Customs/Import duties are a topic that comes up a lot for international customers, so we thought it’d be worthwhile to take a minute and talk about them in more detail.

What is a Customs Duty?

Per the U.S. Customs Website: “Customs Duty is a tariff or tax imposed on goods when transported across international borders.” To put it simply, most products purchased from one country, being sent to another, will require some amount of import duty(to be paid. Exactly how much depends on a variety of factors including (but not limited to): the nature of the item(s), the cost of the item(s), the country from which it was ordered, and the country to which it is being sent.

When buying imported items directly from their place of origin (as opposed to buying items that have already been imported by another company/entity) it is important to remember that, in order to receive your item, any outstanding import duties need to be paid BEFORE your item can be delivered (this is one reason why international orders can sometimes take longer than expected to arrive, the items are waiting with customs.

How To Pay Customs Duties

If you have ordered an item from us and live outside of The United States, then you’ll have to pay a customs duty on that item. If you chose The United States Postal Service(USPS) as your carrier, then you will need to pay the customs office in your home country directly. While there are several ways to do this, contacting your post office is usually a good way to find out whom you need to pay and how much and, in many cases, your national post will be able to process your payment. For instance the Royal Mail (which serves the U.K.) allows customs duties to be paid online. Some private international carriers, Like UPS and FedEx, will cover the cost of import duties to get packages through customs, and then allow customers to pay import duties to the company directly via their websites. In some cases/places, you may receive a customs invoice with/for your package(s), but we generally recommend being proactive and reaching to pay the duties in order to prevent unneeded delays in receiving your order.

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