Shipping to the United States
More than half our candles go to homes in the United States. We would rather tell you what crossing the border costs than let you find out at your door.
This page is the honest version. What you pay, who collects it, what we can promise, and what we cannot.
You are charged in US dollars
Prices show in USD when you shop from the United States, and that is the currency your card is billed in. No conversion surprise on your statement.
US shipping and rates
Shipping is calculated live at checkout from your address and the weight of your order, so you see the real number before you pay.
- Free shipping on orders of $125 USD or more.
- Under $125 USD, live carrier rates apply. Most US orders land between $7 and $25, with larger multi-box orders running higher.
- UPS carries most US orders. PO Boxes may ship Canada Post at our discretion, since UPS cannot always deliver to them.
US duties and brokerage: paid by the customer
Beeswax candles shipped from Canada into the United States can attract import duty and a carrier brokerage fee. Those charges are the customer's responsibility. They are collected by the carrier, not by us, and they are not included in the total you pay at checkout.
Duty rates can change; we do not quote a percentage
We cannot quote or commit to an estimated duty percentage (for example, 50%) or an exact duty amount in advance. US duty rates and rules are set by the US government and can change without notice. The applicable duty, if any, is determined when the shipment is imported, while brokerage depends on the carrier and service used. We cannot guarantee a specific rate or total landed cost.
We are reviewing the current requirements with our broker and will update this page when we can confirm new information. Being made in Canada does not allow us to promise that a shipment will be exempt from US duties.
If a predictable total matters more to you than anything else, please check directly with the carrier or a customs professional before ordering. We can clarify our shipping process, but we cannot provide or guarantee a duty percentage or final duty amount.
The exchange rate is working for you
Our prices are set in Canadian dollars and converted for you at checkout. Across the past decade the Canadian dollar has generally traded at somewhere around three quarters of the US dollar, and taking a deliberately cautious view of that, a US customer has typically been paying roughly a fifth less than the Canadian shelf price for the same candle.
That is not a promise about today's rate, and it will not cover a duty bill on its own. It does mean the landed cost of a beeswax candle from Canada usually sits closer to the price you see than the duty conversation suggests.
What our US customers typically order
Most US orders are a handful of candles rather than one, usually a mix of tapers and pillars, and often a gift alongside something for the customer's own table. Ordering that way is deliberate: one combined parcel is cheaper to ship and simpler at the border than several small ones.
Worth knowing: in previous seasons no duty was collected at checkout, and any charges that arose were handled between the customer and the carrier. We are telling you that because the 2026 rules are different and we do not want last year's experience setting your expectations.
US order processing and delivery timing
We pour and pack in Revelstoke, British Columbia. Orders leave our studio within two to three business days. UPS transit into the United States is typically three to seven business days depending on how far you are from the border, and customs clearance can add a day. October and November are our busiest months, so ordering early in the season is the difference between a candle on your table and a candle in transit.
US returns
If something arrives damaged or wrong, tell us and we will make it right, usually by sending a replacement rather than asking you to ship a broken candle back across a border. Photographs help. We have been doing this long enough to trust people.
For step-by-step help with change-of-mind returns, damaged or incorrect orders, delivery problems, cancellations, or refund questions, see our Returns, Refunds & Order Help page.
Change-of-mind returns: how to start
If you change your mind, contact us before sending anything back. Reply to your order confirmation with your order number and the item or items you want to return. We will confirm whether the request is eligible under our return policy and provide the return address and instructions. Please wait for our confirmation before shipping the item back.
- Contact us first. Include your order number and the item or items you want to return.
- Wait for return instructions. We will confirm eligibility under our return policy and tell you where and how to send the return.
- Ship the approved return at your expense. Use a trackable service and send us the tracking number. The customer pays return shipping for a change-of-mind return.
- We review the return when it arrives. Any eligible refund, including how original shipping is treated, will be handled under our return policy. Please do not assume a refund is approved until we confirm it.
Duties or brokerage already paid directly to the carrier are not paid to Beeswax Works and cannot be refunded by us.
If you decline delivery because of duties or brokerage
- Contact the carrier promptly. Ask whether the parcel can be held and what your options are if you do not accept delivery. Carrier deadlines, return arrangements, and any fees can vary, so confirm them directly with the carrier.
- Contact us before refusing delivery. Reply to your order confirmation with your order number and tracking number. We will review your request and confirm what options are available under our return policy before you authorize a return or pay return-shipping costs.
- If you have already refused the parcel, let us know right away. Send us the order number, tracking number, and any notice from the carrier. We will check the shipment status and follow up when we know whether it is being returned to us.
Please do not assume that refusing delivery automatically cancels your order or guarantees a refund. Any refund is handled under our return policy after we can confirm the parcel's status. Duties and brokerage paid to the carrier are not paid to Beeswax Works and cannot be refunded by us.
Why it is still worth the trip
Pure beeswax has a naturally high melting point, higher than soy or paraffin. That is why our candles hold their shape in a warm room, burn slowly rather than racing down, and give you far more hours per candle than a soft wax can. It also means they survive a long summer truck ride better than most candles do.
Two ingredients: Canadian beeswax and a cotton wick. Nothing added, nothing to hide, and a burn time long enough that the cost per evening is lower than the shelf price suggests.
Questions we get asked
Will I pay US duty or brokerage?
Possibly. We do not quote or estimate a duty percentage or exact amount. US duty rates and rules can change without notice; any applicable duties and brokerage are determined by customs and the carrier and are your responsibility.
Can you mark the parcel as a gift to reduce duty?
No. We declare shipments accurately. It protects you as much as it protects us.
Why is shipping more than I expected?
Candles are dense. Wax is heavy for its size, and carriers price on weight. Combining your order into one shipment is almost always cheaper than two smaller ones, which is part of why the free-shipping threshold sits at $125 USD.
Do you ship to Alaska, Hawaii and PO Boxes?
Yes to all three. Alaska and Hawaii carry higher carrier rates, and PO Boxes may travel Canada Post instead of UPS.
Can I order a large quantity for an event or as gifts?
Yes, and we would like to hear from you before you build a big cart. Larger US orders benefit from being planned rather than placed, both for shipping cost and for customs paperwork. Get in touch and we will work it out with you.