Ordering from Canada (and Mexico)

As one of the first acts after assuming power, the U.S. president has declared a national emergency: It appears that our country is being invaded from the north and the south. Under a law that used to be called the Trading with the Enemy Act, a new 25% tariff on goods imported from Canada or Mexico will become effective on Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025.

This is different from tariffs intended to protect domestic industries from foreign competition—those have to be approved by Congress. However, the effect is the same: Anybody importing anything from Canada or Mexico into the U.S. has to pay a 25% tax on the value of the shipment they are receiving. As with all tariffs, the importer has to pay this before the shipment is released from customs and can be delivered.

In an attempt to dissuade the U.S. from imposing these tariffs, Canada has announced its own tariffs of 25% on a wide range of products imported from the U.S. The list of goods subject to 25% tariffs published by the Canadian government includes:

The list also includes rim tape and pads for bike shorts, but apparently no other bicycle-related goods.

For our Canadian friends and customers, what does all this mean? Will you have to pay 25% import duties when you receive a shipment from Rene Herse Cycles? The answer is ‘No.’ There is not much to worry about at this point.

The tariff is based on where something is made, not where it is coming from at the last stage of its journey. Rene Herse tires are made in Japan and France, not the U.S.—simply because there is nobody in the U.S. who can make supple high-performance bicycle tires. This means they are not affected by the new tariff, and neither are other Rene Herse products (even those made in the U.S. don’t fall under the new tariffs).

To avoid confusion during the import process, we’ve worked with our customs broker to facilitate the import process for our customers. We’ve had months to prepare for this—ever since Tesla decided to stop work on a planned factory in Mexico last year, it has been likely that tariffs were coming if Trump and Musk were to take over the government.

We’ve taken all steps necessary to ensure that our Canadian customers will receive their orders with a minimum of hassle. There are a lot of small things that make a real difference when a parcel shows up at customs. We’ve made sure that all the paperwork is not just correct, but meets the exact guidelines. Packages will be properly marked. Declarations will be properly filed. It’s part of our commitment to a positive experience for our customers.

When you order from us, make sure to enter your email address correctly, so you receive tracking information. Please make sure you follow the tracking of your shipment. This will show if your shipment is stuck in customs. In the unlikely event that this happens, our customer service will work with you to resolve any issues.

Let’s hope that this emergency will be resolved soon. In the meantime, nothing has changed when you are ordering from Rene Herse Cycles.

Jan, Natsuko & the Rene Herse team