Shipping to the US by mail

Since 2025 every parcel to the US pays duty: the $800 exemption is suspended for all countries. Since 24 July 2026, parcels sent by mail also need someone to file the entry with US customs (CBP) and pay that duty. This article explains what that means for you and the options you have.

This article isn't legal or tax advice. Check with your carrier or a customs broker before you change how you ship. Source: CBP, Updated Global Guidance for International Mail, 6 July 2026.

What the rules ask for

Mail parcels worth up to $2,500 go through CBP's postal informal entry. Above $2,500 they need a formal entry.

• Who files: only the owner or purchaser of the goods, or a licensed customs broker they appoint. CBP officers don't fill in entries for mail.
• A bond: the filer needs a CBP import bond, bought from a surety company, on file before the first parcel arrives.
• Data and payment: by the 7th of the month after the parcel arrives, the filer sends CBP a spreadsheet for the parcels of that month and pays the duty through Pay.gov. Each parcel needs a description, the country of origin, the 10-digit US code (HTSUS), the value, the duty rate and the postal tracking number, among other things.
• Late payment adds interest.

Some goods can't use the postal process and need another type of entry, such as goods with US agency requirements (food, cosmetics and others) or goods claiming free-trade-agreement treatment. CBP has delayed enforcing these exclusions.

Your options

1. Use an express courier. DHL, UPS, FedEx and similar couriers clear customs for every parcel through their own brokers. You choose who pays the duty: the customer on delivery (DAP) or you (DDP). This is the simplest option for most shops. Send the commercial invoice from Borderdesk with the parcel.
2. Ask your postal carrier. Ask whether it, or a broker it works with, files the entry and pays the duty for US parcels, and what that costs.
3. Appoint a customs broker for your mail parcels, who files and pays, then bills you.
4. File yourself: get a bond, a Pay.gov account and access to the CBP mail duty worksheet, then file every month. Realistic only for shops that send many parcels to the US.

Mail that nobody enters can't clear US customs, so settle this before you post to the US.

What Borderdesk does

• Prints the 10-digit US code on documents to the US, when you add it in Products or in the hs_code_us column of the CSV. It goes into Shopify's own customs data, so label apps can use it too.
• Warns on the Documents page when a product in a US order has no US code.
• Prints the country of origin of every item, which sets the US duty rate.