Starting on July 1, 2020, the U.S., Canada and Mexico will start a new trade agreement called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which will be replacing what was formerly known as North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  The purpose of the agreement is to encourage trade between the three countries, ensure fair labor practices are followed and provide incentives for manufacturing in North America.

For online retailers, one of the key changes within this new agreement is the de minimis threshold values for express shipments (and via customs brokers) into Canada and Mexico from the U.S.

De minimis is a price threshold which countries use to determine if duties and taxes will be applied on shipments.  The de minimis threshold is different for each country, and is determined by the total value of your shipped goods, including shipping fees.  Online retailers like high de minimis thresholds for each country, since a higher threshold keeps duties and taxes from being added to the product cost for a buyer.  As an example, if the de minimis for Australia is $1000 USD, then we can ship items up to $1000 (including shipping cost) without incurring additional duties and taxes.  If the product cost plus shipping is over $1000 USD, then the buyer is going to have to pay additional costs (duties and taxes) to receive the product.

IMPORTANT!  Changes for de minimis starting on July 1, 2020 only applies to express shippers and custom brokers.  Shipments handled by the Postal Service are not changing!

Shipments Entering Canada

Postal Shipments de minimis (USPS delivery to Canada Post)

•  Goods valued over $20 CAD will have tax applicable (Unchanged)

Express Shipments/Custom Brokers de minimis

•   Goods valued over $40 CAD will have tax applicable (New with USMCA)

•   Goods valued over $150 CAD will have both duty and tax applicable (New with USMCA)

Shipments Entering Mexico

Postal Shipments de minimis (USPS delivery to Correos de México)

•   Goods valued over $300 USD will have tax applicable (Unchanged)

Express Shipments/Custom Brokers de minimis

• Goods valued over $50 USD will have tax applicable (Unchanged)

•  Goods valued over $117 USD will have both duty and tax applicable (New with USMCA)

Interested in lowering your international parcel shipments?  Contact GlobalPost and take advantage of free coverage, an easy claims process, no hassle of printing customs forms and more.

There may be different reasons why you would need to ship cremated remains: you’re a relative entrusted with transporting or distributing the remains of a loved one; you need to ensure that a pet cremation urn is safely sent back home; or you’re in the death care business and your funeral home needs to transport cremated remains frequently. Whatever the reason may be, Stamps.com can help you make the process as painless as possible.

The first thing to know is that you can only use the USPS to ship cremated remains. Courier services like FedEx and UPS do not allow this. Therefore, you can use your powerful Stamps.com platform to ship cremated remains.

Preparing your package

The USPS allows for shipping cremated remains by Priority Mail Express service only.  Keep in mind that there are packaging requirements—USPS requires that the inner container be stable, shock-proof, and sift-proof (i.e. sealed against leakage during transit). Since the USPS requires full return and delivery addresses be included on the outside of the package, we recommend using the Stamps.com Shipping Label feature to meet this guideline and also receive free tracking. Under our “Packages” section, you can select one of our “Shipping Label” options. You can easily print a trackable label on plain paper or on one of our self-adhesive labels, such as the 4 1/4″ x 6 3/4″ shipping labels (SDC-1200).

Identifying your package

Remember also to declare the Special Contents when you print your Shipping Label. After selecting the Priority Mail Express mail class and entering all of the appropriate criteria (addresses, weight, etc.), click on the “Select” button next to “Add’l Options.” Click on “Special Contents” and select “Cremated Remains.”

As of September 2019, the USPS requires using Label 139, a postal label indicating “Cremated Remains,” which can be ordered for free here: https://store.usps.com/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?productId=P_LABEL139

Additionally, shippers are required to affix Label 139 to all six sides of their shipping box.

International Mailing

For international mail, you may only use Priority Mail Express International to ship cremated remains.  Cremated remains must also be shipped in a funeral urn. Remember to double-check whether the country to which you are mailing allows this type of shipment. Some countries, such as Belgium, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal and the United Kingdom do not allow entry of cremated remains. Some countries also do not support Priority Mail Express International. We recommend researching this prior to mailing by accessing the Individual Country Listings here: https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immctry.htm

Remember to fully and clearly identify the contents on your customs form. Stamps.com makes the process easy and efficient by combining postage and the Customs Declaration Forms into the same documentation/international shipping label. In the Customs Information window, under “Type of Contents,” select “Other” and type in a detailed description under “More Info.” In the itemized package content details, please also enter a detailed description to remain compliant with USPS guidelines.

Since you are using Priority Mail Express, you can schedule a free pickup to avoid going to the Post Office.  Learn how to schedule a pickup here: https://blog.stamps.com/2017/04/21/usps-package-pickups-and-drop-offs/

Are you planning to ship gifts internationally this holiday season? You should know that USPS weight limits vary by mail class and destination country.

To ensure that your holiday packages are mailable check out the table below— you can determine how much your international package or letter can weigh by mail class and destination:

The USPS has announced the 2019 Holiday shipping deadlines to assure package delivery by December 24th. Be sure to mail by these deadlines so your packages arrive on time.

Domestic Holiday Mail-By Deadlines

Domestic Mail Services	Mail-By Date
First-Class Mail	Dec 20
Priority Mail	Dec 21
Priority Mail Express	Dec 23

Alaska and Hawaii Holiday Mail-By Deadlines

Mail Addressed To	First-Class Mail	Priority Mail	Priority Mail Express
Alaska	Dec 18	Dec 19	Dec 21
Hawaii	Dec 19	Dec 19	Dec 21

Military Address (APO/FPO/DPO) Holiday Mail-By Deadlines

Military Mail Addressed To/From	First-Class Mail	Priority Mail	Priority Mail Express
AE ZIPs 090-092	Dec 11	Dec 11	Dec 18
AE ZIP 093	Dec 9	Dec 9	N/A
AE ZIPs 094-098	Dec 11	Dec 11	Dec 18
AA ZIP 340	Dec 11	Dec 11	Dec 18
AP Zips 962-966	Dec 11	Dec 11	Dec 18

International Holiday Mail-By Deadlines

Addressed To	First-Class International	Priority Mail International	Priority Mail Express International
Africa	Nov 30	Nov 30	Dec 7
Asia/Pacific Rim	Dec 7	Dec 7	Dec 14
Australia/New Zealand	Dec 7	Dec 7	Dec 14
Canada	Dec 7	Dec 7	Dec 16
Caribbean	Dec 7	Dec 7	Dec 14
Central & South America	Nov 30	Nov 30	Dec 7
Mexico	Dec 7	Dec 7	Dec 14
Europe	Dec 7	Dec 9	Dec 14
Middle East	Dec 7	Dec 9	Dec 14

The legislation regarding mailing hemp and CBD have recently changed to allow hemp products to be shipped legally. The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) removed hemp from the federally controlled substance list which allows for hemp products to be shipped between states as of June 6, 2019. If you plan on shipping CBD or hemp products you’ll want to review the changes to ensure your business is operating within the law.

2018 Farm Bill

Based on this new legal status, hemp plants, seeds, and products can now be mailed through USPS to domestic addresses—military and international destinations are currently excluded. In addition to destination restrictions, there are a few conditions you must meet to ship hemp products. For starters, shipping industrial hemp products require a license from a state’s Department of Agriculture authorizing the production. Additionally, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration in a product cannot exceed a 0.3% limit. If you are shipping liquid hemp products be sure to follow the USPS guidelines to ensure leaks won’t cause your package to become unmailable.

Shipping with USPS

The USPS hemp and CBD shipping regulations align with the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. This means that you can use the USPS to mail hemp/CBD products domestically, as long as your shipment meets the following requirements. The Agricultural Improvement Act states:

• “Hemp” shall have the meaning provided under federal law, including Section 10113 of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L.115-334 (7 U.S.C. § 1639o), or any successor provision. Hemp and hemp-based products, including cannabidiol (CBD) with the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of such hemp (or its derivatives) not exceeding a 0.3 percent limit are permitted to be mailed only when:
  • The mailer complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws (such as the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018) pertaining to hemp production, processing, distribution, and sales; and
  • The mailer retains records establishing compliance with such laws, including laboratory test results, licenses, or compliance reports, for no less than 2 years after the date of mailing.

It is important to note that it is the mailer’s responsibility to remain compliant with all laws and regulations governing mailability. Make sure to maintain your own records of compliance, including laboratory test results, licenses, and compliance reports for at least 2 years your mailing. USPS can request this documentation if there are any questions on the product’s mailability or the ability to legally receive the shipment so it’s important you have the documents on hand. These documentation requirements are not unique to hemp products however, they apply to all restricted items shipped with USPS.

 

How Stamps.com Can Help

Stamps.com makes shipping easy, with our online postage solution you can print postage directly from your home without going to the post office. Stamps.com gives customers access to all USPS mail classes, and discounts on domestic postage up to 40% off. Your existing technology isn’t a problem—Stamps.com integrates with many popular carts and marketplaces.