EU General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR)

I can no longer ship to EU countries, here’s why…

On the 13th December 2024 the EU brought into effect new product safety regulations that apply to all makers, manufacturers, importers and businesses shipping all kinds of products to the EU.

As a sole trader based in the UK these regulations will effect my business practices, here’s how:

Under these new rules, businesses who ship products to the EU must comply with stricter safety regulations. In general these regulations are a good thing and will ensure that items sold to the EU are better regulated.

The BIG BUT is that the cost of implementing the necessary regulations are unattainable to most small creative businesses including myself.

One of the more costly aspects of the regulations is that businesses selling to the EU must appoint a representative within the EU to be responsible for the compliance of safety standards and provide a point of contact with authorities if safety issues arise.

Our costs are already squeezed to compete with bigger brands and any extra financial burdens could make producing products untenable.

Businesses who don’t comply could face penalties.

In light of this, I’ve made the decision to cease shipping to the EU and Northern Ireland for the foreseeable future. It makes sense to me at the moment because the amount of sales I receive from EU countries is minimal. However, it does mean I cannot grow into that market until I find a manageable solution. I will continue to look for a way to resolve this issue but for now I will no longer ship to any of the countries listed in bold below.

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Plus, due to the UK’s Brexit deal these regulations also apply to Northern Ireland.

I am saddened to do this and I am very sorry for any frustration and inconvenience this causes.

US Tariffs

I can no longer ship to the USA countries, here’s why…

The USA recently revoked the ‘de minimis’ exemption rule for imports valued at $800 (£592) or less. This means packages sent from my shop will no longer be duty-free and will face tighter customs checks and much higher customs charges. The new rules mean proportionally large fees of $80 can be applied to even the smallest orders. Due to this I have made the decision to cease shipping to the USA for the time being.

This comes at a really bad time for me as I will be releasing a new edition of my Psychopomp art toys in September. I will continue to do research and keep updated on the changes to these rules as and when they happen and will update my website when there are any changes.

Having said that, if you are willing to pay the tariff to get your hands on anything in my shop or want to make a large order to make it worth while do just get in touch with me.

I am saddened for any frustration and inconvenience this causes but it is out of my hands.

Thank you for understanding and I hope these difficulties change in the future.