Minimum Order and Paperwork Fee for International Shipments

Minimum order is US$250.00 for Canadian orders and US$500.00 for other international orders.

We will charge a US$37.50 international admin fee on all exports. This fee is for filing the paperwork for the export declaration and taking the parcel to the post office. We will also charge a US$2.50 fee for each additional line item on the export declaration.

We charge a US$25.00 fee for a USMCA/CUSMA Certificate of Origin.

The following are optional documents should you wish us to include them with your shipment. These are not required documents but it is in your best interest to have them.
Fumigation Certificate - US$5.00 fee
Non-Endangered (No-CITES) Certificate - US$5.00 fee

Countries We Do Not Ship To

We are not shipping to Germany as of May 2022 because the country now wants all companies shipping to Germany to register with a German agency to control packaging, provide reports, pay taxes, etc. 

Shipments Containing Common Fish & Wildlife Products

The United States government imposes strict regulations on the import or export of merchandise containing fish and wildlife products.  These regulations make it mandatory for us to obtain export permits for things as simple as deerskin straps on wood masks, porcupine quill trim on baskets or canoes, and a plethora of other simple items.

Depending upon the origin of the products, there is an export permit fee for each shipment--regardless of value.  It also takes one to two hours to complete the paperwork and to have the merchandise inspected.  Any orders for export containing fish and wildlife products are therefore subject to a US$280.00 export fee for merchandise containing items from North America and US$345.00 for merchandise containing items from outside of North America. This fee must be paid prior to our preparing the paperwork and is non-refundable.

Please call us or write us if you have any questions about whether the shipment is subject to fish & wildlife controls.

Should an item containing fish and wildlife products need to be returned for any reason, all returns must be made to our Canadian office by air mail to avoid being charged the import fee from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or brokerage charges associated with using couriers such as UPS, TNT, DHL, and FedEx. If you ignore these instructions and send a return by courier, we will bill you for any brokerage fees and additional costs incurred on our part by using a courier company.  These fees can often be unreasonable, so please save yourself money and irritation by sending authorized returns by insured air mail.

We will only offer refunds (less shipping costs) on fish and wildlife items that are returned to our Canadian office at the buyer's expense by airmail.  No exchanges will be given because of the requirement for us to obtain another export permit.

We regret that we cannot serve our overseas and Canadian customers more readily and at lower cost.  If you have any questions about any of our products, please send us an e-mail to info@chichesterinc.com or call us at +1.416.232.0376.

Shipments of Fish & Wildlife Products from CITES Animals

We are not prepared to export skins, teeth, claws, or products made from black bear, lynx, otter, or wolf.  These animals are controlled by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).  While they may legally be exported, the paperwork is very expensive and time consuming.

No CITES items will be shipped to individuals.

Commercial shipments of CITES items will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but must exceed at least US$2,500. The US$2,500 is for the total value of CITES items and does not include the value of any non-CITES items on the same order/shipment, shipping costs, or other fees. All CITES orders are subject to a US$500 CITES export permit fee. This fee must be paid prior to our preparing the paperwork and is non-refundable.

If a CITES item needs to be returned for any reason, its return must be approved by us in advance and it must be cleared for export from the country it was shipped to with another CITES permit.

Shipments of Feathers

Many countries require health certificates to permit the importation of feathers.  We will do our best to advise you of this requirement when you order, but it is your responsibility to arrange for customs clearance into your country.  If a health certificate is required, we will advise you if it is possible for us to get one and what the fee will be. If the certificate is sent afterward by courier, you are responsible for courier charges as well.

Payment Terms

For overseas customers, our preferred method of settlement is by credit card (or by wire transfer for large orders - see below).  Charging the total to a credit card allows us to fine tune the exact amount of the charge.  This is particularly useful if something is out of stock, the customer increases or decreases the order at the last minute, or the shipping amount is higher or lower than our original estimate.  Payment by credit card also allows us to ship as soon as the order is ready without waiting for a check to arrive from the customer.  Credit card payments also remove the hassle of dealing with exchange rates. Payment will be limited to US$500.00 per customer per month for a minimum of six months. Acceptance of payment by credit card is at our discretion.  

We also accept payment by PayPal, but please allow us to confirm the total prior to making payment

The second best payment method is pre-payment by U.S. dollar bank draft.  

To pay by Swift or T/T, please see our Chichester Banking Information for further information and call us for our banking information. 

Letters of credit will only be accepted for orders more than US$50,000.

We are unable to send shipments COD overseas.

We will accept payment in cash for small orders, i.e., less than US$250.00. At the moment, we accept Australian dollars, British pounds, Canadian dollars, euros, New Zealand dollars, Swiss Francs, and South African Rand.   

Taxes, Duties, and Customs Clearance

Nearly all countries impose taxes, duties, and customs charges for shipments purchased from overseas.  Please keep this in mind when ordering.  If you have to pay VAT or GST/HST in your country (as in most countries other than the U.S.), the government may charge you this when the shipment arrives at the border.  If you have to pay 17% VAT for goods that you buy locally, expect to pay 17% VAT for goods that you import. Many countries also impose a minor customs clearance fee for items imported by mail (e.g., in Canada, the government charges C$8.00 per shipment).  All taxes, duties, and customs clearances charges are to the account of the buyer. 

We have found that it is often cheapest to send shipments by air mail. The government then clears the shipment.  If a courier such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, or TNT is used there are often more expensive customs clearances costs involved.

When we quote a shipping cost for overseas shipments, this amount only includes the rate that the United States post office charges us to send the goods to you.  It does not include additional charges for duty, VAT, GST or PST, and handling that your customs agents may levy.

Shipping Information

In general, the best way to ship orders outside of the U.S. is via the U.S. Mail Service's Global Express Mail. With Global Express Mail, a tracking number is available and we can e-mail or call you with that information. Shipping time is usually 5 days (not including customs delays, if any).

You can save money by having your order shipped via the U.S. Mail Service's Priority Mail, but this takes 6-10 business days (plus customs delays--which can add up to 3 or 4 weeks). The post office will not investigate a shipment until at least one month has passed.

A Special Note for Canadian Customers

Although a number of our products are from Canada, there are only a limited number that can be shipped easily from within Canada.  We usually buy Canadian merchandise in volume, consolidate the shipments, and then forward them to our U.S. warehouse.

Most of our merchandise is stored at our warehouse in Niagara Falls, New York.  It is neither easy nor cheap to bring items back across the border nor is it possible to order many individual items to sell one or two at a time within Canada.  We are slowly stocking more items in our Canadian office in order to be able to sell to our Canadian customers directly within the country. Please see our Canadian company's website at www.chichestercanada.com to see what is available in Canada.

Despite what many Canadians believe, the Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) mainly lowered the duty rates to zero on most items.  Prior to the implementation of the FTA, duty rates ranged from 10% to 25% on most items imported into Canada from the U.S. and from about 5% to 10% on items imported into the U.S. from Canada. Now, with the exception of a handful of products (e.g., dairy products and softwood lumber), the duty rates are zero. Items imported into Canada from the U.S. still attract GST and PST.  Merchandise from overseas is usually subject to duty as well when imported into Canada, even if it is sent from the United States.  It is the country of origin that matters for deciding whether an item is subject to duty, not where it is shipped from.  For example, a wire-wrapped motorcycle from South Africa is not made in the U.S.

Until Canada and the U.S. enter into a formal customs union which creates an integrated internal market with a single external border and harmonized agencies and policies for both countries, the border will continue to prevent the free flow of goods and services between countries. When Washington tells you that you cannot go to Cuba, we will be able to ship your goods to Canada without any hassle.  Until then, expect extra hassle and costs.