eBay International Shipping Coming To Canada - With End Of De Minimis Looming, Will It Be Too Little Too Late?
eBay has announced they will be expanding International Shipping Service to help Canadian sellers navigate cross border trade challenges, but with looming de minimis and tariff changes, will it be too little too late?
Today's announcement says it's good news for sellers, but they'll have to wait until October for it to be up and running and even then, it will be "invite only."
eBay International Shipping is coming to Canada this fall
eBay International Shipping is launching October 2025 for eligible Canadian sellers.
This new program enables Canadian sellers to access buyers around the world with eBay handling international shipping, customs and tariffs, and even returns - all at no additional cost to sellers.
What it means for you
Even if you already have an international shipping policy in place, eBay International Shipping can provide you and your customers with more options to ship across borders with ease and peace of mind.
All you need to do is get the item to our domestic facility, and eBay does the rest:
- We’ll handle customs, duties and tariffs when shipping to the US, UK, European Union and Australia, with plans to expand to over 190 markets
- We’ll handle all international returns and pay refunds on your behalf
- You’ll be protected against claims like Item Not Received and chargebacks
- You’ll have the control of choosing if you would like to exclude shipping to any countries.
What you need to do
Eligible sellers will be automatically enrolled starting in October for eligible listings on eBay.ca and cafr.eBay.ca, with no action required from sellers.To boost your eligibility and the likelihood of being enrolled in eBay International Shipping early, add Country/Region of Manufacture (country of origin) information to your listings as soon as possible.
Here's how EIS will work for Canada:
In October, eBay will begin automatically enrolling Canadian Sellers into EIS - those who wish to use the service should make sure they have Country of Origin/Manufacture information added into item specifics in their listings.
How does enrollment and eligibility work with eBay International Shipping?
- Enrollment for Canadian sellers will start in October, 2025.
- eBay continuously evaluates seller performance and enrolls sellers when possible. You will be enrolled into eBay International Shipping when your account is eligible. You will be notified via email and Messages in My eBay about this change to your account as soon as it happens.
- To maximize the likelihood of being enrolled in eBay International Shipping early, we recommend adding Country/Region of Manufacture (country of origin) information to your listings.
Once active, EIS for Canada will offer shipping to the US, UK, EU and Australia.
What countries can I sell to using eBay International Shipping?
Currently, this program will allow you to ship items to customers anywhere in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Australia. Our team is working to expand this list of countries even further.You can also control which countries you ship to via eBay International Shipping. Once you are enrolled in eBay International Shipping, you can set up and manage your shipping exclusions through your Shipping preferences, Business Policies, or by revising your listings.
eBay International Shipping will be available for items valued up to $2,500 USD for shipments to the US and up to $2,000 CAD for all other countries, excluding taxes, duties, and delivery fees).
Items must be physically located in Canada and currently, only listings added on eBay.ca or cafr.eBay.ca are eligible - which still leaves Canadian sellers who list on the main .com site without a viable solution at this time.
Does this work for items listed on eBay.com?
No, eBay International Shipping will only be available to items listed on eBay.ca or cafr.eBay.ca, since we require a domestic shipping policy to know how you’re getting your item to the hub. The eBay shipping team is actively exploring solutions that will allow sellers who list on eBay.com to still access eBay International Shipping.
The primary benefit for most sellers will of course be the fact that eBay handles everything to do with tariffs, customs and duties for EIS shipments, but there are other benefits as well - for example, just like with the US program, Canadian sellers will only be responsible for getting the item to the domestic shipping hub and after that, they will not be responsible for claims for late delivery or damage on the international leg of shipping or returns.
Am I responsible for international returns?
No, eBay handles them for you with eBay International Shipping. Once your item is received undamaged at the domestic shipping hub, your sale is considered complete. If the buyer opens a return, your item will be returned to a third party service provider or liquidated and you will keep your sale.In the event a buyer contacts you and asks for a refund, let them know to choose the return option in their order history. For any other shipping method, the seller’s return policies apply and the seller is responsible for managing the return.
The move comes as many international postal systems are temporarily pausing accepting packages shipping to the US as the de minimis exemption for lower cost goods is set to expire on August 29th, leaving shippers scrambling for solutions.
Liz Morton
Canada Post has confirmed they will be partnering with Zonos to collect duties. Shippers will need to have a Zonos Verified Account and information on how to create one through Canada Post will be coming soon.
eBay launched EIS in the US in 2023, and sellers in international markets have been frustrated with the fact that it has not been expanded to other countries in over 2 years.
Canadian sellers in particular have been asking eBay to expand EIS to help them with cross border trade for a long time and many have express frustration that eBay took so long to come up with this solution when tariff and de minimis changes have been in news since early this year.
That lack of proactive problem solving may be because eBay Canada is still without leadership after GM Garry Thaniel moved back to a US role earlier this year.
Liz Morton
Will eBay International Shipping in Canada help your business weather the tariff storm or is October too little too late for your cross border business? Let us know in the comments below!
