Tamiya Mirror Paint (69950) and its primer (69951) cannot be legally imported or sold in Canada — the formulation carries too high a concentration of 2-butoxyethanol under Canadian product regulations. This is the same restriction that affects Mr. Hobby Aqueous and certain Tamiya spray products. All pre-order refunds have already been sent. In the meantime we stock chrome alternatives that ship Canada-wide — and we're working on bringing in Green Stuff World Chrome as another option.

Canada regulates the concentration of certain solvents allowed in paints and coatings sold here. One of those solvents is 2-butoxyethanol (also known as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, or 2-BE). It's a glycol-ether solvent used in a range of coatings, and Canada sets a hard ceiling on how much of it a regulated product can contain.

Those limits originally lived in the 2-Butoxyethanol Regulations and have since been folded into the broader Certain Products Containing Toxic Substances Regulations. The rule is straightforward: a product whose 2-BE concentration exceeds the limit for its category cannot be manufactured, imported, or sold in Canada. There's no workaround for a retailer — if the formula is over the line, it simply isn't coming in.

Tamiya's Mirror Paint formulation exceeds that 2-BE limit. We'd love nothing more than to carry it, but no amount of demand on our end changes the chemistry or the regulation. So instead of stringing along pre-orders that would never be fulfilled, we cancelled and refunded them outright.

If you've ever wondered why certain Japanese and European hobby paints are oddly hard to find from Canadian retailers while they're freely available in the US or overseas, this is frequently the reason. The Mirror Paint situation is not unique — it's the same solvent-concentration wall that affects:

Mr. Hobby Aqueous (Water-Based) Hobby Color

The water-based Aqueous line runs into the same 2-BE issue. Note that this is specifically the Aqueous range — Mr. Hobby's solvent-based Mr. Color (lacquer) line is a different formulation and is not affected, which is exactly why the chrome alternative below is available.

Certain Tamiya Spray Products

A number of Tamiya aerosol sprays are subject to the same solvent and VOC restrictions, which is why our Tamiya spray availability differs from what you'll see listed by US sellers. We've covered Tamiya's Canadian quirks before (the X-20A acrylic thinner being unavailable here is another example), and this is the same family of regulations at work.

Mr. Hobby Mr. Color Mirror Silver (MRHSMS1)

Our closest in-stock answer to what the Tamiya paint promised. This is a lacquer (not the restricted Aqueous line), airbrush-only, and it lays down a genuine mirror finish when used correctly. The technique matters: stir well, apply thin coats over a gloss base coat (a gloss black or gloss base gives the best reflectivity), and allow a long cure — up to a week — before handling. If you clear-coat over it, expect the mirror to lose a little brilliance. For an experienced airbrusher chasing chrome, this is the one to reach for first.

Revell Chrome Spray, 150ml (RAG39628)

If you'd rather not airbrush, the Revell chrome aerosol is the easiest path to a bright chrome look. As with any chrome product, surface prep does the heavy lifting — a smooth, glossy, dust-free base is what separates a true mirror from a dull silver. Best on smaller parts and trim where you can lay down one even pass.

Coming Soon: Green Stuff World Chrome

We're actively working on bringing in Green Stuff World's Chrome paint as a third option. It's an alcohol-based metallic that brushes or airbrushes and is known for a strong mirror-like reflection without needing a primer on the right surface — a flexible middle ground between the lacquer and the aerosol. Watch this space; we'll update the post and our paint listings the moment it lands.

For the Record: What the Tamiya Product Was

Tamiya unveiled Mirror Paint (69950) and a dedicated primer (69951) in early 2026. Unlike traditional aluminium-flake metallics, it's designed to form a reflective mirror membrane in a single thin coat — airbrushed — with no dilution required. It is not meant to be clear-coated, and thick or multiple coats give a worse result, not a better one. It genuinely looked like a step forward for chrome finishes. It is simply not a product Canadian retailers are able to import under current regulations.

If those regulations or the formulation change in the future, we'll revisit it. For now, the alternatives above are where we're pointing customers.

Chasing a chrome finish? We carry mirror and metallic paints, airbrushes, and everything around them in Toronto. Shop online or visit us at 1880 Danforth Ave — and ask us about the best base coat for the look you're after.