Shipping from Greece to the US: customs duty, the 10% tariff and ELTA with Zonos (2026)
For sellers in Greece of silver and gold jewellery, olive-wood kitchenware, leather sandals, olive-oil soap, sea sponges, towels and ceramics 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 Greece (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 pay nothing extra. ELTA carries goods to the US only with the duty paid in advance through the Zonos app. Here is how it works, with worked totals and an official source and date for every rule.
Calculate your own order for Greece → 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 · Belgium to US duty guide
ELTA (Hellenic Post) accepts postal items with goods worth up to US$2,500 to the US only with the duties prepaid in the Zonos app (free account, available in Greek). You enter the item, pay the duties, create the label and customs declaration in ELTA Web Labeling (with a 10-digit HS code), then hand in the parcel at an ELTA shop or agency and show the Declaration ID. Each parcel needs its own Declaration ID, valid for 5 days, even for gifts under US$100 and zero-duty items; adding a photo of the item lowers the processing charge. The Zonos route is for ELTA postal services only, not courier services. Since 24 July 2026 the flat 10% postal duty no longer applies: duty depends on the tariff code.
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 silver jewellery (normal rate 5%) pays 10% in total, a ceramic mug (10%) pays 10% with nothing added, and leather sandals with a free normal rate also pay 10%. ELTA’s own page says the same: since 24 July 2026 the flat 10% postal duty is gone and duty depends on each item’s tariff code.
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, and ELTA's own US page gives the same example: an item bought in Greece but made in China must be declared as made in China, so it pays the US rates for China, not the EU 10% floor.
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 Greece or elsewhere in the EU, before postage, the Zonos processing charge 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 11 Nov 2026) and headings 9903.05.38 and 9903.05.39 (U.S. International Trade Commission). Codes are shown at 8 digits: your declaration needs the full 10-digit code (ELTA’s Web Labeling asks for it), and your exact product may sit under a different code with a different rate. The sandal row is only for sandals whose leather uppers are straps across the instep and around the big toe; other leather sandals and shoes are in heading 6403.99 with rates from 5% to 10% (women’s shoes over US$2.50 a pair, 6403.99.90, are 10%), so they pay 10% in total either way. Check your code in our HS code lookup links. Food and drink (olive oil, honey, mastiha, wine, ouzo) are not in the table: they keep their own US rates and need US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) paperwork, and alcohol also needs a licensed US importer. Cosmetics can have FDA requirements that are not covered here.
Sample normal (general) US rates in the 2026 tariff: silver jewellery (7113.11.50) 5%; gold jewellery (7113.19.50) 5.5%; wooden forks and spoons such as olive-wood utensils (4419.90.11) 5.3%; other wooden tableware and kitchenware such as olive-wood boards and bowls (4419.90.91) 3.2%; leather sandals with leather soles and leather straps across the instep and around the big toe (6403.20.00) free; Castile (olive-oil) soap (3401.11.10) and other toilet soap (3401.11.50) free; natural sea sponges (0511.99.36) 3%; cotton terry towels (6302.60.00) 9.1%; non-porcelain ceramic mugs (6912.00.44) 10%; ceramic ornaments (6913.90.50) 6%; wool blankets (6301.20.00) free; leather handbags over US$20 (4202.21.90) 9%.
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, coffee and tea
Exclusions follow the tariff code you declare, not the material or where the item is sold. 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, unset diamonds and other unset precious stones; none of the typical Greek handmade goods (olive-wood items, leather sandals, jewellery, soap, sponges, ceramics, textiles) is on it, so they are topped up to 10% if their normal rate is lower. Food such as olive oil, honey and mastiha keeps its own US rates and needs US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) paperwork, which this page does not cover.
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).
ELTA, the Zonos app and couriers
ELTA says stricter US Customs (CBP) rules for postal items with goods up to US$2,500 apply from 20 January 2027: a 10-digit HS code for every item and extra data or documents for products controlled by other US agencies (for example FDA). The Zonos app will ask for the extra data when you create the Declaration ID.
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), and Österreichische Post / Post AG (PDDP mandatory for commercial goods up to USD 2,500; Onlinezollformular prepaid at drop-off for counter senders). 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 · Belgium to US duty guide
Couriers (DHL Express, UPS, FedEx, ACS or a broker that resells them) are the other route; ELTA says the Zonos app is for its postal services only, not for courier services. 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.
Ask your courier, broker or Zonos for their service fees and enter them in the calculator, because we only include fees we can cite. How DDP and DAP compare: DDP vs DAP for marketplace sellers.
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 ELTA and the Zonos app you pay the duty before the parcel leaves, so build it into your US price or shipping rate, together with the Zonos processing charge.
Checklist before you ship from Greece 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, books, coffee and tea: no top-up.
- Remember that duty-free goods are not free any more: leather toe-loop sandals, olive-oil soap and wool blankets with a free normal rate pay 10%.
- Sending by ELTA: create a free Zonos account, enter the item and pay the duty, then create the label in ELTA Web Labeling with the same item details and the 10-digit HS code. Hand the parcel in within 5 days and show the Declaration ID (printed is easiest). One Declaration ID per parcel.
- Add a photo of the item in the Zonos app: ELTA says it lowers the processing charge.
- 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 ("olive wood salad servers, pair", "sterling silver evil eye pendant", "leather sandals with toe loop, women’s"), not "gift", "handmade item" or "souvenir".
- Never mark a sale, replacement or freebie as a gift: only genuine private gifts of US$100 or less are exempt, and ELTA still needs a Declaration ID for them. From 20 January 2027 expect extra questions in the app for FDA-controlled products.
For sellers in Greece / Για πωλητές στην Ελλάδα
- Η απαλλαγή de minimis των ΗΠΑ (800 USD) καταργήθηκε στις 29 Αυγούστου 2025. Κάθε αποστολή με αγαθά προς τις ΗΠΑ περνά από τελωνείο, όποια κι αν είναι η αξία της.
- Από 24 Ιουλίου 2026 τα προϊόντα καταγωγής ΕΕ (και Ελλάδας) πληρώνουν συνολικά τουλάχιστον 10% δασμό στις ΗΠΑ (HTSUS 9903.05.38 / 9903.05.39): αν ο κανονικός συντελεστής είναι κάτω από 10%, προστίθεται η διαφορά μέχρι το 10%· αν είναι 10% ή περισσότερο, δεν προστίθεται τίποτα. Παραδείγματα: ασημένιο κόσμημα 5% → 10%· κουτάλια από ξύλο ελιάς 5,3% → 10%· δερμάτινα σανδάλια 0% → 10%· κεραμική κούπα 10% → 10%.
- Εξαιρούνται έργα τέχνης, αντίκες άνω των 100 ετών, βιβλία, καφές και τσάι. Τρόφιμα (ελαιόλαδο, μέλι, μαστίχα) έχουν δικούς τους δασμούς και χρειάζονται έγγραφα FDA.
- Μετράει η χώρα κατασκευής, όχι η χώρα αποστολής: προϊόν φτιαγμένο στην Κίνα που στέλνεται από την Ελλάδα δηλώνεται ως Κίνα και πληρώνει τους δασμούς της Κίνας.
- Με τα ΕΛΤΑ: προπληρώνετε τους δασμούς στην εφαρμογή Zonos, φτιάχνετε την ετικέτα στο Web Labeling Εξωτερικού με 10ψήφιο HS και δείχνετε το Αναγνωριστικό Δήλωσης στο κατάστημα μέσα σε 5 ημέρες. Ένα Αναγνωριστικό ανά δέμα, ακόμη και για δώρα κάτω των 100 USD.
- Από 20 Ιανουαρίου 2027 ισχύουν αυστηρότεροι κανόνες της CBP (υποχρεωτικός 10ψήφιος HS και πρόσθετα στοιχεία για προϊόντα με ειδικούς ελέγχους).
- Η σελίδα αυτή είναι μόνο ενημερωτική και δεν αποτελεί νομική, φορολογική ή τελωνειακή συμβουλή.
Coming up
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 · Belgium → 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 4 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 4 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 2 Nov 2026. Verified
- Ταχυδρομικές αποστολές αντικειμένων στις Η.Π.Α. (Postal shipments of goods to the USA), ELTA – Hellenic Post. Accessed 11 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 Greece to US page (2026 HTS Revision 23), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 11 Nov 2026. Verified
- Answers to common questions about U.S. tariffs, Trade Commissioner Service (Government of Canada). Accessed 3 Nov 2026. Verified
- Δέματα εξωτερικού (International parcels), ELTA – Hellenic Post. Accessed 11 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 10 Nov 2026 (US: the 178 China Section 301 product exclusions are extended to 9 January 2027). Alerts send one short email, with the source, only when a rule changes on a route you pick.