Shipping from Portugal to the US: customs duty, the 10% tariff, cork and CTT (2026)
For sellers in Portugal of cork goods, silver and gold filigree, ceramics, embroidered linen, towels, wool blankets, leather shoes and bags, and soap 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 Portugal (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%, items already at 10% or more pay nothing extra, and cork articles are left out of the 10% altogether. CTT carries goods to the US again, but only with the duty paid in advance. Here is how it works, with worked totals and an official source and date for every rule.
Calculate your own order for Portugal → 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 · Greece to US duty guide · Belgium to US duty guide
CTT – Correios de Portugal has carried goods to the US and Puerto Rico again since 29 May 2026, after suspending postal goods shipments in August 2025. Customers without a contract must prepay the US duties online through Zonos Prepay (app or website, credit card only), which gives a Declaration ID code to enter when creating the CTT shipment. Services: Correio Azul Internacional (up to 2 kg), Expresso Internacional (up to 10 kg, online only) and Correio Normal internacional (up to 2 kg). Costs are postage, the duties, a Zonos service fee (lower if you attach a photo of the item) and a CTT shop data-collection fee if you create the shipment at the counter instead of online. Duties are not refunded if the parcel is returned. Greece to US duty guide · Belgium to US duty guide
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 filigree (normal rate 5%) pays 10% in total, a ceramic mug (10%) pays 10% with nothing added, and a natural cork article (14%) pays 14%. CTT’s own page also reminds senders that the flat 10% postal rate ended on 24 July 2026: duty now depends on the product code and the country of origin.
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 Portuguese shop pay the US rates for the country where they were made, 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 Portugal or elsewhere in the EU, before postage, the Zonos or courier service fee and any DDP fee. Total = the normal US rate, topped up to 10% if it is lower, except for cork. 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, 9903.05.39 and 9903.05.97 (U.S. International Trade Commission). Codes are shown at 8 digits: your declaration needs the full 10-digit code, and your exact product may sit under a different code with a different rate. Azulejo and other ceramic tiles are in heading 6907, where the 6907.22 and 6907.23 lines are 8.5% or 10%, so a tile made in the EU pays 10% in total. Cork stoppers (4503.10) are free and also excluded. Check your code in our HS code lookup links. Food and drink (wine, port, olive oil, tinned fish) 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 including silver filigree (7113.11.50) 5%; gold jewellery such as gold filigree hearts (7113.19.50) 5.5%; other articles of natural cork (4503.90.60) 14%; corks and stoppers of natural cork (4503.10) free; other articles of agglomerated cork such as coasters and placemats (4504.90.00) free; ceramic ornaments such as figurines (6913.90.50) 6%; non-porcelain ceramic mugs (6912.00.44) 10%; cotton terry towels (6302.60.00) 9.1%; linen tablecloths and napkins (6302.59.10) 5.1%; wool blankets (6301.20.00) free; women's and other leather shoes over US$2.50 a pair (6403.99.90) 10%; leather handbags over US$20 (4202.21.90) 9%; toilet soap (3401.11.50) free. Ceramic tiles are in heading 6907: the 6907.22 and 6907.23 lines are 8.5% or 10%.
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%: cork, art, antiques, books, coffee and tea
Exclusions follow the tariff code you declare, not the material. Our calculator handles paintings, prints and books automatically, but not cork yet: for a cork article from chapter 45, use the table above or enter the normal rate and ignore the Section 301 line.
Heading 9903.05.97 and U.S. note 52(j)(2) take natural and agglomerated cork and cork articles (headings 4501 to 4504) out of the EU 10% rule, so they pay only their normal US rate: a free-rate agglomerated cork coaster stays at 0% and a natural cork article at 14% stays at 14%. Note 52(b) also excludes coffee, tea, works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques over 100 years old, and heading 9903.05.92 informational materials such as books. The exclusion follows the tariff code, not the material: a cork-fabric bag or wallet declared under heading 4202 (handbags and wallets) is not on the list and is topped up to 10% if its normal rate is lower. Filigree jewellery, ceramics, tiles, textiles, leather goods and soap are not excluded. Greece to US duty guide · Belgium to US duty guide
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).
CTT, Zonos Prepay and couriers
Business customers with a CTT or CTT Expresso contract send goods to the US with the EDI add-on (Envio com Direitos Incluídos): CTT prepays the US duties and invoices them, plus the EDI service fee, monthly on a separate invoice. Goods sent without EDI cannot be forwarded and are returned to the sender. CTT says the next US postal requirements for goods up to US$2,500 were postponed to 20 January 2027 and apply to items shipped from 5 January 2027; contract customers must first qualify every catalogue item on the Zonos platform. Greece to US duty guide · Belgium to US duty guide
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 · Greece to US duty guide · Belgium 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.
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 CTT and Zonos Prepay you pay the duty before the parcel leaves, so build it into your US price or shipping rate, together with the Zonos service fee.
Checklist before you ship from Portugal 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. Cork articles of chapter 45, art, antiques, books, coffee and tea: no top-up.
- Remember that duty-free goods are not free any more: soap, wool blankets and candles with a free normal rate are topped up to 10%. Cork coasters are the exception and stay at 0%.
- Sending by CTT without a contract: classify the item and pay the duty in Zonos Prepay first, keep the Declaration ID code, then create the shipment online (or give the code at a CTT shop, for a fee). Use Correio Azul Internacional, Correio Normal internacional (up to 2 kg) or Expresso Internacional (up to 10 kg).
- Sending regularly with a CTT contract: sign up for EDI, and qualify your catalogue items in Zonos before 5 January 2027.
- 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 ("agglomerated cork coasters, set of 6", "sterling silver filigree earrings", "embroidered linen tablecloth 150 × 250 cm"), 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. Duties are not refunded if a parcel comes back.
For sellers in Portugal / Para vendedores em Portugal
- A isenção de minimis dos EUA (800 USD) foi suspensa a 29 de agosto de 2025. Todas as remessas com bens para os EUA passam pela alfândega, seja qual for o valor.
- Desde 24 de julho de 2026, os bens originários da UE (incluindo Portugal) pagam no total pelo menos 10% de direitos nos EUA (HTSUS 9903.05.38 / 9903.05.39): se a taxa normal for inferior a 10%, paga-se a diferença até 10%; com taxa de 10% ou mais, nada é acrescentado. Exemplos: filigrana de prata 5% → 10%; caneca de cerâmica 10% → 10%; toalha de mesa de linho 5,1% → 10%; sabonete 0% → 10%.
- A cortiça e os artigos de cortiça (posições 4501 a 4504) estão excluídos da regra dos 10% (nota 52(j)(2), posição 9903.05.97): bases de copos de cortiça aglomerada continuam a 0%. Atenção: uma mala ou carteira de “tecido” de cortiça declarada na posição 4202 não está excluída.
- Também estão excluídos obras de arte, antiguidades com mais de 100 anos, livros, café e chá.
- Conta o país de fabrico, não o país de expedição: um artigo fabricado na China e enviado de Portugal paga as taxas dos EUA para a China.
- Os CTT voltaram a aceitar bens para os EUA e Porto Rico desde 29 de maio de 2026. Sem contrato, os direitos são pagos antecipadamente na Zonos Prepay (código de declaração); com contrato, através do serviço EDI – Envio com Direitos Incluídos. Os direitos não são reembolsados em caso de devolução.
- Ofertas genuínas entre particulares até 100 USD continuam isentas de direitos, mas precisam de formalidades aduaneiras.
- Esta página é apenas informativa e não constitui aconselhamento jurídico, fiscal ou aduaneiro.
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: Spain → US · France → US · Italy → US · Germany → US · Netherlands → US · Ireland → US · Austria → US · Poland → US · Greece → 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
- 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 Portugal to US page (2026 HTS), 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
- Envios EUA: O que mudou nos envios de bens para os EUA (private customers), CTT – Correios de Portugal. Accessed 11 Nov 2026. Verified
- CTT asseguram envios de bens para os Estados Unidos e Porto Rico para todos os clientes (news, 16 June 2026), CTT – Correios de Portugal. Accessed 11 Nov 2026. Verified
- Envios EUA (business customers): EDI – Envio com Direitos Incluídos, CTT – Correios de Portugal. 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.