Statement regarding USA tariff charges and Etsy’s USA tariff policy.
To my dear customers in America I want to start by saying this:
Thank you for your support last year and the four of you that have bought from me this year. I genuinely enjoyed sending out each of your items. I love designing them, making them, sending them and tracking them as they make their way across the world to your door.
I love the idea of people all over the world enjoying using things that came from my imagination. I love the idea that there are subs, brats and others walking round with marks made by things I designed and made. I genuinely love doing this as a business.
Statement
This statement is not intended to criticize Americans regardless of political leanings. I have many American friends both red and blue. Almost all the Americans I have met in my life have been nice, warm, friendly people. When I visited America long ago, I had a wonderful time.
The below is not meant as political commentary. I am not expressing political views in this statement. There is already enough division in this world, I shall try my best to avoid adding to it.
Nothing in this statement is my choice or fault. I do not want to have to take any of the below actions.
Since the tariffs have come into force I have seen a significant drop in sales from my Etsy store.
In 2025 80-90% of my Etsy sales went straight to America.
So far in 2026 I have had 4 orders for America total. (As of 14th June 2026)
To say this is disappointing is an understatement. I was so happy to be building a nice little business making and selling fun items. Now this little business has simply become a hobby from which I occasionally make some pocket money.
Recently Etsy emailed me to inform me of their new tariff policy.
They informed me that according to their survey “nearly two-thirds of US Etsy buyers said they’d be unlikely to make a purchase if they had to pay tariffs at the time of delivery”.
Therefore as of the 9th of July I have to do two things to send items to America:
1. Send using a DDP carrier.
A DDP carrier will allow me to pre-pay the tariffs on shipments for the USA.
2. Have a separate price for customers in America that includes the tariffs so i can pay them upfront.
Should I not do these things and a customer complains that they had to pay import tariffs upon delivery. Etsy will force me to fully refund the customer for the order.
Both these things I have to do create problems for me.
For the below explanations I shall use an example of a $10 item that weighs 180grams (6.35oz) packed.
First, the shipping.
Previously I used Thailand Post to ship to America. This took about 7 to 10 days and was very reliable.
America was already the most expensive country to ship to at 400THB $12.20(approx)
However the cheapest DDP (tariff friendly) shipper I can find here is 1,850THB $56.44(approx).
I can not see anyone paying that much to ship a $10 or any value item. I wouldn’t pay that.
Secondly, American item prices.
I now have to have 1 price for people in America and another price for everyone else.
By doing it this way Etsy will take a percentage cut of what I charge for the tariffs.
Thailand tariffs are 19%.
So on a $10 item, I charge an extra $1.90 making the item $11.90 for American customers.
However, Etsy will take their percentage of the $1.90. Meaning that I would have to pay some of the tariff.
I shall therefore add the percentage that Etsy takes of the $1.90 to the $1.90.
Example
So in the past someone in America could order a thing from me and have it made, packed and delivered for $22.12.
That same item will now be $68.57 delivered.
I have now updated all my item costs for the items in my etsy store.
It took over 5 hours to do this. Which is totally wasted time as no one from America will buy from me any more due to the massive postage costs.
It occurs to me that Etsy could simply charge the tariff at checkout. Pay it to the US government and provide me with a barcode or QR code or ID number that proves the tariff has been paid and it would be simple and easy. This is done for other places and taxes like EU VAT. I could continue charging $12 shipping and not have to waste 5 hours adding separate prices for Americans.
In the future I hope this will all be sorted. Until then, keep on trukkin.