, and I do sum total see this as adding to the barriers for entry into the hobby.
It’s not quite going to work as you’re saying unfortunately (I work in finance so know a thing or two). While Europe and UK and don’t have a de-minimis exemption, their postal systems have been set up to handle these lower value packages so most sail through by just paying the duties. For example, the price difference for Japanese pens in Europe against buying direct is so large that paying an extra 20% at customs is still far ahead of buying through the local channel.
Australia took a different route. Packages of more than AU$1,000 get stopped by Customs and get charged the 10% GST plus a clearance fee and depending on product and country of origin maybe a 5% import duty. But for packages less than $1,000, the collection cost for the volume of packages was deemed so high that the government got eBay, Amazon, Shein, AliExpress etc to collect 10% GST on orders being shipped to Australia if they sold more than AU$75,000 worth of goods into Australia in a year. It works just fine and the postal system and customs aren’t tangled up with millions of small packages.
The problem the US government has created is not of tariffs, but the non-tariff barrier of the USD80 clearance fee regardless of package value. Tariffs add absolutely zero value to the economy because they add no value whatsoever to the product itself. And it’s not like the USA has a pen industry to protect any more. What value does Chartpak add to Pelikan pens over buying them from Appelboom or ZafPens for example?
Tariffs work when targeted to protect industries prone to dumping, like steel etc. The USD 80 clearance fee is effectively an NTB (non tariff barrier), because it is meant to throttle packages. And it is a hugely skewed barrier because larger businesses can absorb that cost over a much larger volume of goods.
As to retailers absorbing tariffs…no. Look at countries that rely on high tariffs like Pakistan, Brazil, India, Thailand etc. Retailers and importers will pass on every last cent of added cost further down into the supply chain. In fact tariffs tend to increase prices of local products as well, because local producers only need to undercut imports at their landed price, not at their source cost.
I’m not inherently opposed to targeted tariffs, but history and economics tells us high universal tariffs have never, ever led to outcomes better for consumers.
I agree that there is no industry to protect when it comes to fountain pens and these blanket targets will not serve to benefit the consumer. I think the only entity that benefits in the current climate is the distributor. The fact that domestic retailers just have to slightly undercut the overinflated foreign prices is well taken. The few theoretical benefits that might emerge in the domestic market are likely either wishful thinking or in no way compensatory for the future pain. In writing the article, I tried to keep a balanced perspective, looking at the issue from both sides of the equation. I very much appreciate your insight.
As a European I have grown up with the USA as liberator, protector and role model. I have also lived in the US and enjoyed my formal education there. I just can’t feel at ease with the current state of affairs. A trade war with all countries at the same time and alienating so many of us (how can you pick a fight with Canada?). Flip flopping each time the government changes makes it appear the government is coming back from their word. I find it challenging to understand how this is helping the US, we were so close to being one happy global family. To be honest the UK leaving the EU was the biggest problem for my fountain pen and photography hobbies as they have some excellent online resellers but everything is +19% tax +Import and handling duties, I just stopped ordering in the end. The EU government is just to random when it comes to collectors items, they just “gestimate” the import duty so the whole deal becomes a lottery I don’t want to be part of. Lucky for me the brands that make my heart beat faster are mainly located here.
It’s hard to imagine anybody being at ease with the current state of affairs, at least those that are paying attention. If all of this holds, we are definitely looking at a global realignment of sorts and US consumers will be worse off for it, at least until this madness ends.
Something overlooked is how this may benefit small domestic independent pen makers. When luxury brands imported from Europe and Asia become prohibitively expensive, pen hobbyists may awaken to the beauty of many American-made pens.
It’s possible and only time will tell. I’m not sure how much small pen makers really compete with the big luxury brands. I think those looking for a Pelikan, Visconti, or Montblanc for instance aren’t necessarily going to pivot to a bespoke creation just because the luxury brands have gotten more pricey. Certainly might be a nice alternative for some though. At pen shows, I’m frequently in awe of what some of the small pen maker community has come up with.
A terrific article explaining something that a lot of pen enthusiasts have been wondering about. Thanks.
Thank you for reading!
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My tip for navigating through the chaos — the one I have chosen — is simple though admittedly painful. Stop purchasing any more. Tell yourselves the truth: I have enough fountain pens and ink. Wait it out. There will be presidential elections in due time.
Your approach mirrors my own. I have drastically cut back on pen purchases myself and my wallet thanks me for it. The climate is just not favorable to a high priced hobby right now, especially one based largely overseas. I hope you’re right about that last part.
Just a short update on the effects of “de minimis” on a pen hobbyist. I bought a few parts from a seller in Germany a few days after ‘de minimis went into effect. The total price of the items was about 140 USD. The only shipping option was DHL Express. Initially that was 45 USD, but I had to add another 11.70 USD because I live outside the regular DHL delivery area here in the USA. So now I’m up to 197 USD. after shipping I got an email from DHL with the tariff price which I had to pay online before delivery. the tariff was and additional 23 USD which brought the total to 220 USD. So the price of delivery and tariff was almost as expensive as the parts.
Another thing, the US dollar has weakened considerably against the Euro and British pound, so we are getting a double whammy when we purchase overseas.
Suffice to say, I won’t be buying anything from outside the USA, at least until this tariff thing is worked out and regular shipping by post is resumed, and at a reasonable price, not 80 to 160 USD per package!
Thank you for sharing your experience. That kind of mirrors my own recently and its pretty prohibitive. The problem is, some things simply cannot be easily sourced here in the USA. This is really going to be a problem going forwards.
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It seems likely that eBay sellers of vintage Pelikans, in Belgrade Serbia for example, are going to take a serious hit in sales to US customers. The auction sites just say the buyer will have to pay any tariffs but say nothing about how they are calculated. Have you had any feedback on how this may affect eBay sales of eastern European vintage pens in the US? How are we supposed to know how much we may owe in tariffs and to whom do we pay them and when do we pay them? I’m so confused! I’m used to buying from certain sellers and it’s beginning to look like those days are over.
Any vendor selling to the USA right now is in a difficult situation with the tariffs. While sellers may take a hit, the onus really still falls on the consumer. eBay is listing a notice but they don’t calculate the fee. You need to know ahead of time what you might expect to pay extra and plan for that. The carrier that delivers the package will calculate the fee and charge you for them, usually before delivery in my experience. I live in the USA but maintain a shipping address in Germany. I have been aggregating purchases at that address and then shipping several items together with a reasonable declaration to save on fees from individual shipments. Not something everybody would, could, or should do but that is just one work around out there.