Etsy sellers are being hit hard by tariffs and the end of the de minimis rule

""My shop is four years old. This year, I'll probably most likely hit 1,000 sales,""

""So, what started as a small retirement hobby has actually become a pretty significant business.""

""The U.S. has essentially been an extension of our domestic market,""

""When this program started, it was kind of assumed, 'Hey, there's not that many international cross-border parcels. This will be hard to track. Let's create this exemption,'""

Doris Kochanek turned woodworking into a successful Etsy business after retirement, selling walnut candle holders and housewares priced $30–$150 and nearing 1,000 sales in four years. Canadian Etsy sellers benefited from proximity to U.S. customers, a free trade agreement, and the U.S. de minimis exemption that waived tariffs on shipments under $800. The U.S. ended the de minimis exemption for worldwide shipments, exposing imports to tariffs based on country of origin with narrow exceptions. The policy change responded to fast-growing low-cost retailers using de minimis. Logistics experts note de minimis processing grew to over $65 billion annually, increasing scrutiny and impact.

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