For Jean-Philip Bugold, selling his high-quality maple syrup on Etsy is a dream job. He spends his time “in nature every day, working with the ground and the forest” on his farm in Quebec. About 70% of his orders go to US customers in search of extra tasty pancakes.
Those customers may need to start paying more for the same product come March 4, if President Trump follows through with plans to implement a 25% tariff on goods from Canada (and Mexico).
Arguably more critical for Etsy sellers than the tariff is the de minimis tax exemption. This obscure trade loophole lets US consumers receive foreign packages duty-free if they’re valued at under $800. That’s helped e-commerce stores like Shein and Temu keep prices outlandishly low (think $1.50 for a pack of 10 toothbrushes or $15 for a drone). And since Etsy sellers ship small batch orders direct to customers, they’ve historically qualified for this exemption, too.
With the 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff on China, Trump got rid of that exemption, meaning all imports were subject to potentially hefty import taxes. But when that 10% tariff on China went into effect on Feb. 4, it caused such mayhem on day one that Trump backtracked and re-imposed the de minimis exemption temporarily.
Forests that product Bugold’s maple syrup (Credit: Forestry Farm)
If the de minimis exemption is removed for Canadian and Mexican imports, most Etsy sellers will be forced to pass the price increase onto their customers.
Bugold already “tries to keep his price as low as possible,” so adding another 25% to his costs is not possible or profitable. A 50mL bottle of his Forestry Farm syrup costs $6.50, so under the tariffs, the new price would be $8.13, or a $1.63 increase.
For an individual, that may or may not be enough to keep them from purchasing. But for those who buy in bulk, such as for a wedding favor or corporate gift, it’s “going to make a big difference,” Bugold says. Ordering 100 bottles means spending an extra $163.
As another Etsy seller writes on Reddit, “95% of my sales are to the USA. This will be disastrous. Never thought they would do this. Brutal.” Another adds that it’s going to “kill” their sales. Only those who sell very small items that ship in standard envelopes can bypass the tariff, as can those who sell digital artwork that buyers receive through a post-purchase download.
Sellers could technically keep prices the same by reducing their razor thin margin even further. Supplies and equipment for high-quality, small-batch products cost more than mass-produced goods. Plus, Etsy takes a 6.5% cut on each order, leaving little left for the seller to pocket.
Handmade Mexican tiles (Credit: Etsy Seller CONTEMPOMEXSOUL)
Larger companies have looked to move to non-tariffed regions like Vietnam or India. But Etsy sellers who make local products, like Canadian maple syrup or handmade Mexican pottery, don’t have this luxury. Making an authentic product with a transparent supply chain is the whole point.
“Every bottle is made on my farm, so you know it’s coming from one place,” according to Bugold. Canada produces 71% of the world’s pure maple syrup, 91% of which is produced in Quebec, according to Maple From Canada.
The growing season is much longer in Quebec than anywhere in the US. Low soil temperatures extend the season from eight weeks compared to three in Vermont or upstate New York.
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Over those eight weeks, the trees start sapping and produce a different “grade,” or flavor profile. “In the beginning it’s light and sweet, and then it gets darker day after day with the temperature becoming warmer,” Bugold says. His trees offer ample supply of all four grades of maple syrup—Golden (sweet, delicate), Amber (rich), Dark (robust), and Very Dark (strongest taste).
Location of Bugold’s maple syrup operation (Credit: Forestry Farm)
Of course, most Americans know nothing about the ins and outs of “true” maple syrup, having grown up on now-canceled Aunt Jemima. With tariffs making it harder to get the real thing, it’s more likely that’s all they may ever know.
PCMag reached out to Etsy for comment on how it expects tariffs to affect the platform and any tools and support it’s offering sellers to keep them afloat. We’ll update this story if we hear back.
Trump’s stated purpose for the tariffs, meanwhile, is to address the “extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl.” But in signing separate executive orders imposing a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum this week, Trump said it would “mak[e] America rich again.” And he’s mused about annexing Canada as the “51st state,” making it all seem more like a grandiose business deal than an altruistic endeavor.
Either way, tariffs have been hastily implemented, causing global anxiety. Canada has threatened retaliatory tariffs on the US in an escalating trade war, and it’s considering bulking up its armies just in case the standoff turns into a real war, The Calgary Herald reports.
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About Emily Forlini
Senior Reporter
