Shipping to the US in 2026: what you pay and why
If you sell from the UK, the EU, Canada, Australia or Pakistan and ship to American buyers, three things changed in under a year. Here they are in the order they hit your parcels, with what to do about each.
1. Every parcel pays duty now
The US used to let parcels worth under $800 in free. That ended for every country on 29 August 2025 and is still suspended. Each item in a parcel now needs its 10-digit US tariff code, its country of origin and its value, and duty is charged on it. A 6-digit HS code is no longer enough for the US: carriers reject or hold parcels without the full code.
What to do: put the 10-digit US code on every US parcel, and the 6-digit HS code everywhere else. Look up common products or check your own.
2. What the duty is made of
Since 24 July 2026 the duty on a parcel sent by post or courier is the same, and it adds up like this:
| Part | What it is | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate | The “general” rate for your 10-digit code in the US tariff | Free to about 30%; candles are free, ceramic mugs 10%, silver jewellery 5% |
| Section 301 (forced labour) | An extra tariff by country of origin, in force since 24 July 2026 | UK, Canada, India, Pakistan 10%; Australia, New Zealand, Turkey 12.5%; EU tops the total up to 10% |
| Section 232 | Replaces the 301 tariff on steel, aluminium and copper goods | 50% (UK 25%) |
| Processing fee | US Customs fee per parcel entry | $2.77 |
The Section 301 tariff is being challenged in the US Court of International Trade; until a ruling, it is collected. Goods from Canada and Mexico that qualify under CUSMA skip it when the claim is made at entry, which couriers can do and the post cannot yet. Canada also faces a separate 50% duty on a list of goods that CUSMA does not remove.
Example: a £20 stoneware mug made in the UK. Base rate 10% plus Section 301 10% is 20%, so about £4 of duty, plus the processing fee.
3. Etsy makes you pay it
Since 9 July 2026 Etsy asks sellers outside the US to ship US orders duties-paid and to include the duty in their US prices; it cannot be added at checkout. You prepay the duty when you buy a duty-paid label (for example Royal Mail International Tracked DDP, UPS or FedEx). If a buyer is billed by the carrier instead, the order loses purchase protection and a refund can be charged back to you.
What to do: raise your US prices by enough to cover the duty and the Etsy fees on it. If duty is 20% and Etsy takes about 10.5%, a £20 item needs to be about £25.76 to leave you the same money. DutyTag works this out for every product and variation, or try the US duty calculator. Shipping with Royal Mail? See how Royal Mail DDP works.
And the EU: €3 per type of item
From 1 July 2026 the EU charges a flat €3 customs duty on each different type of item in a parcel worth €150 or less, counted by declaration line (for a postal parcel, the 6-digit HS code). Two mugs are one type; a mug and a scarf are two. It runs until July 2028. VAT is still collected by Etsy as before.
Get the codes and prices for your whole shop
Upload your Etsy listings file and get the 10-digit code, the duty and the US price for each product in a few minutes.
Sell on Etsy? Add the free Chrome extension to see the code inside Etsy's listing editor.
Sources
- US Customs: suspension of de minimis
- Section 301 forced-labour tariff rates by country
- Section 232 changes, April 2026
- Etsy Seller Handbook: global tariff policies
- European Commission: €3 duty on low-value parcels
- Royal Mail: US business updates
This guide explains the rules as we understand them on the date above. It is not legal or customs advice.