Shipping & Trade Terms
How your order reaches you, who pays what, and the customs rules that changed in 2025. No surprises at delivery.
We quote door to door
Most of our buyers are small shops and online sellers, not import departments. So our default quote is a delivered price to your address — you do not have to arrange a forwarder, book freight or clear customs yourself.
| Term | What it means | When we use it |
|---|---|---|
| DAP Delivered at Place |
We pay freight to your door. You pay any import duty and clearance fees. | Default for most orders |
| DDP Delivered Duty Paid |
We pay freight and duty. One all-in price, nothing to pay on delivery. | Available on request — quoted per order at current duty rates |
| EXW / FOB | You arrange pickup or port delivery through your own forwarder. | Only if you ask for it and already have a forwarder |
What shipping costs
| Order size | Method | Typical cost | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samples (1–5 pcs) | DHL / UPS / FedEx express | $35–$55 (DHL/UPS, door to door, charged at cost) | 4–7 business days |
| Small batch (50–300 pcs) | Air express | Quoted by weight after you order — typically $6–$12 per kg by air express. As a reference point, a 50-piece collar order ships for $35–$55 by DHL. | 5–8 business days |
| Medium batch (300–1,500 pcs) | Air freight or express | Sea LCL becomes practical above roughly 1,500 pieces; quoted per order | 7–12 business days |
| Large batch (1,500+ pcs) | Air or sea freight | Sea LCL becomes practical above roughly 1,500 pieces; quoted per order | Sea 25–40 days |
US customs duty now applies to orders of any value
Until August 2025, shipments into the United States valued under $800 entered duty-free under the de minimis rule. That exemption has been ended for goods from China. Every shipment now requires a formal customs entry and duty is payable regardless of value.
What this means for you
- Duty is charged on the declared value of the goods
- The carrier usually adds a clearance handling fee, commonly $15–$25 or more
- Pet accessories from China generally carry a base rate plus Section 301 additional duty
- Rates have changed more than once recently, so we quote duty per order rather than publish a fixed figure
How we handle it
- We tell you the estimated duty before we ship, not after
- We provide the commercial invoice, packing list and HS codes for every shipment
- We declare the full transaction value — we do not under-declare
- If you want zero surprises, ask for a DDP quote and we will price duty in
Duty rates change. The figures on this page are guidance, not a quotation. Your written quote states the exact freight and estimated duty for your order.
Duties and taxes where you are
Most of our buyers sit in five markets, and for four of them the picture is friendlier than the US. Rates below are the general ranges for China-origin pet accessories — the exact figure for your order is calculated from its commodity code and shown in your written quote.
| Market | Import duty | Sales tax at border | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Base rate + Section 301 additional duty — commonly 20–40% combined; no de minimis since Aug 2025 | None (state sales tax is not collected at import) | The hardest tariff market right now. Ask for a DDP quote if you want it handled. |
| Canada | Generally 0–4% depending on the item | GST 5%, or HST 13–15% in participating provinces | Reclaimable if you are registered. Courier low-value handling rules updated recently — we quote per order. |
| United Kingdom | UK Global Tariff: typically 0–4% for pet accessories | VAT 20% | VAT is normally reclaimable if your business is VAT-registered. No EU-style representative requirement. |
| Australia | Duty-free for most China-origin goods under ChAFTA with a certificate of origin — we provide it | GST 10% | Often the easiest tariff market for our product range. Low-value GST may be collected at sale instead of border. |
| New Zealand | Near-zero duty under the NZ–China FTA with certificate of origin | GST 15% | Same origin paperwork as Australia; we supply it with the shipment. |
Ranges are guidance as of late 2026 and change with trade policy. Your quote states the exact duty and tax treatment we expect for your destination, and we supply the HS codes so you can verify them independently.
How long production takes
| Order type | Lead time |
|---|---|
| Stock sample | 3–5 business days |
| Custom sample | 7–10 business days |
| Production, our existing design | 7–10 business days |
| Production, your custom design | 15–20 business days |
Production time starts after artwork approval and deposit is received. Transit time is additional.
We would rather quote a longer time and deliver early than the reverse. If a date matters to you — a holiday launch, a trade show — tell us and we will say plainly whether we can make it.
Terms you should know before ordering
| Payment methods | Bank transfer (T/T), PayPal, Wise, major credit cards |
|---|---|
| Payment terms | 50% deposit to start production, 50% before shipment |
| Currency | USD |
| Quality guarantee | Printing errors, wrong sizes or production damage are replaced free of charge |
| Liability limit | Our liability is limited to the value of the order. We are not liable for consequential losses such as lost sales |
| Transit damage | If you arrange your own freight, file the claim with the carrier — we supply all documentation |
| Artwork ownership | You retain full rights to artwork you supply. We never reuse it for another buyer |