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Parcels Customs guide

Parcels / Customs guide / United States

US import duties and customs fees

Understand your parcel’s extra costs, check a bill, and find the rules for your situation.

International parcels to the United States · Purchases and gifts · Not traveller baggage

Last verified: Official sources

At a glance

Product and origin determine the duty

There is no single rate for an ordinary purchase. Find your product below, then enter its value and where it was made to see the supported duty calculation.

USITC source

Duty is not the complete delivery bill

Government processing charges and carrier or broker fees are separate. Check what was prepaid before adding them to the amount still to pay.

CBP source DHL Express source

Estimate your parcel’s import costs

Find your item and choose the closest description. Then enter its price and parcel details.

For ordinary purchases only. This estimate does not calculate gift allowances, returns, repairs or reduced rates under trade agreements.

What this calculator covers

Estimate one type of item at a time, in US dollars. You can search for more products than we can calculate. Some items, countries and special cases still need help from a carrier or broker.

Included, where supported

  • Product-description search

    Finds possible product codes in the US tariff list. A similar description does not guarantee the right code; check it with your carrier or broker.

  • Duty based on price, quantity or weight

    Calculates supported percentage rates, charges per item or kilogram, and some combinations of these. More complex rates need a separate calculation.

  • Extra duties for some countries and products

    Adds the extra duties we can calculate for your item, where it was made and its customs entry date. Not every country or exception is covered.

  • Fees and amounts already paid

    Optionally adds government and carrier fees from a quote, and subtracts import costs you have already paid. Without these amounts, the result is a duty estimate, not the full amount still to pay.

Not calculated automatically

  • Gift allowances and special relief

    This calculator is for ordinary purchases. It does not calculate gift allowances, returns, repairs or reduced rates under trade agreements. Ask your carrier or broker about those cases.

  • Product-specific exceptions and charges

    Some rates depend on metal content, the value of individual parts or import limits. These need a separate check. Anti-dumping and countervailing duties, special product taxes, inspection and storage charges are not included.

  • Permission to import and a final customs decision

    An estimate does not mean the item is allowed into the US. Restrictions and sanctions need a separate check. We cannot give a complete estimate for every product or country.

  • A mixed shopping basket or an automatic carrier quote

    Calculate different types of items separately. Enter amounts in US dollars and get service fees from your carrier or broker. We do not convert currencies or fetch a delivery company’s quote.

Unknown does not mean free. We leave unknown fees blank. If we cannot calculate a duty, we explain what needs checking instead of showing a complete total. Confirm the code, country of origin and charges with your carrier or customs broker before using them for your shipment. Help checking a bill

What makes up the extra cost?

Customs duty
Based on the product, its origin and the applicable tariff. Some rates use Customs valueThe value customs uses to assess duty, not necessarily the checkout total. ; others use quantity or component values. USITC source
Other government charges
Additional dutiesExtra customs duties, in addition to the basic duty on the product. and applicable processing fees must be checked separately. Not every shipment has the same entry process or exemptions. CBP source
Carrier or broker services
Carrier clearance feesService fees charged by a carrier or broker, separate from government duty. are separate from government duty. Use the carrier’s quote or itemised bill to check the amount.

The extra import cost is not the total cost of buying the item. Keep the item price, delivery charge and amounts already prepaid separate to avoid counting them twice.

Two purchases, different duty calculations

These examples show how the same item can have different import costs. They use the product codes and countries shown, for a purchase entering US customs on 6 September 2026. They are not actual customer bills.

A $100 cotton T-shirt made in China

HTS 6109.10.00: ordinary duty 16.5%, China product-specific duty 7.5%, and country-related duty 12.5%.

$36.50 in customs duties

With an automated informal entry fee of $2.69 and a hypothetical carrier quote of $10, the extra import cost is $49.19. If none was prepaid, that is the estimated amount still to pay.

Try this purchase

A $100 cotton T-shirt made in Italy

Same classification and item value. Ordinary duty is 16.5%. The EU country-related measure does not add another 10% when the ordinary duty already reaches that floor.

$16.50 in customs duties

With the same assumed entry fee and $10 carrier quote, the extra import cost is $29.19. A carrier’s actual fee and any applicable special treatment can change the bill.

Compare this purchase

The $10 carrier fee is an illustration, not a carrier quote. The extra import cost does not include the item price or international delivery. Other product-specific duties or a reduced rate you qualify for can change the amount.

Ordinary product rates China product measures Country-related measures Government entry fees

Asked to pay or send documents?

  1. Open the carrier’s official website yourself and check the shipment. Do not pay through an unexpected text-message link.
  2. Compare the item, quantity, price, delivery charge and any prepaid import charges with your order receipt.
  3. Ask the carrier or broker which product codes and country of origin they used. Request a bill that lists government charges and carrier fees separately.
  4. If something is wrong, ask the carrier or broker to explain the correction procedure and any deadline. Keep the case number and receipts.

Prepare the order invoice, proof of payment, product specification and any requested origin or component-value documents. Send sensitive documents only through the verified carrier or broker’s channel, not to Parcels.

CBP source Carrier billing guidance

Your parcel’s customs journey

  1. Details submitted The sender and the carrier or broker provide the item’s description, value and country of origin.
  2. Review or document request If information is missing, respond to the verified request. Some goods need additional checks.
  3. Release Customs release allows the carrier to continue; it is not proof of delivery.
  4. Onward delivery Follow the carrier for the next delivery update.

This is a possible process, not live tracking or a promise of a clearance time. Payment can be arranged at different points.

CBP source

Rules and exceptions

Genuine gifts

CBP’s gift guidance allows qualifying gifts worth up to $100 in total received by one person in one day. It is not a monthly allowance and not a tax-free band for an online purchase. Alcohol, tobacco and certain perfume are excluded; business or promotional gifts do not qualify.

Ask the sender to declare the contents, real value and recipient correctly. Gifts over the allowance need their own duty assessment, not a calculation on only the excess.

CBP source

Returns, repairs and restricted goods

Returns and overseas repairs can have different rules from new purchases. Keep your proof of ownership, export and repair records, and ask the carrier or broker which rules apply. Food, medicines, wildlife products and other restricted goods can need checks by another government agency.

Example of a repair-specific ruling Restricted products

Postal mail and express delivery

CBP’s new postal entry process took effect on July 24, 2026. It generally covers eligible mail imports valued at $2,500 or less; this is an entry-process threshold, not a duty-free allowance. Further exclusions from that process take effect on October 22, 2026. Ask your operator which process applies to your parcel, especially if special tariff treatment or another agency is involved.

Current postal guidance, page 1

Which date and origin matter?

The seller’s address is not necessarily the Country of originWhere the item originates under customs rules, not simply where the seller ships it from. . Ask your carrier or broker which date customs will use to determine the charges. Rates you found when ordering may have changed by then.

Example: withdrawn IEEPA measures

Common questions

Can you tell me the final charge from the purchase price alone?

No. The item, where it was made and when it enters customs can all change the duty. Carrier fees matter too. Choose a product first, then enter its price and parcel details. We show what we can calculate and what still needs checking. The result may be wrong if the chosen code or parcel details are wrong, and it is not a final bill.

USITC source

Does Free in the tariff table mean I have nothing to pay?

Not necessarily. Free can mean there is no basic duty under that tariff rate. Extra duties and the carrier’s service fee may still be payable. Check which rates apply to your parcel and ask the carrier for its fees.

USITC source

I already paid import charges at checkout. Should I pay again?

Compare your receipt with the new bill. Ask the seller and carrier which import charges you have already paid. A checkout line labelled tax may not cover every import cost. If a charge looks duplicated, ask whoever issued the bill to explain it before paying again.

DHL Express source

Can a seller call my order a gift?

A paid order is not turned into a qualifying gift by changing its label. The gift rule covers genuine unsolicited gifts and has recipient, daily-value and product conditions. Declare the contents and value accurately.

CBP source

What if I do not know the material, origin or component values?

Ask the seller for product details and an itemised invoice. Do not guess these details to get a result. A customs broker can help you check the code; for an official classification ruling, use CBP’s ruling process.

USITC source

Does a customs tracking update mean I owe money?

No. A customs tracking update is not a bill. Open the carrier’s official website to check whether it has asked for payment or documents. If anything is unclear, contact the carrier or broker handling your parcel.

CBP source

Customs terms, explained

Underlined terms have a short explanation. Select one to read more here.

Customs value

For a purchase, customs usually starts with the price paid or payable, then makes any adjustments the rules require. You need documents showing international delivery and insurance costs before they can be excluded. If delivery was free, do not subtract an estimated delivery cost. Ask the seller for an itemised invoice and the broker which value it will declare.

CBP CROSS source Back to where you were reading
HTS code

The first six digits follow the international HS system. US codes add detail, usually with eight digits for duty rates and ten for reporting. Read the full product description and any notes, not just a label such as Other. A search result can suggest the wrong code. Confirm it with your carrier or customs broker before using it on customs paperwork; the suggestion is not an official classification.

USITC source Back to where you were reading
Country of origin

Ask the seller where the product was made and for documents to support this. The shipping warehouse may be in a different country. For items made in several countries, a label alone may not settle the answer. Reduced rates under trade agreements have their own rules and proof requirements. This calculator cannot determine origin for you.

USITC source Back to where you were reading
Compound duty

Some watches have a fixed charge per watch plus percentages of the case and strap values. That differs from charging one percentage of the whole price. Ask the supplier for the actual value of each part instead of guessing how to split the price.

USITC source Back to where you were reading
Customs entry

The entry records the product, value, origin and other required information. Postal and express procedures can differ. Ask the carrier who is filing it and which process they are using; tracking alone does not answer this.

CBP source Back to where you were reading
Additional duties

These depend on the item, where it was made and when it enters customs. They are listed separately in the tariff’s Chapter 99, with instructions about when they apply. The basic rate shown in a product search may not include them. An old code can remain in the tariff list after its extra duty has ended, so the dates matter too.

CBP source Back to where you were reading
Carrier clearance fees

These can cover preparing the entry, advancing funds or another clearance service. Ask for an itemised statement, the applicable fee schedule and evidence of any amounts already paid by the seller. Parcels does not collect these charges.

DHL Express source Back to where you were reading

Sources & review

The links below let you check the rules yourself. Parcels is not a customs authority and is not endorsed by CBP or USITC. Our search results and estimates are not official decisions.

  1. USITC China tariffs — product and Chapter 99 crosswalk

    Product-specific China measures matched to the current HTS rates. Conditional product exclusions require a separate check. This crosswalk does not include the separate 60-economy measure.

    Checked

  2. CBP CSMS 69326983 — Section 301 duties on products of 60 economies

    Measures effective July 24, 2026, origin-specific rates and top-ups, product exceptions and filing instructions. Used together with the linked HTS crosswalk and legal annex.

    Checked

  3. USTR Section 301 final action and tariff annexes, July 23, 2026

    Legal annexes behind the country-related measures. Exemptions that depend on product use or a trade-program claim are not inferred from description search.

    Checked

  4. USITC Current Chapter 99 legal notes

    Conditional China exclusions and product-specific measures. Goods requiring unresolved metal-content, end-use or other special tests do not receive a complete duty total.

    Checked

  5. CBP CSMS 65741993 — FY2026 customs user fees

    Automated informal entry fee and formal-entry MPF minimum and maximum effective October 1, 2025. Entry process and fee exemptions still need to be confirmed by the filer.

    Checked

  6. CBP Gifts sent to friends and relatives in the United States

    Gift value, daily recipient limit and excluded products. Not a purchase allowance.

    Checked

  7. USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule — current tariff table and legal notes

    Product classification and published duty columns. Additional measures require a separate applicability check.

    Checked

  8. USITC HTS 9102.21 — automatic wristwatches

    General base-duty formulas for the specified watch constructions, not the complete charge on a shipment.

    Checked

  9. CBP Updated Global Guidance for International Mail, July 6, 2026

    New postal entry process from July 24, 2026; further eligibility changes from October 22, 2026. Pages 1–2 cover scope and required data.

    Checked

  10. CBP CSMS 67834313 — ending collection of IEEPA duties

    Listed IEEPA additional duties cease for covered entries from February 24, 2026. Does not remove other applicable duties.

    Checked

  11. CBP CROSS HQ 546363 — transaction value and international freight costs

    Explains actual documented transport costs and valuation deductions. A fact-specific ruling, not permission to estimate deductions.

    Checked

  12. CBP CROSS HQ H288749 — watch components and compound duty

    Historical ruling illustrating component valuation and a repair case. Not a current all-in rate or a ruling on your watch.

    Checked

  13. USITC HTS system user guide, pages 19 and 24–26

    Search and export limitations, legal notes and classification responsibility. Not relied on for its older trade-agreement examples.

    Checked

  14. CBP Customs user fees — Merchandise Processing Fee

    Government processing fees depend on entry type and applicable exemptions; separate from carrier service fees.

    Checked

  15. CBP Prohibited and restricted items

    Product restrictions and responsible agencies. Traveller allowances are outside this parcel guide.

    Checked

  16. DHL Express Understanding customs duties and taxes

    Carrier explanation of duty billing and customs services; service charges depend on the shipment and account.

    Checked

How to read the estimate

We start with the duty rate for the product you choose, add the extra duties we can calculate for its country of origin, then include the fees you enter. If a rule needs more details or we cannot calculate it, we explain the gap and leave the total incomplete. Blank fee fields are not treated as zero.

The code you choose may be wrong even if its description sounds right. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and the estimate is not a document for customs clearance. Ask your carrier or broker to check your parcel’s code and charges. US Customs makes the final customs decision.

Recent changes

Added product search and estimates for more types of purchases, with separate duty, fee and prepaid amounts. Clarified when to enter the price and why suggested codes and estimates need checking.

Updated postal guidance using CBP’s July 2026 instructions. Added a bill-checking checklist and linked explanations of customs terms.