Selling Crystals to the US from Canada After De Minimis

Selling crystals to the US from Canada used to be simple. Most small parcels crossed the border under the American de minimis exemption, which let low-value shipments enter duty-free with little paperwork. That has changed, and it changes the sums for every Canadian seller with American customers.

This page summarises the general approach from Arthur Narin's book How to Start a Crystal Business. It is not legal or customs advice. Tariff measures in the United States have changed repeatedly, sometimes within months. Confirm the current position with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or a licensed customs broker before you plan anything. It is one part of our guide to starting a crystal business.

Selling crystals to the US from Canada after de minimis

For years, US shipments valued at or under eight hundred US dollars could enter duty-free with minimal formality. Almost all casual cross-border e-commerce was built on that rule. According to the book, the exemption for commercial shipments has been suspended for all countries since 29 August 2025, and a change in federal law ends it permanently.

The practical result: every commercial shipment, however small, needs a proper customs entry and owes the applicable duties, taxes and fees. Advice to keep parcels under the old threshold to avoid duty is out of date. Check CBP's current guidance yourself rather than relying on any secondary source, this one included.

What every US-bound shipment needs

Plan on each commercial shipment needing these pieces:

• A customs entry, formal or informal depending on value and goods.
• A Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classification for each line.
• Duty at the rate for that classification and country of origin, including any additional measures.
• The merchandise processing fee and any other federal fees.
• Brokerage, from the courier or your own broker.
• An importer of record, the party legally responsible for the entry.

As in Canada, rough, unworked mineral material generally sits in lower-duty positions than polished or carved pieces. Jewellery is assessed differently, and usually higher. The same delivery-term rules apply too: confirm the named place, who is importer of record and what "shipping included" really covers. Our page on importing crystals into Canada explains those terms.

Find the duty for every shipment, not once

The ordinary tariff rate is often the smaller part of the bill now. The United States layers additional measures by country of origin on top of ordinary rates. The book does not print rates, because they move too fast. It teaches a five-step lookup instead.

1. Find the classification code in the official Harmonized Tariff Schedule, or ask a broker.
2. Look up the general rate for that code.
3. Check the additional measures for the country of origin. This is the step people skip, and it often carries the most money.
4. Add the merchandise processing fee, other fees and brokerage.
5. Put the total into your landed cost and your pricing.

Do this for every shipment. A seller who prices on last quarter's rate can lose the whole margin on the next order. Our guides to landed cost per stone and crystal markup vs margin show where that number goes.

Origin is where the stone was produced

Country of origin means where the goods were produced, not where they were bought or shipped from. Brazilian amethyst bought from a Canadian wholesaler and shipped from Kitchener is still Brazilian amethyst. A rock does not become Canadian by sitting in Ontario, however long it waits for a buyer.

So you cannot assume that goods shipped from Canada qualify for trade-agreement benefits. Polishing or carving can sometimes change origin under the rules and sometimes cannot. Ask a broker rather than guess, and state origin accurately on every invoice.

Decide who pays duty, and say so before checkout

Small parcels to the US can now carry duty, tax and brokerage charges. If your customer does not expect them, you get refused deliveries and angry messages. So choose one of two approaches and put it on your shipping page:

• The customer pays on delivery. Say so clearly before checkout, in plain words.
• You collect at checkout and ship on terms where you pay. Define exactly which charges you cover, and build them into the order's economics.

Write your policy in one sentence: who pays, and when the customer finds out. Then make sure your free-shipping threshold still works for a US parcel. Send the same order further and the parcel costs more, so one threshold may not fit both.

Paperwork and packing rules that protect you

• Include an accurate commercial invoice: description, classification, true value and country of origin.
• Never undervalue, and never mark a sale as a gift, even as a favour to a customer. It is customs fraud, and the exposure is yours.
• Describe goods plainly as mineral specimens or decorative stone objects, so they are not routed into a regulated category.
• Pack so nothing can move. If it can move inside the box, it will break, and a cross-border replacement is slow and costly.

Use three layers in every parcel: wrap each piece, fill every gap and guard every point on its own. Then match the box to the packed weight. For carrier choice, box sizes and rate shopping, see our shipping guide for crystal sellers.

Is US retail worth it at your size?

Ask the question honestly. Fixed per-entry costs mean ten small parcels cost far more to clear than one consolidated shipment of the same goods. For many small sellers the right answer, for a while, is to serve Canada well and revisit the US later.

If you do sell south, start with light, sturdy lines that pack well, such as tumbled stones and bracelets. Run one real order through the five-step lookup before you open your shop to American buyers.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay duty on crystals shipped from Canada to the US?

Generally, yes. Since the de minimis exemption for commercial shipments was suspended, small parcels can owe duty, taxes and fees. Who pays depends on your shipping terms. Confirm the current rules with CBP or a licensed customs broker.

Is there still a duty-free limit for small parcels to the US?

Not for commercial shipments, according to the book: the exemption has been suspended for all countries since 29 August 2025, and a change in federal law ends it permanently. Check CBP's current guidance before you plan around any threshold.

Can I mark a crystal order to the US as a gift?

No. Marking a sale as a gift or undervaluing it is customs fraud, and the exposure is yours, not the customer's. Always include an accurate commercial invoice with the true value and country of origin.

Do crystals shipped from Canada count as Canadian origin?

Not just because they ship from Canada. Origin is where the goods were produced, so Brazilian amethyst sent from Ontario is still Brazilian. Whether polishing or carving changes origin depends on the rules, so ask a broker.

Stock it for your shop

Stonebridge has no minimum order and ships from Kitchener, Ontario. Open a wholesale account or plan your opening order.