To begin, Response Type is a Canadian company, and all orders are likewise shipped from Canada, with the vast majority of orders going to the USA. This has been relatively straightforward for years, under NAFTA and more recently USMCA/CUSMA, but things have gotten rather interesting lately so to speak.

I’ve hesistated to post anything about this, knowing how the rules and application of those rules is still in flux, and I was right in expecting some chaos. As things stand, there is a reprieve of any relevant tarriffs until at least April 2, 2025, though what happens before then could once again move that deadline, or even eliminate the threat altogether.

There is a de minimis exemption for small value parcels under the current treaty, and so far there is no clear answer as to whether that will be maintained, raised or lowered. Above that threshold, the usual tarriff treatment based on HS codes apply, and any applicable taxes. There are also considerations for items that have undergone modification and thus have changed to new HS classes, therefore falling within the current “free trade” system, which is true for all kits assembled with custom manufactured goods such as sold on this webstore.

So the short answer is, there is no definitive answer as to what happens next, until it happens. Thankfully our production costs shouldn’t really change, though it seems the shipping companies have started making some very strange pricing adjustments on larger packages. There’s no explanation why that is the case, when the input costs like fuel have been receding from their highs, and insurance in some cases has gotten cheaper.

We’ll see what the future holds, but it might be prudent to place any pending orders ASAP!