Dear Friends,

I hope that you are all keeping well.

As you likely know, Undertow Publications is based in Canada. Two-thirds of our fabulous, loyal customers — that's you! — reside in the U.S. As such, it's always been a bit more costly posting our books to the U.S. (Not to mention printing costs in Canada!) I use a shipping service that drives the packages over the border and mails them from Niagara Falls, N.Y. This is slightly cheaper than Canada Post.

These shipments have always fallen under the De Minimis (Duty Free) Act between Canada and the U.S. The U.S. has now scrapped that act as part of their ongoing tariff war on the world, and as of Aug. 29 duties are required on all shipments.

There are options where the sender of the package (me) pays the duty, or the customer (you) pays the duty upon receipt. I can't reasonably pass on any extra costs to you. And the duty fees, amounting to an egregious $7 to $20 per shipment, are untenable.

My options, then, are to rely on Print On Demand services via Lightning Source, and / or Amazon. Or some-such. (I'm in contact with a Houston-based printed who may be able to ship and fulfill in quantity.) We started out our press in 2009 using Lightning Source as our fulfillment partner. Often their books are indistinguishable from off-set books. But, the quality varies. They are also expensive per unit, and not the fastest service. I still do use them when I need to fulfill orders if I'm out of stock. Obviously, this is not my first choice. But my options are limited. As mentioned, I am hopeful that I can find a good quality printing and fulfillment solution for my U.S.-based customers that is reliable and cost-effective.

I continue to explore all options. And if you have any thoughts, advice, ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.

Warm Wishes,

Michael (and the Undertow team)

Undertow Publications