We recently had to increase our shipping cost to our neighbors to the north. It wasn’t a decision we made lightly, but after shipping a few units to Canada, we realized that the cost we incurred was just too high for us. We looked at all major shipping providers and even some unorthodox methods of getting a Pügi up north, some including a canoe and the Boundary Waters. However, the costs again were just too high.
It got us to thinking that there should be something done about this. There should be a Protectionist Act on all hockey items crossing the border from Minnesota to anywhere in Canada and vice versa. While the North American Free Trade Agreement helped some industries in the Americas, it didn’t solve the issue of logistics.*
Our idea might need to be pitched to the major shipping providers instead of government officials, however we do feel that our officials could get behind this proposal. I've seen our Governor skate before. It might be a very biased proposition (considering it would only benefit hockey companies), but we at Pügi feel that shipping from Canada to Minnesota or Minnesota to Canada should be considered domestic shipping for all hockey related items.
For example; we shipped five Pügis to Michigan (another state that could be added into the Hockey Reduced Trade Agreement) and one to Ontario. One Pügi in a package weighing under four pounds cost around $19 to ship.
This was the price that I kept coming up with online until finally we just went into a store! We think our products are great, but come on...
That was the cheapest shipping that we could find out of the major carriers. That one Pügi to Canada cost more than a package that weighed close to twenty pounds! Now I understand that there is about three hundred miles more to travel over land (approx. 550km?), but if that larger package was being sent to the furthest region of the contiguous United States, it still would have cost less.
While I don’t know how positive the reception from carriers would be, I do think that Minnesotan and Canadian hockey companies would be very happy about the H.R.T.A. or the Hockey Reduced Trade Agreement.
Below I have listed a few resources if you feel as passionate about the issue as we do. Drop a line to the carriers and let them know what a great idea the H.R.T.A. is and that you mean business
https://www.ups.com/upsemail/input?loc=en_US
https://www.usps.com/help/contact-us.htm
http://www.fedex.com/us/office/customersupport/officeprint/faq/index.html
http://www.dhl-usa.com/en/express/shipping/customs_support.html
And if you don’t feel the same way, we still apologize for the increased shipping prices if you’re in Canada!
Play hard, play fair and have fun!
-Taylor
*I don't claim to know anything about the North American Free Trade Agreement, nor do I think I should ever mention anything political again on this blog...