Canadian coin and paper money dealers are sounding the alarm over a new U.S. trade policy that could seriously disrupt cross-border sales and impose steep costs on sellers.
“It is disturbing news and crippling for our business,” said Michael Findlay, president of the Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers (CAND), responding to a July 30 announcement by the White House that it will suspend the long-standing de minimis exemption for low-value imports.
Under a new executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the United States will eliminate the exemption that allowed commercial packages valued at $800 USD or less to enter the country without tariffs. Beginning Aug. 29, all eligible courier shipments sent outside the international postal network (such as by FedEx, UPS or DHL ) will be subject to “all applicable duties,” according to a White House statement.
For Canadian numismatic and philatelic dealers, this change could have far-reaching effects. The de minimis rule has long allowed Canadian sellers to ship low-value items –such as individual coins, banknotes, and medals – to U.S. customers without triggering tariffs or customs delays, so long as the value remained under $800 USD. With that exemption now revoked for courier shipments, dealers will face a difficult choice: either absorb the added tariff costs themselves or pass them on to U.S. buyers, who may be unwilling to pay higher prices. In either case, the result is the same — dealers will likely see reduced profit margins, diminished competitiveness, and fewer sales. Even if the buyer pays the tariffs, the increased total cost may deter purchases altogether, particularly for modestly priced collectibles where margins are already thin.
“We cannot afford these lost margins,” Findlay said. “It will become impossible to sell to the United States.”
He also questioned how customs would handle the increased enforcement workload. “I do not know how the USPS and border services will handle the volume of packages that they will have to look at.”
Although the most severe tariff changes apply to courier shipments, packages sent through the postal system –such as Canada Post entering the U.S. via USPS – will be treated differently, at least for now. According to CBC News, postal shipments will not immediately lose de minimis treatment. Instead, they will face either a country-specific tariff rate or, during a six-month transition period, a flat fee ranging from $80 USD to $200 USD depending on the origin country’s classification.
Dealers are approaching the postal workaround cautiously. While Canada Post may offer temporary relief, many believe it is only a short-term option. The transitional flat fees could still exceed the value of many collectible items, and uncertainty remains over how consistently USPS will apply these charges –or how long the postal exemption will last. The general concern among dealers is that profits will shrink and U.S. buyers may pull back if final shipping costs increase too much.
In the meantime, the Canadian and U.S. governments are in talks aimed at reaching a bilateral tariff agreement by Aug. 1. While few details have been released, such a deal could potentially soften the impact on Canadian sellers by clarifying exemptions or reducing duties for certain classes of goods, including low-value collectibles.
The executive order accelerates a measure already embedded in the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which had planned to repeal the exemption on July 1, 2027. Trump’s action brings the change forward by nearly two years, citing “national emergencies” and the need to “save American lives and businesses now.”
CBC News also reported that de minimis shipments surged from 134 million in 2015 to over 1.36 billion in 2024, prompting tighter restrictions. Earlier this year, similar tariffs were introduced on shipments from China and Hong Kong, with initial duties as high as 145 per cent.
Dealers are now being urged to reassess their shipping models and cost structures in advance of the Aug. 29 implementation. In the meantime, many are expected to shift toward postal shipments as a temporary workaround, while clearly communicating potential delays and additional costs to their U.S. customers.
“I do not know what the future holds,” Findlay added. “It is disturbing and devastating.”
Canadian Coin News will continue to monitor the situation and report on developments affecting Canadian dealers, collectors and the broader cross-border numismatic trade.