✦I have ordered from the USA and i am being affected by tariffs, what should i expect?
Unfortunately, Several European countries temporarily suspended postal shipments to the U.S. starting in August 2025 due to new U.S. customs regulations ending the "de minimis" exemption for low-value packages. The suspensions were in response to confusion over how to comply with new rules and collect import duties, with 88 countries including Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, France, and the UK halting shipments to figure out how to adapt
Not only does this mean that all orders not sent before August 26th 2025 have been held back in storage awaiting further information, But also that some USA orders sent before it have been sent back to me as they were still mid shipping.
CTT (Portugal's national shipping company) has yet update their information on the matter and has not provided any prediction on when the suspension will be lifted, or when we will get any new information on the matter. You can read their official, most recent article on it here, just be sure to translate the page with your browser.
As soon as i get any new information on the topic i will be sending out emails to every USA customer providing details and offering options on how to proceed. I have made the decision that for those who still wish their orders to be shipped, i will not be charging any extra shipping fees on top of what has already been charged for shipping, as i expect that all customers will already be having to pay tariffs upon delivery. In the event you wish to forego the shipping of your item, a full refund of item and shipping will be issued and the item will be put back in store for someone else to purchase.
If you’re not familiar with how tariffs work, here’s a simple overview of what usually happens when ordering internationally.
In the European Union, whenever someone orders an item from outside the EU, the package is temporarily held at a customs facility for inspection. The recipient then receives a notification, usually both a letter and an email, with details about the shipment and a link to a government or postal website. There, you’ll be asked to fill out a short form confirming your purchase details.
Based on the item type and its value, the system calculates the import fees or tariffs owed. These fees are collected by the shipping or postal company on behalf of your country’s customs authorities and then transferred directly to the government as a form of import tax.
It’s important to note that these charges are not set or collected by the seller, we don’t have any control over them, nor do we receive any portion of that payment. They’re simply a standard part of international trade, intended to support local economies and balance commerce between countries.
While this is how citizens of the European Union generally experience tariffs, the process in the United States can work a bit differently.
When shipping to the U.S., imported packages are also subject to inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). However, most small personal orders, especially those under a certain value (currently around $800 USD) typically enter the country duty-free, meaning no additional import fees or taxes are charged.
For orders that exceed that amount, or for specific categories of goods that are subject to import restrictions, U.S. Customs may assess duties or taxes. If this happens, the carrier (such as USPS, UPS, or FedEx) will usually contact you directly to handle the payment before delivery.
As with EU imports, these potential fees are entirely managed by customs authorities, not by the seller. I do not have control over whether or not a tariff is applied, nor do I receive any part of that charge.
Once shipping to the U.S. opens again, I’ll do my best to provide clear updates and guidance so you’ll always know what to expect when placing an order.
Additionally, here are some more articles on the topic
Euro News Article - Portuguese postal service joins list of European companies suspending goods deliveries to the US
The Guardian's Article - Postal services around the world suspend deliveries to US: how will it affect you?
DHL Group Article - New U.S. customs regulations: Temporary restrictions on postal goods shipping to the U.S. for private and business customers
✦What is your cancelation policy?
As per the European Right to Withdrawal: If you buy a product or service online, by phone or from a seller at your doorstep you have the right to withdraw. This means you can cancel the contract within 14 days with providing any justification. For goods this means 14 days from the date of delivery, for services 14 days after the day the contract was agreed. If the cooling-off period expires on a non-working day, your deadline is extended until the next working day."
HOWEVER the 14-day cooling-off period does not apply to goods made to order or clearly personalised. AKA pre-orders and commissions
✦ What's the return, exchange + refund policy?
Under EU laws, buyers have the right to return products within 14 days. If your item was damaged upon delivery, please keep the original packaging as this is required evidence for any compensation to be issued. If these are the cases or if I sent you the wrong item, please contact me through my email [email protected] or my instagram @tinystrawberry.s within 3 days of delivery with your order number and any information I may need to recognise your issue with.
Refund Policy and What to Expect
Refund amounts will depend on your specific situation. Below are several possible scenarios to help you understand what applies to your order.
1. Orders Affected by the USA Shipping Suspension
If you’ve been affected by the recent USA shipping suspension due to new tariffs and your item has not yet been shipped, you are entitled to a full refund, including shipping costs.
In this case, your order is currently being stored while waiting for new updates. If you choose to cancel your claim to the item, it will be relisted for sale on the website.
If your order has already been shipped but was returned because of the tariff issue, you are entitled to an item-only refund, since the shipping cost has already been used.
2. Pre-Orders, Custom Orders, or Other Specific Situations
You may be eligible for a partial refund or replacement if any of the following apply:
- Your item is a pre-order or custom piece that has already been delivered but shows minor visual defects that do not affect its functionality.
- Your pre-order or custom item arrived with a slight difference in colour (glaze or underglaze) compared to the photo.
- Shipping time (not delivery time) for your pre-order or custom item has taken longer than 4 months.
- Your item arrived damaged due to mishandling by the shipping company.
- You received the wrong item.
In these cases, you may choose one of the following options:
- A replacement item by covering the cost of shipping,
- Up to a 30% refund while keeping the item, or
- A 100% refund of the item’s cost if and when it is returned in its original packaging.
Please note: return shipping fees are not covered by the seller.
3. Important Notes
- Refunds are not issued automatically. Each case will be reviewed individually, in accordance with European consumer laws, while also protecting the seller from potential scams or unjustified claims.
4. When Refunds May Not Be Possible
You may not be entitled to a refund if your item is missing, undelivered, or delayed.
As unfortunate as these situations can be, they sometimes happen due to package theft or mishandling by shipping companies. Sadly, these are also the types of claims that can occasionally be abused, so they must be treated carefully.
Shipping details for orders outside the European Union often stop updating once a package leaves EU soil, as it’s then handled by another shipping company. Because of that, I’m not always able to verify final delivery.
In some cases, delayed packages are returned to me; in others, they eventually arrive much later than expected. When I’m informed of such issues, I always contact the shipping company directly to try to locate the package. While this process can be slow, it occasionally leads to a happy outcome — a “lost” package finally found and delivered.
✦ How do you issue refunds?
Refunds are issued through the website and you will receive the amount through whatever payment method you used to purchase it.
✦ Missing attempted deliveries and ordering with the wrong shipping address will result in the package being returned to me. In such instances, compensations will NOT be issued as it is the customers’ responsibility to provide a correct shipping address and to collect parcels within the given time provided by their allocated local post office. When the package have been successfully returned, customers will be informed via email and will have a choice between receiving a refund for the price of the items bought, or paying extra shipping fees for a second delivery. Please understand that returned goods may take over 1 month to be returned to sender. To avoid issues with delivery, please provide a correct shipping address when placing an order, and please refer to your tracking number so as to avoid missing deliveries.