Ordering overseas in the tariff era.

I’ll start this post by saying two things. First, I don’t intend this post to be a discussion of politics, rather it’s an anecdote of my personal experience in the world we’re currently living in. Second, I apologize to our international readers since this post is going to be entirely from an American perspective. I’ll return to more universal coverage next Tuesday.

It’s close to the end of the year, and I am nearing 2 years of entries into my daily journal: my Notebook Therapy Tsuki Kinoko Bullet Journal. Which means it’s time to start thinking about the next book. One thing you should know about me is that I’m a Type A person. I like everything orderly and neat (don’t look at my craft room though.) Basically, the idea of having a shelf full of journals that are matchy matchy appeals to my aesthetics. I know I could use anyone one of the notebooks I have acquired over the ages, but I kind of wanted to buy myself another journal that more or less matched the first. When I told Ana, she suggested that if I was going to do it, it could make an interesting blog post.

So Notebook Therapy is located in China and as you may know the United States has enacted heavy tariffs on items originating in China. (The US has also done away with the de minimis exemption which allowed individuals to purchase foreign items under $300 without triggering customs duties.) I do love their notebooks though, and decided it would be an experiment. On October 8, I placed an order for a Tsuki Whimsical Woodland Bullet Journal ($34.08). And then I sat back and waited. Once I received my tracking information, I waited some more. And watched as my order bounced around… a lot.

So what’s the final result?  The journal we delivered with Saturday’s mail on 10/24. There was no delivery fee or customs charge that I know of. Sort of anti-climatic, eh? Based on the fact that it took only 16 days, I also don’t think there were significant delays in shipping.

Again this is just an anecdote. This is the first item I have ordered since tariffs have gone into place, and it certainly wasn’t an expensive fountain pen. But I also expected I might have more trouble than I did. I guess I also don’t know if that’s because it was delivered via USPS for the last mile, versus UPS or DHL who would charge administrative fees.

Have you ordered anything internationally since tariffs went into effect? What are your experiences?