Since Aug 29, 2025, the US no longer lets low-value parcels in duty-free. A Canadian Shopify jewelry brand shipping a $120 necklace to a customer in Ohio used to pay nothing at the border. Now every order can owe duty, and the cheapest way out (CUSMA's duty-free treatment for Canadian-made goods) can't be claimed on Canada Post shipments. It needs a courier like UPS, FedEx or DHL (EDC).
For a Canadian jewelry brand that gets a big share of its revenue from US customers, this changes shipping, pricing and how you run Meta ads. Here's what to check.
This is not legal or customs advice. Tariff rules between Canada and the US have changed several times since 2025. Confirm the current rules for your products with a customs broker before you change prices.
What changed, in order
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2025 | US suspends duty-free entry for parcels under US$800 (the "de minimis" rule) for all countries |
| Jun 24, 2026 | US customs writes the suspension into its regulations and creates a new entry process for postal shipments (Federal Register) |
| Jul 24, 2026 | New postal entry process takes effect |
| Jul 1, 2027 | US law permanently ends the de minimis exemption |
What this means for a jewelry brand
1. Courier vs Canada Post now decides your duty. Jewelry that qualifies as Canadian-made under CUSMA can still enter the US duty-free, but only when the claim is filed at entry. Couriers can file it. Canada Post shipments can't claim CUSMA (CFIB). For a light, high-value product like jewelry, the courier fee is often smaller than the duty it saves.
2. "Made in Canada" needs checking. A piece designed and finished in Canada from imported chains, stones or findings may or may not qualify under CUSMA's rules of origin. It depends on the product and where the parts come from. Ask a broker to check your top 10 SKUs by US revenue.
3. Surprise duty kills repeat purchases. If the US customer pays duty on delivery, many won't order again, and some refuse the parcel. Charge duties at checkout (prices shown "duties included") so the customer never gets a second bill. Shopify can collect duties and import taxes at checkout on supported plans and markets. Check what your plan offers.
What this changes in your ads
Run separate US and Canada campaigns. If US orders now carry duty or courier costs that Canadian orders don't, your margin per order differs by country. One campaign covering both will spend wherever conversion is cheapest, not where profit is highest.
Set a different CAC target per country. Work out contribution margin per order after duty and shipping for each country. Your US CAC target should come from the US margin, not from a blended number.
Say "duties included" in US ads and on product pages. US buyers who've been surprised by import fees on Canadian orders before will hesitate. "Ships from Canada, duties included, no surprise fees" in the ad answers that before they ask.
Watch the exchange rate in your reports. If you pay for ads in CAD but earn in USD (or the other way round), a move in the exchange rate changes ROAS without anything changing in the account. Report in one currency.
Plan for both calendars. Canada has Thanksgiving on Oct 12 and Boxing Day on Dec 26. The US has Thanksgiving on Nov 26. Mother's Day and Valentine's Day are the same in both. Our Q4 plan for jewelry brands lays out both.
A Canadian jewelry brand scaling into the US
A fine jewelry brand in Canada doing $100K–$300K/month kept hitting the same wall: every time they raised Meta spend, CAC went up and margin went down. The fix wasn't a new audience. It was one testing loop across ads, product pages and retention, and only raising spend behind angles that had already held their CAC target.
For a Canadian brand selling into the US, the same rule applies per country. Prove the US angle holds its US CAC target after duty and shipping, then scale it. Don't scale a blended campaign and hope the US half is profitable.
What to do today
Pull your last 90 days of US orders from Shopify. For each of your top 10 US products, write down three numbers: selling price, shipping cost, and duty paid (yours or the customer's). If you don't know the duty number, that's the first thing to find out. Then email a customs broker with those 10 products and ask one question: "Do these qualify for CUSMA, and what would courier vs Canada Post cost per order?"
If you want help setting up separate US and Canada targets in Meta, book a 20-minute call. We work only with Shopify jewelry brands in the US and Canada.
FAQ
Do Canadian jewelry brands pay duty when shipping to US customers?
Since Aug 29, 2025, parcels to the US no longer enter duty-free just because they're under US$800. Jewelry that qualifies as Canadian-made under CUSMA can still enter duty-free if the claim is filed at entry, which in practice means shipping by courier. Canada Post shipments can't claim CUSMA. Check current rates for your products with a customs broker, since tariffs between the two countries have changed several times.
Is de minimis coming back for Canadian shipments to the US?
Not under current US law. The suspension is written into US customs regulations, and the law passed in 2025 ends the de minimis exemption permanently from July 1, 2027.
Should a Canadian jewelry brand ship to the US with Canada Post or a courier?
For CUSMA-qualifying jewelry, a courier is usually better because only couriers can file the CUSMA claim that keeps the order duty-free. For jewelry that doesn't qualify, compare the total cost (shipping, duty and brokerage) for both options on your top products.
Should Canadian jewelry brands run separate Meta campaigns for the US?
Yes, if your margin per order is different in the US after duty and shipping. Separate campaigns let you set a different CAC target per country, so Meta doesn't spend into the less profitable market just because it converts more cheaply.