Shipping from Thailand to the US: customs duty and the 12.5% tariff (2026)
For sellers in Thailand of Thai silk, celadon, teak carvings, rattan baskets, hill-tribe silver and embroidery on Etsy, eBay, Amazon or their own shop, every order to a US buyer now goes through US customs, whatever its value. Since 24 July 2026 Thai goods pay the normal US duty plus 12.5% on top; the 36% and 19% rates you may have read about in 2025 no longer apply. Durian, mangoes, natural rubber, tea, coffee, spices, art and antiques are excluded; rice is not. Here is how it works, with worked totals and an official source and date for every rule.
Calculate your own order for Thailand → 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, goods made in Thailand pay an extra 12.5% Section 301 duty on top of the normal US (MFN) duty under HTSUS heading 9903.05.77 ("the duty provided in the applicable subheading + 12.5%"). It is added, not a top-up to a fixed total: duty-free goods such as rattan baskets pay 12.5%, and a cotton T-shirt with a 16.5% normal rate pays 29%. Products in the exclusions of U.S. note 52 (headings 9903.05.85 to 9903.05.92) are not covered.
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.
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
What happened to the 36% and 19% tariffs on Thailand?
The 36% (HTSUS 9903.01.65, later terminated) and then 19% (9903.02.61) "reciprocal" tariffs on Thai goods announced in 2025 were imposed under IEEPA. After the US Supreme Court ruling, IEEPA tariffs stopped being collected on 24 February 2026, so these rates no longer apply. Today the extra US duty on Thai goods is the 12.5% Section 301 duty (9903.05.77), in force since 24 July 2026.
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.
How much US duty to expect
Estimates from our calculator for goods made in Thailand, before any carrier or DDP-service fees. Total duty = normal US (MFN) rate + 12.5%. Use the link in each row to change the price, shipping or product.
US codes and rates from the official US tariff (U.S. International Trade Commission, checked 3 Nov 2026) and heading 9903.05.77 (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 (for example baskets of water hyacinth or other plant fibres, carvings of non-tropical wood, silk blends under 70%, porcelain, or plated jewellery). Check yours in our HS code lookup links.
Sample normal (general) US duty rates in the 2026 tariff: baskets of rattan wickerwork (4602.12.14) free; statuettes and other ornaments of tropical wood such as teak carvings (4420.11.00) 3.2%; embroidered cotton cushion covers, not knitted (6304.92.00) 6.3%; silk scarves of 70% or more silk (6214.10.10) 1.2%; cotton T-shirts (6109.10.00) 16.5%; ceramic tableware such as celadon stoneware (6912.00.48) 9.8%; silver jewellery (7113.11.50) 5%; 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 12.5%: durian, mangoes, rubber, tea, coffee, spices, art, antiques
The exclusions are set by tariff code, so they only help if the code you declare is on the list. Our calculator does not yet flag fruit, rubber, tea, coffee or spices as excluded, so for those items use the normal rate shown in the US tariff and leave out the 12.5%. Food sent to the US also has to meet US food-import rules, which this page does not cover. Wooden furniture and other goods under Section 232 sector tariffs pay those tariffs instead of the 12.5%.
U.S. note 52(b) (heading 9903.05.86) lists tariff lines excluded from the Section 301 duty. For sellers in Thailand it includes durian (0810.60.00), mangoes (0804.50.40 to 0804.50.80), natural rubber (4001.10, 4001.21, 4001.22), cashew nuts (0801.31, 0801.32), coffee (0901), tea (0902), pepper (0904), ginger, turmeric and other spices (0910), worn clothing (6309.00.00) and paintings, collectors' pieces and antiques over 100 years old (headings 9701 to 9706). These goods pay only their normal US rate. Rice (heading 1006) is not on the list and pays the extra 12.5%.
Heading 9903.05.92 excludes informational materials from the Section 301 duty, "including but not limited to publications, films, posters, phonograph records, photographs, … compact disks, CD ROMs, artworks". Printed books such as manga and art books therefore pay no Section 301 duty.
The worn-clothing code 6309.00.00 has strict conditions: chapter 63 note 3 says the articles must show signs of appreciable wear and must be entered in bulk or in bales, sacks or similar packings. A single second-hand kimono or jacket posted to a buyer does not meet the bulk condition as written, so it is classified under the normal clothing codes and the Section 301 duty applies.
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).
Thailand Post ePacket, couriers and DDP
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
Thailand Post suspended goods parcels to the US from 22 August 2025 and since 6 October 2025 offers ePacket to the US with the US duty and tax prepaid (DDP): up to 5 kg, declared value up to US$60 per parcel (declared in USD), labels made in advance on DPOST Inter, delivery in 10 to 14 days plus customs clearance. Its ePacket ban list includes liquids, medicines, Buddha, monk and deity statues, wood, plants and seeds and fresh food. A parcel declared above US$60 is returned to the sender. On 12 August 2026 Thailand Post said some ePacket items accepted in July 2026 were delayed by stricter US customs inspections and asked senders to declare accurately.
With a courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS and others) the courier handles the US entry; ask for its US clearance and DDP 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's international shipping help page lists DHL, FedEx, UPS and YunExpress as commonly used DDP carriers for sellers in Thailand. It lists no recommended third-party shipping service and does not list Thailand Post.
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 DDP, the duty in the table above is paid by you (through your shipping service), so build it into your US price or shipping rate.
Checklist before you ship from Thailand to the US
- Find the 10-digit US code for each product and its normal duty rate in the US tariff, then add 12.5%, unless the code is on the note 52 exclusion list (for example durian, mangoes, tea, coffee, pepper, paintings, antiques) or is an informational material such as a book.
- Remember that duty-free goods are not free any more: a rattan basket with a free normal rate pays 12.5%.
- Country of origin is where the item was made, not where you post it from. A product made in another country pays that country’s US rates.
- Use a specific description ("Thai silk scarf, 100% silk", "teak wood elephant carving", "celadon stoneware bowl"), not "gift", "handicraft" or "handmade item".
- Never mark a sale, replacement or freebie as a gift: only genuine personal gifts are exempt.
- Check Thailand Post’s ePacket ban list before you post: wood, liquids and Buddha or deity statues are on it, so teak carvings and statues need a courier. Keep ePacket parcels at US$60 or less.
- Send DDP so the buyer is not asked to pay on delivery.
สรุปภาษาไทย
- สหรัฐฯ ยกเลิกการยกเว้นภาษีสำหรับสินค้ามูลค่าไม่เกิน 800 ดอลลาร์ (de minimis) แล้ว พัสดุทุกชิ้นจากไทยไปสหรัฐฯ ไม่ว่ามูลค่าเท่าใด ต้องผ่านพิธีการศุลกากรและอาจต้องเสียภาษี
- ตั้งแต่วันที่ 24 กรกฎาคม 2026 สินค้าที่ผลิตในไทยต้องเสียภาษี Section 301 เพิ่มอีก 12.5% บวกกับอากรขาเข้าปกติของสหรัฐฯ (HTSUS 9903.05.77) ตัวอย่าง: ตะกร้าหวาย 0% + 12.5% = 12.5%; ผ้าพันคอไหม 1.2% + 12.5% = 13.7%; เสื้อยืดผ้าฝ้าย 16.5% + 12.5% = 29%
- อัตรา 36% และ 19% ที่ประกาศในปี 2025 ใช้กฎหมาย IEEPA และหยุดจัดเก็บแล้วตั้งแต่วันที่ 24 กุมภาพันธ์ 2026
- ทุเรียน มะม่วง ยางธรรมชาติ ชา กาแฟ พริกไทย ขิง ขมิ้น ภาพวาดด้วยมือ และของเก่าอายุเกิน 100 ปี ได้รับยกเว้นภาษี 12.5% นี้ แต่ข้าวไม่ได้รับยกเว้น
- ไปรษณีย์ไทยมีบริการ ePacket ไปสหรัฐฯ แบบรวมภาษี (DDP) น้ำหนักไม่เกิน 5 กก. มูลค่าไม่เกิน 60 ดอลลาร์ต่อกล่อง (ห้ามส่งไม้ ของเหลว และพระพุทธรูปหรือเทวรูป) Etsy ระบุ DHL, FedEx, UPS และ YunExpress สำหรับผู้ขายในไทย
- หน้านี้เป็นข้อมูลทั่วไป ไม่ใช่คำแนะนำทางกฎหมาย ภาษี หรือศุลกากร
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. Selling from Thailand to the UK or the EU? See Thailand → UK customs charges and Thailand → EU customs. Other origins: Vietnam → US · Thailand → US · Australia → US · Germany → US · Italy → US · France → US · Spain → US · Netherlands → US · Ireland → US · Austria → US · Poland → US · Portugal → US · Greece → US · Belgium → US · Philippines → US · New Zealand → US · China → US · Japan → US · Korea → US · India → US · Türkiye → US · Hong Kong → US · Taiwan → US. 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 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
- HTSUS heading 9903.05.77: Section 301 duty on products of Thailand (+12.5%) (2026 HTS Revision 22), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 3 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
- 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 heading 9903.02.61: 2025 IEEPA reciprocal tariff on products of Thailand (+19%) (2026 HTS Revision 22), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 3 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
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States: general (MFN) rates for the sample codes on the Thailand to US page (2026 HTS Revision 22), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 3 Nov 2026. Verified
- HTSUS Chapter 63, chapter note 3 (heading 6309 worn clothing: appreciable wear and entered in bulk, bales or sacks) (2026 HTS Revision 21), U.S. International Trade Commission. Accessed 28 Oct 2026. Verified
- Answers to common questions about U.S. tariffs, Trade Commissioner Service (Government of Canada). Accessed 3 Nov 2026. Verified
- US-Versand / Postal DDP, Deutsche Post DHL. Accessed 4 Nov 2026. Verified
- Easier Shipping to the U.S. with Duty & Tax Included (ePacket DDP to the USA, from 6 October 2025), Thailand Post (ไปรษณีย์ไทย). Accessed 3 Nov 2026. Partly verified
- Announcement: Delays of ePacket items destined for the United States of America (12 August 2026), Thailand Post (ไปรษณีย์ไทย). Accessed 3 Nov 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.