Can I send clothes to the United States?
Yes.
Your own used clothing is duty-free as personal effects when you move to or back to the US (claim it on Form 3299), and gifts up to $100 are duty-free. Otherwise clothing pays duty by type and origin, plus any extra duties.
Before you ship to the United States
- Tax-free limit
- There is no general duty-free limit anymore. The $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended for shipments from every country, by every mode, since August 29, 2025, and a 2025 law repeals it from July 1, 2027. Bona fide gifts from a person abroad to a person in the US stay free of duty when everything one person receives on one day is worth $100 or less ($200 if sent from the US Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa). Alcohol and tobacco never qualify, and a gift worth more than the limit pays duty on its full value.
- Receiver ID
- Importer number (IRS EIN, Social Security number, or CBP-assigned number) needed. CBP identifies importers by an IRS Employer Identification Number, or a Social Security number if there is no EIN, or a number CBP assigns through CBP Form 5106 when you have neither. Couriers ask for the receiver's number to file the customs entry. If the receiver has no SSN or EIN yet, tell the courier before shipping so it can arrange a CBP-assigned number.
- Transit
- 2-5 business days from Canada, Mexico, or Western Europe; 3-6 from Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere
Questions
Can I send clothes to the United States?
Yes. Your own used clothing is duty-free as personal effects when you move to or back to the US (claim it on Form 3299), and gifts up to $100 are duty-free. Otherwise clothing pays duty by type and origin, plus any extra duties.
Ask about a specific item
Official sources
- 1.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Prohibited and Restricted Items (opens in a new tab) - 2.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Shipping Plants, Food, and Other Ag Items via Express Courier (opens in a new tab) - 3.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Personal Importation (opens in a new tab) - 4.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CSMS # 69326983 - GUIDANCE: Section 301 Forced Labor Import Duties (opens in a new tab) - 5.
Office of the Federal Register (eCFR)
19 CFR Chapter I -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Department of the Treasury (opens in a new tab)
General guidance, not legal advice. Customs in the United States makes the final decision on every box.