International Shipping Information

It is with great frustration and disappointment that I announce I must halt international shipping to select countries indefinitely.

Because of new rules and regulations going into place in different countries all over the world regarding VAT, import fees, and taxes, I find that I am overwhelmed. To be completely honest, I have been making a determined effort over the last number of months to try and learn how to be compliant with all these new requirements, notably with the new EU requirements that go into place on July 1st. But, my efforts have been slow and frustrating. After spending nearly two hours trying to figure out the correct HHS number for just one package, I have determined that right now, it is simply not sustainable for me to continue shipping to countries that have adopted such stringent regulations.

There does not seem to be a comprehensive tool available with consistent information that can guide me on how to collect foreign taxes, how to pay it, and how to properly choose the correct tariff and HSS numbers. In addition to one of the more obvious problems such as multiple language barriers, I am only one person... and, as the one person solely responsible for Heatherfish in it's entirety(making the art, selling the art, and maintaining my digital presence as well as back-end business requirements), I simply cannot wear any more hats than I already do.

Large companies like Etsy, Amazon and eBay, to name a few, are able to hire an entire team to manage foreign tax collection and payout across international borders. This is simply something that is unrealistic for me as an independent artist. Additionally, it would not be within my humble budget to constantly re-send all refused packages based on incorrect tariff numbers. 

I will continue to look for a solution, however. In the meantime, I recently learned that there are actually mail forwarding services available to foreign shoppers. If you live outside of the USA and frequently shop for USA based goods, I would recommend looking into using one of these services. Based on my understanding, I can ship your order to the domestic location of the shipping forwarding service, and they will combine a maximum number of your purchases to fill a box and forward to you.

I know this is frustrating for my international customers, and for that I give you my sincere apology. Over the years I have had many customers from all over the globe support me and invest in my work. I cherish every single on of you and feel so terrible about having to make this decision. All I can hope for moving forward is that some sort of comprehensive tool becomes available to streamline international shipping requirements to make it easier for artists and independent creators like me to ship abroad.

Thank you for your time.
- Heather