Shipments to the United States and its territories were briefly suspended due to new U.S. Customs regulations. These rules removed the previous value threshold and now require all import duties and taxes to be paid before parcels enter the country.

They also introduced stricter documentation requirements, including detailed item descriptions, HS codes and origin information. We first needed to update our systems to comply with these new rules. Until that work was complete, sending goods to the US wasn’t possible.

U.S. Customs has introduced stricter import rules for all international parcels. Here’s what changes for you:

• No more duty-free threshold: Parcels under $800 were previously exempt from import duties. That exemption no longer applies.
• Duties and taxes must be prepaid: All import costs now need to be paid before you ship. The recipient will not pay anything on delivery.
• More detailed item information required: When creating your label, you must provide:
  • A clear description of each item
  • The HS code
  • The country of origin
• Stricter customs checks: U.S. Customs now performs more thorough inspections. Missing or incorrect details may cause delays or the return of your parcel.

In short: pay all import costs upfront and make sure your item details are complete and accurate. This will help your parcel enter the U.S. without issues.

To comply with U.S. customs requirements, you must provide:

• Recipient details: Name, address, phone number, and email.
• Detailed contents description: Each item in the parcel must be described accurately (e.g., “cotton T-shirt” instead of “clothing”).
• Value of each item: The actual purchase price or fair market value.
• Country of origin: Where the goods were manufactured.
• Reason for export: For example, sale, gift, return, or sample.
• HS code (if available): A product classification code used by customs. Don’t worry if you don’t know it, our partner Zonos will fill it in for you.

Incorrect or incomplete details can seriously affect your shipment, leading to:

• Delays in customs clearance and delivery.
• Additional costs for corrections or reprocessing.
• Return or confiscation of the parcel by U.S. Customs if the information doesn’t meet legal requirements.

Import duties are taxes charged by U.S. Customs on goods entering the country. The amount depends on:

• the type of product
• its value
• its origin

There are also handling fees, which cover the administrative work needed for customs clearance. These include the services of Zonos, our partner that calculates and transmits customs data to the U.S. authorities.

You pay all these costs upfront when creating your shipment. This means the recipient will not pay anything upon delivery.

Good to know: Gifts from individuals to individuals declared as gift and valued under $100 can also be sent without restrictions.