Shipping from Denmark to the US: customs duty, the 10% tariff and PostNord PDDP (2026)
For sellers in Denmark of ceramics, porcelain, design lamps, wool knitwear, leather bags, wooden kitchenware, toys and jewellery on Etsy, eBay, Shopify or their own shop: every order to a US buyer now goes through US customs, whatever its value. Since 24 July 2026 goods made in Denmark (or anywhere in the EU) pay a total US duty of at least 10%: items with a lower normal rate are topped up to 10%, and items already at 10% or more (such as porcelain mugs or wool sweaters) pay nothing extra. PostNord Denmark carries goods to the US only with duties prepaid (PDDP), so you pay the duty and fees when you buy postage or on a later USD invoice. Here is how it works, with worked totals and an official source and date for every rule.
Calculate your own order for Denmark → US
The rules in 60 seconds
The US $800 duty-free de minimis exemption has been suspended for commercial shipments from every country since 29 August 2025. Every shipment, whatever its value, now goes through customs entry and pays any applicable duty. What the end of de minimis means
Since 24 July 2026, EU-origin goods pay Section 301 duty 'net of MFN': if a product's normal US duty is below 10%, the total becomes 10%; if it is already 10% or more, no Section 301 duty is added. Germany to US duty guide · Italy to US duty guide · France to US duty guide · Spain to US duty guide · Netherlands to US duty guide · Ireland to US duty guide · Austria to US duty guide · Poland to US duty guide · Portugal to US duty guide · Greece to US duty guide · Belgium to US duty guide · Sweden to US duty guide
PostNord Denmark sends goods to the US and Puerto Rico only with duties prepaid (PDDP), with PostNord Home, PostNord Parcel or PostNord Tracked: duty and fees are worked out from each item's value and duty rate and paid in advance, so the buyer pays nothing extra on delivery. All goods must be declared in English. Private senders buy the label on postnord.dk, fill in the customs details, see the calculated duty and pay all fees together. Business customers send the CN22 or CN23 declaration electronically (full names and addresses, a detailed English description, the 10-digit tariff code, the value in USD per item line, the country of origin and the recipient's email and mobile number) and get a separate USD customer number and invoice for duty and clearance fees. For goods worth over US$2,500 the recipient still pays duty and fees to US customs.
Genuine person-to-person gifts worth US$100 or less are still duty-free. A business cannot declare a sale or promotional item as a gift. How to fill in customs forms
How the 10% EU rule works
The 10% is a floor, not an extra 10% on top: the added duty is only the gap between the normal US rate and 10%. So a wooden serving board (normal rate 3.2%) pays 10% in total, a stoneware mug (10%) pays 10% with nothing added, and a porcelain mug (14%) or a knitted wool sweater (16%) pays its own higher rate. Duty-free goods such as wool blankets and wooden toys are topped up to 10%.
The EU rule is set in the US tariff by two headings. Heading 9903.05.39 covers goods 'the product of a member state of the European Union' whose normal (column 1) US rate is below 10%: under U.S. note 52(k) 'the sum of the column 1 duty rate and the additional ad valorem rate of duty is 10 percent', so a free item pays 10%, a 5% item pays 5% more and a 9.8% item 0.2% more. Heading 9903.05.38 covers EU goods with a normal rate of 10% or more, which pay only the normal duty. Per-kilogram or per-item (specific or compound) rates are converted to a percentage by dividing the duty by the customs value: 50 cents per kilogram on a 1 kg item worth US$10 counts as 5%.
The EU rate applies to goods that are 'the product of a member state of the European Union'. CBP says Section 301 duties follow the country of origin, not the country of export, so goods made in China, India or elsewhere and resold from a Danish shop pay the US rates for the country where they were made; PostNord Denmark's customs declaration asks for the USD value and the country of origin of every item line.
What happened to the earlier US tariffs on EU goods?
On 20 February 2026 the US Supreme Court (Learning Resources v. Trump) held that IEEPA does not authorise tariffs. IEEPA tariffs stopped being collected on 24 February 2026. The ruling did NOT bring back de minimis: a separate order kept it suspended.
A temporary 10% Section 122 surcharge on most imports applied from 24 February 2026 and expired on 24 July 2026.
How much US duty to expect
Estimates for goods made in Denmark or elsewhere in the EU, before postage, PostNord’s customs clearance fees or a courier’s fees. Total = the normal US rate, topped up to 10% if it is lower. Use the link in each row to change the price, shipping or product.
US codes and general rates from the official US tariff (U.S. International Trade Commission, checked 13 Nov 2026) and headings 9903.05.38, 9903.05.39 and 9903.05.97 (U.S. International Trade Commission). Codes are shown at 8 digits: your declaration (and PostNord) needs the full 10-digit code, and your exact product may sit under a different code with a different rate. Porcelain is the tricky one: hotel ware, bone china and matching dinner sets have their own lines (from 6% to 26%), so check the exact line for what you sell. Lamps with a metal body other than brass are 7.6% (9405.11.60), so they pay 7.6% topped up to 10%, the same total. Check your code in our HS code lookup links. Food such as liquorice, cookies or rye bread is not in the table: it keeps its own US rates and needs US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) paperwork.
Sample normal (general) US rates in the 2026 tariff: porcelain mugs (6911.10.45, not hotel ware, bone china or matching sets) 14%; non-porcelain ceramic mugs such as stoneware (6912.00.44) 10%; other ceramic ornamental articles such as stoneware vases (6913.90.50) 6%; LED ceiling and pendant lamps not of base metal, such as wood or paper shades (9405.11.80) 3.9% (7.6% for base metal other than brass, 9405.11.60); leather handbags valued over US$20 (4202.21.90) 9%; other wooden kitchenware such as serving and cutting boards (4419.90.91) 3.2%; knitted wool sweaters (6110.11.00) 16%; wool blankets (6301.20.00) free; toys of heading 9503, such as wooden toys (9503.00.00), free; silver jewellery (7113.11.50) 5%.
This guide treats US duty as a percentage of the goods' value, excluding international shipping. That is a simplification of US customs valuation; complex cases differ.
What escapes the 10%: art, antiques, books
Exclusions follow the tariff code you declare, not the material. Our calculator handles paintings, prints and books automatically.
Note 52(b) excludes coffee, tea, works of art such as original paintings, collectors' pieces and antiques over 100 years old from the EU 10% rule, and heading 9903.05.92 excludes informational materials such as books. The EU-only list in note 52(j)(2) covers cork, raw silk, natural pearls, unset diamonds and other unset precious stones; none of the typical Danish design and handmade goods (ceramics, porcelain, lamps, wool knitwear, leather bags, wooden kitchenware and toys) are on it, so they all get the 10% floor.
Section 232 sector tariffs apply in addition, e.g. 15–50% on steel/aluminium/copper goods (by metal content tiers since 6 April 2026), 25% on certain upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities (scheduled to rise on 1 January 2027).
PostNord Denmark, PDDP and the USD invoice
PostNord paused some deliveries of goods to the US and Puerto Rico on 23 August 2025, after the US ended the de minimis exemption, and resumed them for all customers in Sweden and Denmark on 23 October 2025 with its PDDP service. Gifts between private individuals worth under US$100, letters with only documents and informational material such as publications, posters and photographs remain duty-free. Sweden to US duty guide
PostNord Denmark declares parcels directly to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), advances the duty and customs clearance fees and passes them on without a mark-up. Its invoice is issued in USD and must be paid in USD by bank transfer (IBAN/SWIFT); PostNord notes that some banks charge a fee for USD payments, which it cannot refund. Paying by card when you buy postage online (Køb Porto) avoids a later invoice.
Postal parcels to the US must have duties prepaid (Postal Delivered Duty Paid, PDDP). In practice, sending by post with the buyer paying duty on delivery (DDU) is generally not available. DDP vs DAP explained
From 24 July 2026, postal shipments pay standard duty rates (including Section 232 and 301 duties). The earlier interim postal duty treatment ended. Free-trade-agreement preference can now be claimed on postal shipments if you supply the documentation.
EU postal operators have reopened or kept US parcel services using prepaid or recipient-pay duty models: Deutsche Post DHL (PDDP mandatory up to US$2,500 since 24 July 2026), PostNL (reopened 19 September 2025; PDDP via Zonos, parcels up to USD 2,500 since 24 July 2026), La Poste/Colissimo, An Post (kept US parcels open; default is recipient-pay before delivery, with a business DDP option on request), Österreichische Post / Post AG (PDDP mandatory for commercial goods up to USD 2,500; Onlinezollformular prepaid at drop-off for counter senders), and PostNord in Sweden and Denmark (resumed 23 October 2025 with PDDP). Since 17 September 2026 La Poste has suspended Colissimo shipments to the US of some product types (children's items, toys, costume jewellery, electronics, clothing and sporting goods), which now need a specific customs form and CPSC pre-registration by the sender; registered business senders can still send them with Colissimo Facilité or Chronopost via La Poste Pro Expéditions. Germany to US duty guide · France to US duty guide · Netherlands to US duty guide · Ireland to US duty guide · Austria to US duty guide · Poland to US duty guide · Portugal to US duty guide · Greece to US duty guide · Belgium to US duty guide · Sweden to US duty guide
Couriers (DHL Express, UPS, FedEx or a broker that resells them) are the other route. If the buyer pays the duty on delivery (DAP), couriers add their own fee for paying it on the buyer’s behalf:
DHL Express charges US receivers a Duty Tax Processing fee of US$17.50 or 2.5% of the duties and taxes, whichever is higher, when it pays them on their behalf. A US$1.38 regulatory charge can also apply.
PostNord shows its duty and clearance fees when you buy postage, or on the USD invoice; we only include fees we can cite, so enter them, or your courier’s fees, in the calculator. How DDP and DAP compare: DDP vs DAP for marketplace sellers.
Export declaration from Denmark
PostNord Denmark: an export declaration (udførselsangivelse) is required when the invoice value of goods sent to a country outside the EU exceeds DKK 7,500. Send a copy to PostNord (eksport@postnord.com); if PostNord has not received it when customs handling starts, it makes the declaration for you for a fee.
Selling on Etsy to US buyers
Etsy: US-bound orders must use DDP shipping to qualify for Etsy Purchase Protection. Etsy does not collect US tariffs itself; your carrier or DDP service does.
Etsy says US-bound packages need a 10-digit HTS code and EU-bound packages a 6-digit code. Without one, a package may be delayed or returned.
On Etsy labels, the customs declared value is filled in from the order total for the items (after discounts), without shipping or tax. Etsy pre-fills the customs description from your listing, but you are responsible for checking that every customs detail is accurate. Customs forms guide
With PostNord you pay the duty before the parcel leaves, so build it into your US price or shipping rate, together with PostNord’s clearance fees.
Checklist before you ship from Denmark to the US
- Find the 10-digit US code for each product and its normal rate in the US tariff. Below 10%: your total is 10%. 10% or more: nothing is added. Art, antiques over 100 years old and books: no top-up.
- Remember that duty-free goods are not free any more: wool blankets, wooden toys and candles with a free normal rate pay 10%.
- Sending by PostNord: declare in English with a detailed description, the 10-digit code, the value in USD per item line, the country of origin and the buyer’s email address and mobile number. Private senders pay the duty when buying the label; business customers get a USD invoice.
- Country of origin is where the item was made, not where you post it from. Stock made outside the EU keeps its own origin and pays that country’s US rates.
- Use a specific description ("stoneware coffee mug, glazed", "LED pendant lamp with pine wood shade", "knitted wool sweater, women’s"), not "gift", "handmade item" or "design".
- Invoice value over DKK 7,500? Make an export declaration, or PostNord makes it for a fee.
- Never mark a sale, replacement or freebie as a gift: only genuine private gifts worth under US$100 are exempt. Duties are generally not refunded if a parcel comes back.
- From 20 January 2027 expect more questions on wood products, toys, cosmetics, food and products with animal material: keep your product descriptions and codes ready.
For sælgere i Danmark
- USA’s toldfrie grænse (de minimis, 800 USD) gælder ikke længere siden 29. august 2025: alle vareforsendelser til USA skal fortoldes, uanset værdi.
- Siden 24. juli 2026 betaler varer med oprindelse i EU i alt mindst 10 % amerikansk told (HTSUS 9903.05.38 / 9903.05.39): er den normale toldsats lavere, hæves den til 10 %; er den 10 % eller mere, lægges der intet til. Eksempler: skærebræt i træ 3,2 % → 10 %; porcelænskrus 14 % → 14 %; uldplaid 0 % → 10 %.
- PostNord sender kun varer til USA med PDDP: told og gebyrer betales på forhånd. Privatpersoner betaler, når de køber pakkelabel; erhvervskunder får et USD-kundenummer og en faktura i USD, som PostNord videresender uden avance. Tolddeklarationen skal være på engelsk med 10-cifret HS-kode, værdi i USD pr. varelinje, oprindelsesland og modtagerens e-mail og mobilnummer.
- Udførselsangivelse kræves, når fakturaværdien til lande uden for EU overstiger 7.500 kr.
- Gaver mellem privatpersoner til en værdi under 100 USD er fortsat toldfri.
- Denne side er generel information og ikke juridisk, skattemæssig eller toldmæssig rådgivning.
Coming up
From 20 January 2027 PostNord Denmark says shipments of goods to the US and Puerto Rico must carry more complete product and customs data. US partner government agencies (PGAs) may require extra information or documents for some products, for example food and some agricultural products, cosmetics, medical products, toys and some consumer products, plants and wood products, chemicals and products with animal or wildlife content; being in one of these groups does not automatically mean extra requirements. Relevant business customers use a Zonos Verified Account to build a product catalogue screened against US import and PGA rules.
Mandatory electronic 'Entry Type 13' filing for postal goods that are subject to Section 201/232/301 duties (HTSUS Chapters 98/99) or regulated by a Partner Government Agency (FDA, CPSC, USDA etc.) was postponed from 22 October 2026 to 20 January 2027 (final rule published in the Federal Register on 22 October 2026). Until then the existing mail entry process continues. From 22 October 2026 CBP's optional Entry Type 13 test also accepts filings with or without complete electronic PGA data, for a temporary period.
Proposal only, not in force: on 8 October 2026 CBP published a proposed rule ('Low-Value Shipments', FR doc. 2026-20650) that would require all informal entries of goods worth US$2,500 or less to be filed electronically before or on arrival, make the new electronic Entry Type 13 the entry route for such mail shipments, add a shipper/sender data element and new bond requirements, and require consignees to use a licensed customs broker as importer of record for mail entries. Public comments are open until 7 December 2026. Nothing changes until a final rule is published.
US tariff rates have changed several times since 2025 and can change again. We record every change in the change log. Why every US order now pays duty: US de minimis has ended. Named as importer on your own DDP shipments? From 5 January 2027 see the foreign importer of record rule. The whole EU route, including other EU postal services: EU → US. Other origins: Germany → US · Italy → US · France → US · Spain → US · Netherlands → US · Ireland → US · Austria → US · Poland → US · Portugal → US · Greece → US · Belgium → US · Sweden → US · UK → US · China → US · Canada → US. Selling jewellery? See jewellery import duty. Selling art? See art, prints and antiques. Filling in a customs form? See CN22 and CN23 customs forms. Buyer returned an order? See international returns and duty refunds.
This page is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Tariff lists, exclusions, origin rules and carriers’ and marketplaces’ terms change; check the official tariff and their current pages. See the disclaimer.
Sources for this page
- Sending packages to the U.S. – duty updates, Canada Post. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Verified
- Shipping to the USA? – business updates (guide updated 6 Oct 2026), Royal Mail. Accessed 5 Nov 2026. Verified
- CBP modernizes low-value shipment processing (24 Jun 2026), U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 27 Oct 2026. Verified
- Notice of Actions in Section 301 Forced Labor Investigations (23 Jul 2026), Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Accessed 4 Nov 2026. Verified
- HTSUS headings 9903.05.38, 9903.05.39 and 9903.05.97: Section 301 duty on products of EU member states (2026 HTS Revision 22), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- HTSUS Chapter 99, Subchapter III, U.S. note 52 (Section 301 duties, exclusions and the 12.5% rule) (2026 HTS Revision 22), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- Section 301 Trade Remedies Frequently Asked Questions (“Are products of Hong Kong subject to the additional Section 301 duties?”), U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- Eksport til USA eller Puerto Rico (Told til USA og Puerto Rico, nem toldhåndtering med PDDP), PostNord Danmark. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, No. 24-1287 (20 Feb 2026), Supreme Court of the United States. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments and New Postal Informal Entry Process (Interim final rule, 24 Jun 2026), Federal Register / CBP. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Active Presidential Tariff Actions in 2026: Fact Sheet (R49481), Congressional Research Service (via EveryCRSReport). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States: general (MFN) rates for the sample codes on the Denmark to US page (2026 HTS), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- Answers to common questions about U.S. tariffs, Trade Commissioner Service (Government of Canada). Accessed 3 Nov 2026. Verified
- Toldregler for forsendelser til USA og Puerto Rico, PostNord Danmark. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- PostNord er blandt de første postoperatører, der genoptager levering til USA og Puerto Rico for alle kunder, PostNord Danmark. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- PostNord among the first to resume deliveries to the United States and Puerto Rico for all customers, PostNord Group. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- Customs regulations for shipments to the US and Puerto Rico, PostNord Sverige. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- Forsendelser til USA: guide (fact sheet 03.26), PostNord Danmark. Accessed 13 Nov 2026. Verified
- US-Versand / Postal DDP, Deutsche Post DHL. Accessed 4 Nov 2026. Verified
- Shipping to the United States (PostNL business), PostNL. Accessed 6 Nov 2026. Verified
- PostNL reopens shipping services to the United States after temporary suspension, PostNL Newsroom. Accessed 6 Nov 2026. Verified
- Nouvelle réglementation pour les envois vers les États-Unis, La Poste. Accessed 5 Nov 2026. Verified
- Comment sont calculés les droits de douane pour les États-Unis ?, La Poste. Accessed 5 Nov 2026. Verified
- Sending to the USA: An Post customs sending information, An Post. Accessed 6 Nov 2026. Verified
- An Post will support Irish businesses and personal customers by maintaining parcel services to the US despite the imposition of taxes by the US, An Post Media Centre. Accessed 6 Nov 2026. Verified
- Warenversand in die USA, Österreichische Post AG. Accessed 6 Nov 2026. Verified
- PDDP-Lösung (Postal Delivered Duty Paid) – Paket International, Österreichische Post AG. Accessed 6 Nov 2026. Verified
- Customs Services (effective 1 January 2026), DHL Express USA. Accessed 24 Oct 2026. Verified
- Information for Managing International Shipments, Etsy Help. Accessed 10 Nov 2026. Verified
- Navigating Evolving Global Tariff Policies, Etsy Seller Handbook. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments and New Postal Informal Entry Process; Delayed Compliance Extension (Final rule, 91 FR, 22 Oct 2026, doc. 2026-21600), Federal Register / U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 22 Oct 2026. Verified
- Modification of the Test of the New Electronic Informal Entry Process for Mail (General notice, 22 Oct 2026, doc. 2026-21570), Federal Register / U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 22 Oct 2026. Verified
- International Mail Entry Type 13 mandatory implementation date extended to Jan. 20, 2027 (14 Oct 2026), U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 22 Oct 2026. Verified
- Low-Value Shipments (Proposed rule, 91 FR 64532, 8 Oct 2026, doc. 2026-20650), Federal Register / U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 26 Oct 2026. Verified
Rules change often: the latest change we tracked was on 12 Nov 2026 (Canada's counter-tariff applies to low-value parcels too). Alerts send one short email, with the source, only when a rule changes on a route you pick.