diff --git a/eth_pydantic_types/address.py b/eth_pydantic_types/address.py
index 01cde7c..a8af9c6 100644
--- a/eth_pydantic_types/address.py
+++ b/eth_pydantic_types/address.py
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 from functools import cached_property
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Annotated, Any, ClassVar, Optional
+from typing import Annotated, Any, ClassVar, Optional
 
+from cchecksum import to_checksum_address
+from eth_typing import ChecksumAddress
 from pydantic_core.core_schema import ValidationInfo, str_schema
 
 from eth_pydantic_types.hash import HashStr20
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from eth_typing import ChecksumAddress
-
 ADDRESS_PATTERN = "^0x[a-fA-F0-9]{40}$"
 
 
@@ -35,22 +34,13 @@ def __eth_pydantic_validate__(cls, value: Any, info: Optional[ValidationInfo] =
         return cls.to_checksum_address(value)
 
     @classmethod
-    def to_checksum_address(cls, value: str) -> "ChecksumAddress":
-        # perf: eth_utils imports are too slow. Hence they are localized.
-        from eth_utils import is_checksum_address, to_checksum_address
-
-        if is_checksum_address(value):
-            return value  # type: ignore[return-value]
-
-        else:
-            return to_checksum_address(value)
+    def to_checksum_address(cls, value: str) -> ChecksumAddress:
+        return to_checksum_address(value)
 
 
 class _AddressTypeFactory:
     @cached_property
     def address_type(self):
-        from eth_typing import ChecksumAddress
-
         # Lazy define for performance reasons.
         AddressType = Annotated[ChecksumAddress, Address]
         AddressType.__doc__ = """
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b277740..533b2ff 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
     url="https://github.com/ApeWorX/eth-pydantic-types",
     include_package_data=True,
     install_requires=[
+        "cchecksum>=0.0.3,<1",
         "hexbytes>=0.3.1,<2",
         "eth-utils>=2.3.1,<6",
         "eth-typing>=3.5.2,<6",