Shipping to the US with Japan Post: prepaid import duty

Japan Post is available again for shipments to the United States. US import duty is now calculated and paid when you pay for shipping, so your package clears US customs without any further charges at delivery.

Prepaid import duty applies to every Japan Post shipment to a US address with a declared value of $2,500 or less, including:

• EMS

• Parcel Post Airmail

• Parcel Post Seamail

• Small Packet Airmail

• Printed Matter Airmail

• International ePacket Light

It is required for these shipments and cannot be removed. Japan Post does not accept US-bound parcels without it, even when the duty on your items is $0.

DHL and FedEx shipments are not affected. For those carriers, any import duty is billed to the recipient by the carrier as before.

Japan Post shipments with a declared value over $2,500 go through a formal US customs entry instead. No import duty is charged when you pay for shipping, and the duty is assessed when the package enters the US.

The amount is calculated by Zonos, our customs clearance partner, using current US tariff rates. It is based on:

• The type of each item (its customs classification)

• The declared value of each item

• The country where each item was made

The amount you pay has two parts:

1. US import duty: the duty set by US customs for your items

2. Clearance fee: $1.69 per package plus 10% of the duty, charged by Zonos to process the duty payment

The clearance fee applies to every package, including those with a duty of $0.

Example: a package of T-shirts declared at $200, with a duty rate of 16.9%

Duty rates vary by product type and origin, so the amount will be different for each shipment.

• When choosing a shipping method: each eligible Japan Post option shows a "US import duty (prepaid)" line next to the shipping price, so you can compare carriers with duty included.

• At payment: the duty is charged together with your shipping fee.

• On your invoice: it appears as a separate prepaid US import duty line.

Each package is calculated separately. If your shipment is split into more than one package, you'll see a separate amount for each package.

There is nothing extra to do. You won't receive a duty bill from the carrier, and there is no duty advancement fee or payment hold before delivery.

The duty is calculated from the declared value, so it needs to reflect what you actually paid for the items. The declared value is based on the purchase price of your items.

U.S. Customs can review any shipment. If they determine the declared value is too low, they may charge additional duty, and the recipient is responsible for paying it. Declaring the accurate value avoids this.

A small number of products are subject to additional US trade measures, such as anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties, or import quotas. These can't be shipped with prepaid duty. If your shipment includes one of these items, we'll contact you to select an alternative shipping method.

• Canceled before dispatch: if your shipping request is canceled before the package leaves our warehouse, the prepaid duty and shipping fee are refunded in full.

• Returned, abandoned, or disposed of after dispatch: the prepaid duty is refunded only if it is recovered from our customs clearance partner. The refund is reduced by an admin fee and any return shipping costs. If the package was returned due to an error on our part, we will refund the duty in full.

• Difference between the duty collected and the duty assessed: the prepaid amount is final and not adjusted after payment, provided the declared value is accurate.

Can I ship with Japan Post without paying the duty upfront?
No. For US shipments with a declared value of $2,500 or less, Japan Post requires the duty to be paid before the parcel is sent.

What about shipments over $2,500?
They go through a formal US customs entry, so no duty is charged upfront. The duty is assessed when the package enters the US.

Why do I pay a clearance fee when my duty is $0?
A customs declaration is still required for every package, and the clearance fee covers processing it.

Is the amount final?
Yes, as long as the declared value is accurate. You won't be charged or refunded if the duty assessed at import is different. If US Customs finds the declared value is too low, they may charge additional duty to the recipient.

Does this change delivery times?
No. Delivery estimates for each Japan Post method are unchanged.

If you have questions about a specific shipment, contact our support team with your package number.