🇺🇸 Tariffs and how it affects customers buying from Taitaya Forge
Welcome to my little FAQ on the Tariff situation. Because it is changing all time and as more information comes available to me, I have created this page as a resource to help you understand what the situation is and how it would affect you, should you choose to join our fan and customer base.
In case you are not aware, Taitaya Forge is based in the United Kingdom. However about half of our sales are in the USA. This is likely because we got our break on the US based Etsy platform. Going forward I would like to still send our work out to you.
What is the current situation?
On the 30th of July 2025 the White House announced that from the 29th of August onwards the De Minimis rule will not apply onto any international parcels coming into the USA.
This means that it won't apply to our parcels either. In the past, any orders from us have not had any tariffs, import duty applied to them because their value is under $800 USD. This will now change.
USPS has announced that it will not deliver any parcels that do not have the tariff paid in advance through a DDP scheme (Delivery Duty Paid). This has left postal offices around the world scrambling to set up systems in place, with many suspending deliveries all together. Royal Mail will be implementing a PDDP (Postal Delivery Duty Paid) system that they expect to launch on Thursday the 28th of August. The rate that will be charged is the country specific IEEPA rate. For the UK this stands at 10%.
Orders from this point onwards are going to be shipped after August 29th, to tide us over the transition period.
What to expect in the near future?
If you order now, I will hold off on shipping your order, until I can find a delivery duty paid service. Royal Mail are will soon have set up their PDDP service in time. Courier is not an option at the moment, with delivery prices having doubled in the last day.
Either way, I am paying the tariff in advance, so you will not incur any extra cost at import.
Meanwhile, I will keep up to date on news and update this article as necessary.
Updated 28th of August 2025 by Marleena Barran
Delivery and Shipping
Current processing times (updated 26/9/25):
- Ready to ship items is 1 to 2 business days.
- Made to order Iron work 1 to 3 business days.
- Made to order Silver work 2 to 8 weeks.
All UK orders include Delivery. International order are going through courier post, at a discounted rate.
We are based in the United Kingdom, but we ship worldwide, with a few exceptions.
We do not at the moment process import duty, VAT, GST or Sales taxes for you, so please be mindful that to some locations additional costs may apply.
Following are more country specific details.
United Kingdom
Our standard delivery is using Royal Mail Tracked 24. This can take from 1 to 2 days to arrive.
Special Delivery Next day is available at checkout. This will need to be signed for. If you put your order in before 9 am Monday to Friday, your parcel will arrive the following day before 1 pm.
Orders are shipped using Royal Mail's international tracked service. Average transit time is 5 to 12 days. Tracking is included.
Import duties will have been paid in advance via Royal Mail's PDDP (postal Delivery Duty Paid) system. There should be no additional duties on import.
Canada
Due to the Postal strikes I am using the courier DPD. The average transit time is 3 to 6 days. Tracking is included.
There should be no import duty (Canada-UK TCA). Sales tax, VAT or HST have not been collected. These may be payable on import depending on your province. There may also brokerage fees to the courier.
Australia
Our standard delivery is by Royal Mail. The average transit time is 8 to 14 days. Tracking is included.
The customs threshold to Australia is very high, so it is unlikely you will reach it purchasing from us. GST has not been charged or remitted by us.
European Union
Our standard delivery is currently with Royal Mail. The average transit time is 5 to 12 days. Tracking is included.
We currently do not collect VAT or taxes. Import VAT and duties will be charged by your postal service.
If you wish to pay the import VAT in advance, please purchase through our Etsy shop at Taitaya.etsy.com. If the item you are wanting to buy is not listed, please message me so I can make it available on Etsy for you.
The rest of the World
I will do my best to ship to you where ever in the world you are.
Please allow up to 3 weeks for delivery, some locations longer. There are a few countries I cannot ship to, if you are in one. Send me a message and we can look at other options.
Please check your local customs regulations on what you can import and how much the customs duty is. Remember that there may be other fees associated with the customs payments.
Our Guarantees
It is very important to us that you are completely happy with the service and product you have received. This is why you have some additional guarantees in addition to your statutory rights.
Lifetime Guarantee against faulty manufacture.
As long as we are working as blacksmiths we will repair any piece we have sold to you through this website. The lifetime guarantee is for the metalwork. Leather or other materials have a shorter guarantee. We do our best to source out the best ingredients, but due to the nature of the materials, we cannot cover these.
Refurbishment Guarantee
Because of the nature of iron, we offer to refurbish any iron jewellery back to its original state. Including a brand new cord.
The cost for this is the cost of shipping, with tracking, the piece back to you and any other fees we may incur in taking the payment for the shipping. You will need to send the piece back to us, so this will mean that it can take up to a couple of months depending on our respective postal services.
Gift Guarantee
It is usually best to order gift items well in time. With international orders this can mean that the period of return expires before you have a chance to gift the piece. This is why, if you let us know the date when you will give the gift, we will extend the time that you can return or exchange to start from that date, rather than the date when you received the piece.
Assay and Hallmarks
All our silver work has been independently assayed and hallmarked at the Goldsmiths Hall in London. This is your guarantee of the purity of our materials.
Processing times
Our work is hand made. This means that with most of what we sell, we need a little time to make it for you. Each product in our shop is marked either as "Ready to Ship" or "Made to Order"
Ready to ship
These are items we have ready made and short of adding the colour of cord you choose and wrapping them up for the post, require no longer than a day to send. Providing the post office is open.
Made to Order -Iron
Items made out of iron or any items that require a customisations, like an engraving or silver inlay are typically completed in 2 to 3 days. If there are any unforeseen delays, then I will be in contact with an updated estimate.
Made to Order - Silver
These take the longest. With silver items we have to send them to London to be assayed and officially hallmarked. How long this service takes, depends on their workload and mine, as I usually need to make a few extra silver items to bring the individual hallmarking cost down. For this we like to reserve 2 to 4 weeks.
Photo Accuracy and Representation
Each forged item is subtly unique. The photos here are representative. I am happy to photograph the items that are available before shipping, if you would like to choose yours.
Safety Instructions
Intended for Adults:
These products are not designed for children.
Jewellery with pointy or heavy elements (e.g., spear, arrow pendants, pennanular brooches) should not be worn during vigorous activity, sports, or inverted movements, as they may cause injury.
Use only as intended. Do not modify or repurpose components.
Do not ingest or place components in the mouth. Small parts can pose a choking hazard.
Pennanular brooches feature sharp pins. Always wear with the pin pointing away from the neck and head to prevent injury.
Leather cords are designed to break under excessive force to prevent strangulation risks. Cotton cord and metal chains are made to be stronger.
Nickel Testing: Our metals are tested for active nickel content, but individuals with metal sensitivities should take precautions.
