EU → US: what your American buyer pays in 2026
There is no duty-free allowance any more. EU-origin goods pay at least 10% in total: the normal US duty rate is topped up to 10% where it is lower. US postal parcels need duties prepaid.
At a glance
| Duty-free threshold | None (since 29 Aug 2025) Verified |
|---|---|
| Duty | Combined 10% when the normal US rate is below 10%; normal rate when it is 10% or more Verified |
| Import VAT / sales tax at border | None Unverified |
| Post | Postal DDP (e.g. Deutsche Post DHL PDDP up to US$2,500) Partly verified Verified |
| Who should pay | Seller prepays (DDP). Required on Etsy for Purchase Protection Verified |
Worked example: €30 ceramic mug + €9 shipping, postal DDP
| Item | Amount | Paid when / by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item price | US$33.64 | At checkout | |
| Shipping charged | US$10.09 | At checkout | |
| US duty (normal/MFN rate 9.8%) | US$3.30 | At checkout: seller collects and pays | Verified |
| Section 301 (EU, tops up to 10%): 0.2% | US$0.07 | At checkout: seller collects and pays | Verified |
| Buyer pays in total | US$47.11 | US$47.11 at checkout + US$0.00 on delivery | |
| Seller must collect & prepay | US$3.37 | Duties, taxes and fees you need to build into the price | |
- Unverified The US has no import VAT. Duty is calculated on the goods value only, without shipping (a simplification).
- Unverified Postal DDP service/handling fee: no verified published amount, so it is NOT included. Enter your carrier's fee to include it.
Duties & tariffs
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Who pays: DDP vs DDU
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.
EU postal operators have reopened US parcel services using prepaid duties: Deutsche Post DHL (PDDP mandatory up to US$2,500 since 24 July 2026), PostNL (reopened 19 September 2025) and La Poste/Colissimo (with some product restrictions).
Carriers, labels & paperwork
EU postal operators have reopened US parcel services using prepaid duties: Deutsche Post DHL (PDDP mandatory up to US$2,500 since 24 July 2026), PostNL (reopened 19 September 2025) and La Poste/Colissimo (with some product restrictions). (sources above)
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.
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.
CBP's interim final rule (published 24 June 2026) indefinitely suspends de minimis for international mail and created a postal informal entry process for mail shipments up to US$2,500, effective 24 July 2026.
Etsy, eBay & Shopify
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 has a 'US Estimated Tariffs Calculator' in Shop Manager. It estimates duties but not carrier brokerage or clearance fees.
Shopify Managed Markets stopped supporting DDU on 24 August 2026 in every market where it supports DDP, so buyers pay duties and taxes at checkout. To let buyers pay on delivery instead, you must switch Managed Markets off.
Also relevant
The US has no federal VAT/GST on imports. US state sales tax is handled by marketplaces and sellers under state rules, not at the border.
Common pitfalls
- Assuming a 0% product stays free. Under the EU 'net of MFN' rule, a product with 0% normal duty now pays 10% in total.
- Origin is where the item was made, not the EU member state you ship from. Non-EU-made goods pay their own country's rates.
- National post offices restrict some product categories to the US. Check your post's list before you sell.
- Not passing the buyer's contact details to the DDP service.
FAQ
What US tariff applies to EU goods?
Since 24 July 2026 EU-origin goods pay Section 301 duty net of MFN. If the normal US duty is below 10%, the total becomes 10%. If it is 10% or more, nothing is added. Verified
Can I post parcels to the US from the EU?
Yes, through postal DDP services where duties are prepaid. Deutsche Post DHL, PostNL and La Poste have reopened US parcel services. Partly verified
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 20 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
- Forced Labor, Meet Section 301 (law-firm analysis), Troutman Pepper Locke (secondary). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Answers to common questions about U.S. tariffs, Trade Commissioner Service (Government of Canada). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. 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
- Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, No. 24-1287 (20 Feb 2026), Supreme Court of the United States. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- US-Versand / Postal DDP, Deutsche Post DHL. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- PostNL reopens shipping services to the United States, PostNL. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Nouvelle réglementation pour les envois vers les États-Unis, La Poste. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly 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
- Information for Managing International Shipments, Etsy Help. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Verified
- CSMS #69183472 – Updated Global Guidance for International Mail, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Verified
- Navigating Evolving Global Tariff Policies, Etsy Seller Handbook. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- How to Use Etsy's US Estimated Tariffs Calculator, Etsy Help. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Partly verified
- Managed Markets is ending Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) support (11 Aug 2026), Shopify Changelog. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. Verified