I decided to create an unscripted video detailing our small Canadian Business’s response to Trump’s most recent executive order intended to remove the De Minimus Tariff Exemption. A written post turned into this video because I think it’s important to demonstrate (in an embodied way) the human costs of the uncertainty we’re all facing right now.
The Coles Notes:
Trump’s executive order (which, notably, is not yet a piece of legislature) marks his intent to remove The De Minimus Tariff Exemption on all packages coming into the US, as of midnight on August 29th, 2025. If De Minimus is removed, then packages valued under $800 USD, if coming from Canada, will face a 35% tariff—a tax that will be paid by the package’s recipient.
Quite clearly, we do not want this outcome for our American customers.
Luckily, there is a legit loophole:
If packages headed from Canada to the US can prove the CUSMA Compliance of their contents, then tariffs will not be imposed. CUSMA (The Canada-United-States-Mexico-Agreement) is a free-trade agreement that will continue to be honoured.
In order to prepare for August 29th, here’s what we’re tackling:
1) Packages headed to the US will be accompanied with a CUSMA Certificate of Origin, filed digitally. This paperwork will demonstrate the CUSMA Compliance of our company and products.
a) Demonstrating CUSMA Compliance for our handmade items will not be difficult. These are made by Loren in his workshop on Vancouver Island, and are made from locally-obtained metal.
b) Demonstrating CUSMA Compliance for our imported fibres will pose more of a challenge, but the key lies in foregrounding the shift in purpose/form (and HS Code designation) from the time that our fibre is imported to the time that it’s purchased. In order to substantiate this transformation, we’re actively modifying the language we use to describe our products.
An example: We import a textile in bulk form, then spin it in our warehouse. Once spun in a different format, the fibre becomes part of a composed kit intended for educational and wellness purposes. Each order we receive anticipates a creative project, and every one of our customers is embarking on a journey of learning how to enhance their lives through tactile and textile exploration.
In other words: Successfully demonstrating Unfettered’s CUSMA Compliance will come down to our capacity to articulate what we’ve been doing all along as a creative business. It’s an opportunity to reframe what we offer from “product” to “project.”
I’m welcoming this challenge because it’s very much about language. It’s about substantiating a claim, and—as luck would have it—I have a ton of practice doing just that.
2) From August 28th onward, we will be shifting our packaging protocol to visually signify items that are “Handmade in Canada” and CUSMA Compliant.
3) Come August 29th, we’ll start out slow by testing a few shipments to the US at a time. We’ll keep a close eye on these packages as they pass through the border, and we’ll gather the information we need to react accordingly. By staggering our approach until we have more information, we’ll be able to mitigate some of the risks of tariffs.
4) We will continue to provide updates as the De Minimus tariff situation evolves (or devolves). Right now, though, I feel that the task at hand is to turn away from trying to “find official updates on the situation.” We instead have to use our resources to troubleshoot, to problem-solve, and to build resilience.
As a small business, we’ll do what’s in our power to protect our customers from tariffs. There are no certainties and the only thing in our power is to be prepared for different possible outcomes.
