Tokyo Otaku Mode becomes the latest retailer to suspend shipments to the U.S.
Japanese pop culture and hobby retailer Tokyo Otaku Mode has announced that it is temporarily suspending all shipments from Japan to the United States.
This move follows a similar announcement from Good Smile Company earlier this week and is part of a growing disruption to the international hobby market.
The suspension is a direct result of a major change in United States customs regulations and the subsequent response from Japan’s national postal service.
On the 30th of July, the U.S. government issued a proclamation that suspended the long-standing “de minimis” rule for customs duties, effective from the 29th of August.
This rule had previously allowed most shipments valued at under $800 USD to enter the country without being subject to import taxes.
Due to a lack of clarity on the new procedures required for customs declarations, Japan Post announced that it would be temporarily halting its acceptance of most commercial goods destined for the United States, starting on the 27th of August.
As a direct consequence of its primary shipping partner halting service, Tokyo Otaku Mode has now also been forced to suspend its own U.S.-bound shipments.
In a statement, the company confirmed that it will monitor the situation and will only resume shipments after it can confirm how, or if, the new tariffs are actually being collected on international postal packages.
The company is also offering to store customer orders indefinitely upon request as an extra precaution, even if Japan Post resumes its services in the near future.
Tokyo Otaku Mode has confirmed that any products that are slated to be sent from its U.S.-based warehouse will be unaffected by this stoppage.
Source: Tokyo Otaku Mode
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