USA Shipping, Duty & Tariffs
Important - Changes to US shipping
From 29 August 2025
New Customs Duty/tariff rules for shipments from the UK to the USA will apply starting August 29, 2025. After this date, all parcels sent to the United States will be subject to duties and taxes, regardless of their value.
Key Changes:
Removal of De Minimis Exemption (personal allowance)
Before August 29, 2025: Parcels valued under $800 could enter the U.S. duty-free.
From August 29, 2025: All parcels, regardless of value, will be subject to U.S. customs duties, taxes, and fees.
What does that mean for you, as a personal customer?
We have always tried to ship to the USA with Royal Mail which is handed to USPS at the US border - this has always been a reliable and low cost shipping solution.
From 29th August your package will stop at the US Border, you will be contacted by US customs who will demand payment of your personal Duties & Taxes before releasing your order. Payment is required in advance and the goods will not be cleared until you pay this. If you don't pay, the package will remain in customs for a period of time & eventually returned to us. We will still be charged for the original shipping costs, plus the cost of the return shipping and those costs will be deducted from your order and will not be refundable if you refused the delivery.
DELIVERED DUTY PAID (DDP)
We know that the changes to the US system are going to be a real headache for you, as a customer, so we will take care of the whole process for you.
We want you to know that you can just place an order, as before, and it arrives on your doorstep ready for you to use.
No contacting US customs and no unexpected charges to pay.
We will take care of this part of the process on your behalf by PAYING THE DUTY on your behalf, in advance. However, that is obviously more expensive & very time consuming when we have to complete customs documents for every US order.
We can only use Royal Mail (handed to USPS at the US Border),Fedex, UPS or DHL to process the Customs fees and paperwork for you in advance. We prefer to use Royal Mail as it's the cheapest delivery option, and they take care of all the paperwork when we book the shipment.
We CAN use Fedex, and will do so on larger, heavier orders when the (substantial) shipping charges are justified.
If you wish to have your order shipped Fedex and pay the premium for this faster service, please contact us for a quote BEFORE you check out your order. The minimum charges for Fedex from the UK to the USA on 29/8/25 is $52 plus Duties/Fees
Therefore, from 29th August ALL US ORDERS will include the shipping AND your US Customs Duties PREPAID.
We know this now makes your shipping charges increase slightly but this whole process is out of our control and this is the best method to ensure that you receive your package quickly and without fuss.
Please bear with us whilst the changes are implemented - please be assured that you will only be charged what we are charged. We do not make any profit whatsoever on shipping costs.
We reserve the right to change our prices for shipping and Duty at any time, should we feel that we are not charging correctly. It is not in our interests to have huge shipping costs so we will be tracking the costs carefully to ensure our charges are reflective and accurate going forward.
Thank you for your patience whilst we implement the changes - this should ensure that your shopping experience is not impacted by the new rules set in place by the US government.
