Etsy DDP from the UK to the US: labels, tariffs and US pricing (2026)
For a UK Etsy seller, every US order now pays US duty, and the post only works if that duty is prepaid. Etsy also requires DDP for US orders to be covered by Purchase Protection. This page shows which label to buy on Etsy, how much duty to expect for common products, and how to build it into a US-only price, with an official source and date on every rule.
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.
Since 24 July 2026, most UK-origin goods pay an extra 10% Section 301 duty ON TOP OF the normal US (MFN) duty rate. UK whisky and some medical technology are exempt.
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.
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.
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.
Buying a DDP label on Etsy
Etsy: UK sellers can buy Royal Mail International Tracked DDP labels on Etsy for US orders. Canada Post and Evri US-bound labels on Etsy have been suspended since 25 August 2025. Etsy lists Chit Chats as a Canadian DDP option that can apply the USMCA exemption.
Royal Mail offers USA PDDP (Tracked and Standard, up to US$2,500 since 24 July 2026). Royal Mail pays US duties and invoices the sender for duties and handling fees. Recipient email and phone are mandatory. A 50p per-item fee applies to regulated (PGA) goods.
Royal Mail USA PDDP: the recipient email and mobile number fields are mandatory; if you do not have them, Royal Mail says you can enter your own. Businesses cannot declare packages as gifts through the postal channel; promotional items not part of a sale still need a full declaration with a value (for example cost of production). A commercial invoice is not required.
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.
Not sure of the 10-digit code? Use our official HS code lookup links.
How much duty to build into your US price
Estimates from our calculator for UK-made goods sent by Royal Mail PDDP. US duty is the normal (MFN) rate for the product plus the extra 10% Section 301 duty on most UK-origin goods. Use the link in each row to change the price, shipping or product in the calculator.
| Product (UK-made) | Example US code | US duty rate | Section 301 | Item price | Estimated US duty | Try it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton T-shirt (knitted) | 6109.10.00 | 16.5% | +10% | £25.00 | US$8.85 (≈ £6.63) | Open in calculator |
| Wool jumper / sweater (knitted) | 6110.11.00 | 16% | +10% | £60.00 | US$20.82 (≈ £15.60) | Open in calculator |
| Silver jewellery (not chain by the metre) | 7113.11.50 | 5% | +10% | £40.00 | US$8.01 (≈ £6.00) | Open in calculator |
| Ceramic mugs / tableware (non-porcelain) | 6912.00.48 | 9.8% | +10% | £18.00 | US$4.75 (≈ £3.56) | Open in calculator |
| Candles | 3406.00.00 | 0% | +10% | £20.00 | US$2.67 (≈ £2.00) | Open in calculator |
| Art prints / posters (printed pictures) | 4911.91 | 0% | Exempt (informational materials) | £15.00 | US$0.00 (≈ £0.00) | Open in calculator |
| Printed books | 4901.99.00 | 0% | Exempt (informational materials) | £12.00 | US$0.00 (≈ £0.00) | Open in calculator |
Exchange rate: ECB reference rate of 20 Oct 2026. Rates and codes from the official US tariff (U.S. International Trade Commission) and USTR's Section 301 notice (Office of the U.S. Trade Representative), as used by our calculator. Royal Mail's own PDDP handling fees are not included because we could not find a published amount; ask Royal Mail or check your invoice. Your exact product may sit under a different code with a different rate.
Section 301 exemptions include informational materials (publications, artworks, photographs, recordings), goods already subject to Section 232 tariffs (steel, aluminium, copper, autos, wood products, semiconductors), civil aircraft, some pharmaceuticals, and specific tariff lines listed in Annex I. Check your HTS code against the annex.
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.
Setting a US-only price on Etsy
Etsy lets sellers outside the US set a separate US price on each listing (and per variation), and recommends it for global sellers who ship to the US, using its US estimated tariffs calculator to work out the tariff cost. If no US price is set, US buyers see your global price. US prices can be edited on up to 500 listings at once.
Etsy's 'US estimated tariffs calculator' (in Shop Manager, when editing a listing; powered by Zonos) estimates US duties and suggests HS codes so you can set a US price. Its estimates exclude carrier fees such as customs clearance, brokerage or admin costs, Etsy does not guarantee them, and it is not available for listings with price variations.
- Find the duty for each product: the table above, our buyer-cost calculator, or Etsy's own estimator in Shop Manager.
- Add the duty, plus any Royal Mail handling fee you are invoiced for, to the item price to get your US price.
- In Shop Manager, open the listing, go to Price and inventory, choose Add global prices and enter the US price. For many listings, use Editing options › Edit prices › Edit prices for US buyers.
- Buy Royal Mail International Tracked DDP labels for US orders and check the HS code, origin, description and value on every label.
Checklist before you ship to the US
- Country of origin is where the item was made, not where you post it from. A product made outside the UK pays that country's US rates.
- Use a 10-digit US code and a specific description ("knitted cotton T-shirt", not "top").
- Never mark a sale, replacement or freebie as a gift.
- Collect the buyer's email and mobile number for Royal Mail PDDP, or enter your own.
- Regulated goods (for example food, cosmetics, children's products) may need extra data: see the coming change below.
Coming up
Mandatory electronic 'Entry Type 13' filing for postal goods that are subject to Section 201/232/301 duties or regulated by a Partner Government Agency (FDA, CPSC, USDA etc.) was postponed from 22 October 2026 to 20 January 2027.
If a US buyer sends an order back, the duty is not refunded automatically. See our guide to international returns and duty refunds.
This page is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Etsy's and Royal Mail's terms can change; check their current pages linked above. 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 21 Oct 2026. Verified
- CBP modernizes low-value shipment processing (24 Jun 2026), U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Notice of Actions in Section 301 Forced Labor Investigations (23 Jul 2026), Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Verified
- The UK's trade negotiations with the US – US Section 301 Tariffs July 2026, GOV.UK. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Information for Managing International Shipments, Etsy Help. Accessed 21 Oct 2026. Verified
- Navigating Evolving Global Tariff Policies, Etsy Seller Handbook. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- US-Versand / Postal DDP, Deutsche Post DHL. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Forced Labor, Meet Section 301 (law-firm analysis), Troutman Pepper Locke (secondary). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- How to Add Domestic, Global, and US-Specific Pricing to Your Listings, Etsy Help. Accessed 21 Oct 2026. Verified
- How to Use Etsy's US Estimated Tariffs Calculator, Etsy Help. Accessed 21 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 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (REST search), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Verified
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