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Shipping boxes to and from the United States

The US suspended its $800 duty-free de minimis rule for every country on August 29, 2025, and a 2025 law ends it for good on July 1, 2027. Most boxes now go through a customs entry and may owe duty, including the Section 301 duties added in July 2026. Two exemptions remain: genuine gifts worth up to $100, and the used personal and household effects of people moving to or back to the US, claimed on CBP Form 3299.

Typical transit: 2-5 business days from Canada, Mexico, or Western Europe; 3-6 from Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere
Currency: USD
Duty-free up to: There is no general duty-free limit anymore
Receiver ID: Importer number (IRS EIN, Social Security number, or CBP-assigned number)

Price a shipment to the United States

From

Boxes

Weight each (lb)

Box size

Choose where it's from and where it's going.

Popular routes to the United States

Popular routes from the United States

Sending to the United States

Duties and taxes1 2 3 4 5

Duty-free threshold: 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.
Import tax: The US has no national VAT, GST, or sales tax on imports. The receiver pays customs duty, set by each item's tariff classification and country of origin, plus any additional duties in force. Since July 24, 2026, Section 301 duties of 10% or 12.5% apply to goods made in 60 economies, including China, the UK, India, Canada, and Mexico. Goods from the EU are topped up to a combined rate of 10%, and goods from Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland to 12.5%, where their normal rate is lower. Canadian and Mexican goods that enter duty-free under USMCA, and informational materials such as books and photos, are exempt. Alcohol and tobacco also carry federal excise tax.
How value is worked out: Duty is charged on the value of the goods alone: international freight and insurance to the US are not part of the dutiable value, which is close to an FOB basis. The $100 gift limit uses the fair retail value in the country of shipment. Foreign-currency values are converted at the exchange rate for the date of export, using rates certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For used goods, declare an honest second-hand value: CBP verifies declarations, and false ones can lead to penalties. Duty rates follow the country where each item was made, not where it ships from.
Who pays: Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
Moving there?: People moving to the US and US residents returning from abroad can bring used belongings in free of duty. Household effects such as furniture, carpets, paintings, tableware, and books qualify under HTSUS 9804.00.05 if you or your family household used them abroad for at least one year and they are not for anyone else or for sale; the year need not be continuous or recent. Returning residents bring back everything they took abroad free under 9804.00.45. Nonresidents moving to the US can bring their own clothing, jewelry, toiletries, and similar personal effects free under 9804.00.20. Boxes that don't travel with you are claimed on CBP Form 3299. CBP says the 2026 Section 301 duties don't apply to goods properly claimed under these Chapter 98 provisions.

Worked example

Illustrative: a box of used clothing, bedding, and decor worth $600, all made in the UK and sent from the UK to a friend in the US who isn't moving, so no personal-effects relief applies. Assumes an average normal duty rate of 8% (real rates depend on each item's classification) and that the 10% Section 301 duty on UK-made goods applies to every item.

Normal duty: 8% x $600 = $48. Section 301 duty: 10% x $600 = $60. Total: $108. Duty is charged on the goods alone, without international shipping. Because the box is worth more than $100, the gift exemption can't apply even if it is a gift.

About $108, plus any courier clearance fee. If the receiver were moving to the US and the items qualified as their used effects on Form 3299, the duty would be $0.

How customs clearance works in the United States1 2 4 7

The courier files a customs entry with CBP for every box, usually acting as the customs broker. Since the de minimis suspension, boxes that used to qualify for it can no longer be released straight off the courier's manifest; most now go on an informal entry (Entry Type 11) that lists each item's classification, value, and origin. The courier pays any duty to CBP and bills the receiver.

Formal entry: Shipments worth more than $2,500 generally need a formal entry, which takes more paperwork and time. Used household and personal effects that weren't bought for sale can go on an informal entry at any value, though CBP can still require a formal one. A separate rule makes postal shipments that claim personal-effects relief use formal entry from October 22, 2026; it covers mail only, not express courier boxes.
How long it takes: Often 1-2 business days after arrival when the paperwork is complete. Boxes waiting on Form 3299 questions, an APHIS or FDA review, or a CBP exam can take several days or longer.
Inspections: CBP can examine any shipment. Food, plants, soil, wood, animal products, medicines, and goods from embargoed countries draw extra attention. CBP inspectors can seize and destroy agricultural items that don't meet USDA rules, and the receiver, as importer of record, can face fines.
If duties go unpaid: If duty isn't paid or the paperwork is incomplete, the box can go to a general order warehouse at the receiver's risk and expense, or the courier may return it to the sender. Goods left in CBP custody for 6 months from the date of import are treated as unclaimed and abandoned, and can be sold.

Moving to the United States: claiming duty relief3 4 5

01
Check your status
Returning residents are US citizens and former US residents who haven't set up a home elsewhere. Anyone else moving to the US counts as a nonresident who is emigrating. The rules differ a little for each.
02
Sort what qualifies
Free: things you took abroad (returning residents), household effects used abroad for at least a year, a nonresident's own clothing, jewelry, and toiletries, and professional books and tools of your trade. Declare household items used less than a year and personal items a returning resident bought abroad. These may owe duty.
03
Make a packing list
List every item with a description and value, and note which statement on Form 3299 it falls under. Nothing may be for another person or for sale.
04
Complete CBP Form 3299
Give your arrival date, port, and flight, your US address, where you lived abroad and for how long, and your residency status. Tick the statements that apply. List separately any firearms, alcohol, tobacco, fruits, plants, seeds, meat, and wildlife products.
05
Time the shipment
Plan for the boxes to arrive after you do. Household effects that arrive more than 10 years after your last arrival from the country where you used them generally don't qualify.
06
Send it all to the courier
Give the courier Form 3299, the packing list, and your importer number. CBP may ask for proof of a year's use abroad. Answer quickly to avoid storage charges.

Documents to have ready4 5 7

Itemized packing list or commercial invoice with each item, its fair value, and the country where it was made
Gift boxes marked as a gift on the outside, with honest values
CBP Form 3299 (Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles) for used personal and household effects, with a packing list
The receiver's importer number: a Social Security number, an IRS EIN, or a CBP-assigned number from CBP Form 5106
Arrival details for Form 3299 (date, port, and flight) and a copy of the receiver's passport
Proof of a year's use abroad for household effects if CBP asks, such as a lease or dated receipts
An APHIS import permit and a phytosanitary certificate for any plants or seeds for planting

Importer number (IRS EIN, Social Security number, or CBP-assigned number): 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. We ask for it during booking.

Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.

Official forms4 5

CBP Form 3299: Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles (opens in a new tab)
Claims duty-free entry for used personal and household effects, and tools of trade, that don't travel with you.
CBP Form 5106: Create/Update Importer Identity Form (opens in a new tab)
Registers an importer number, or gets a CBP-assigned number for a receiver with no SSN or EIN.
CBP Form 4457: Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad (opens in a new tab)
Registers foreign-made items with serial numbers before you leave the US, so they are easy to identify when they come back.

What you can pack, category by category3 4 6 7 8

What you can pack, by category
Category	Status	What to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothes	Allowed	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.
Books and papersMore on books	Allowed	Books are welcome. They count as informational materials, so the 2026 Section 301 duties don't apply, and a library used abroad for a year qualifies as household effects.
ElectronicsMore on electronics	Conditions	Allowed with batteries installed in the device. Electronics you took abroad come back free for returning residents; devices bought abroad may owe duty. No spare lithium batteries or power banks.
MedicationMore on medicine	Conditions	FDA lets foreign nationals bring or ship up to a 90-day supply, ideally with an English prescription or doctor's letter. Others, including US citizens, generally can't import unapproved drugs, and controlled substances fall under DEA rules.
FoodMore on food	Conditions	Declare all food. No meat, eggs, dairy, or fresh produce. Sealed, shelf-stable items like bakery goods, coffee, and tea are usually fine. FDA Prior Notice may be needed unless the food is homemade and sent as a gift.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmetics	Conditions	Personal quantities are fine. Couriers refuse aerosols and flammables such as nail polish, and may refuse alcohol-based perfume.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobacco	Not allowed	Couriers generally refuse alcohol and tobacco in personal boxes. They never qualify for the $100 gift exemption, and travelers' allowances don't apply to shipments.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gear	Conditions	Clean off all soil first; soil is banned without a permit. No fuel canisters, bear spray, flares, or firearms. Hunting trophies need US Fish and Wildlife Service clearance.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gear	Allowed	Used toys for personal use are fine. Remove loose batteries.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photos	Allowed	Personal papers and photos are fine. Photographs count as informational materials, exempt from the 2026 Section 301 duties.
Other	Conditions	Plants, seeds, wooden handicrafts, and animal products need APHIS checks or permits. Wildlife products, cultural artifacts, and goods made in Cuba or Iran have their own rules.

Quantity limits2 4 8

Quantity limits for United States
Item	Limit
Gifts by courier	Bona fide gifts up to $100 per recipient per day ($200 from the US Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa) are free of duty. Alcohol and tobacco never qualify.
Medicines	Foreign nationals may bring or ship up to a 90-day supply for personal use. For others, including US citizens, FDA may allow up to a three-month supply only in limited cases.
Items bought abroad (travelers only)	Returning residents get an $800 duty-free allowance, but only for items that travel with them, apart from limited exceptions for some beneficiary countries and US territories. Items bought abroad and shipped separately don't qualify.
Alcohol (travelers only)	Returning residents aged 21 or over can include 1 liter within the $800 allowance, and adult nonresidents get 1 liter duty-free. Does not apply to shipments.
Tobacco (travelers only)	Returning residents: 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars within the $800 allowance. Adult nonresidents: 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 2 kg of smoking tobacco. Does not apply to shipments.

What you can't send to the United States4 6 7 8 10

Not allowed

Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
Counterfeit and pirated goods (the traveler's one-item exemption does not apply to shipments)
Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia
Soil, and items carrying soil, unless covered by a USDA import permit
Items made from endangered species, unless the US Fish and Wildlife Service allows them

Allowed with conditions

Food: Declare all food. USDA restricts or bans meat, eggs, milk and other animal products, fresh fruit and vegetables, and some dried plant products such as rice, herbs, and citrus peel. CBP generally admits items like bakery goods, coffee, tea, and spices. FDA Prior Notice may be required, unless the food is homemade and sent by the person who made it as a personal gift.
Plants, seeds, and plant products: Plants and seeds for planting need an APHIS import permit and a phytosanitary certificate for each shipment. Handicrafts made from plant material can be restricted too. Check APHIS's ACIR database before you send.
Medicines: FDA lets foreign nationals bring or ship up to a 90-day supply for personal use, ideally with an English prescription or doctor's letter. For others, including US citizens, importing unapproved drugs is generally illegal, though FDA may allow up to a three-month supply for a serious condition. Controlled substances fall under DEA rules.
Alcohol and tobacco: Never covered by the $100 gift exemption, and couriers usually refuse them. State laws also regulate alcohol.
Fish and wildlife products: Check with the US Fish and Wildlife Service first. Endangered species are generally banned, and ivory is tightly restricted and generally needs USFWS approval. Hunting trophies need USFWS Form 3-177.
Cultural artifacts and antiquities: The US restricts imports of some archaeological and cultural items, such as pre-Columbian monumental sculpture and Mayan objects from Guatemala. Keep the origin country's export permit and receipts, and check the State Department's list of current restrictions.
Goods made in Cuba or Iran: Generally banned. OFAC allows informational materials such as books, films, and artwork, and gifts worth up to $100 of a kind normally given as gifts (from Cuba they must be sent, not carried, and can't be alcohol or tobacco). Used household and personal effects of people arriving from Iran are also allowed. Anything else needs an OFAC license.
Pet food, chews, and treats: Restricted by USDA. Check APHIS's ACIR database for the product and origin before sending.

Sending from the United States

Shipping boxes out of the United States4 6 9 10

Most personal boxes leave the US with just a commercial invoice. You or an authorized agent, such as the courier, must file Electronic Export Information (EEI) in the Automated Export System when any one Schedule B number is worth more than $2,500, or when an export license is needed, whatever the value. The export rules' exemption for personal effects covers only baggage not shipped under an air waybill, so courier boxes follow the normal rules.

Documents

Commercial invoice listing each item and its value, marked as used personal effects or a gift where true
Sender's photo ID if the courier asks for it
EEI filed in AES, which the courier can do as your agent, if one Schedule B number is over $2,500 or a license is needed. Household goods for your own use abroad are reported without Schedule B codes.
Any export license, or OFAC authorization for an embargoed destination

Can't leave the country

Items that need a Commerce or State Department export license, such as firearms and defense articles. EEI is required for these at any value.
Goods for Cuba or Iran need US government authorization. For Iran, general licenses cover gifts up to $100 and the used household effects of people relocating there.
Medicines that are controlled substances may need a DEA export permit, which also triggers EEI
Couriers will not carry cash, aerosols, flammables, or loose lithium batteries

Before pickup

The $2,500 test applies to each Schedule B number, not to the whole box. Group similar items on the invoice.
Sending to Canada? EEI is generally not needed unless an item requires a license.
Taking foreign-made valuables abroad? Register items with serial numbers with CBP on Form 4457 before you leave, so they're easy to bring back later.
Check the destination's customs rules. The receiving country decides duties and taxes.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

Write the name, the street address with any apartment or unit number, then the city, two-letter state code, and ZIP code on one line. Add the receiver's US phone number and email so the courier can reach them.

Maria Example4821 Maplewood Ave, Apt 3BSpringfield, IL 62704United States+1 217 555 0143

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle.

Remote areas: Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other US territories, plus rural areas, can add 1-3 days and remote-area surcharges. Express couriers usually can't deliver to PO boxes.

Most boxes clear customs at a courier hub near a major gateway airport, then continue by ground or domestic air. Give the receiver's phone number and email so the courier can collect any duty and arrange delivery.

When things slow down

Peak season runs from mid-November through early January, around Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the December holidays. Expect slower service around federal holidays such as New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Lunar New Year, in January or February, can slow pickups from parts of Asia.

Advice for your situation

Students

Students arriving on an F-1 or J-1 visa count as nonresidents. Your own clothing, jewelry, toiletries, and similar personal effects that you owned before you left can enter free on CBP Form 3299. Household items qualify only after a year of use abroad. A care package from family worth $100 or less is duty-free as a gift.

Returning home

Moving back to the US? Everything you took abroad comes back free, and household goods you bought abroad are free once you've used them there for a year. Declare personal items you bought abroad, such as clothing or jewelry, on Form 3299; they may owe duty. Household goods should arrive within 10 years of your last return from the country where you used them.

Expats and relocations

Moving to the US for work? As a nonresident who is emigrating, you can bring your used personal effects, household goods used abroad for a year, and your professional books and tools of trade free of duty, claimed on Form 3299. Things for other people or for sale don't qualify. CBP says the 2026 Section 301 duties don't apply to goods properly claimed this way.

Tips for a smooth delivery

Mark real gifts as gifts, with honest values. Anything the receiver paid for is not a gift.
The $100 gift limit counts everything one person receives in one day. Splitting a box into parcels that arrive together won't help.
List what each item is and where it was made. Duty, including the 2026 Section 301 duties, depends on the country of origin, not where the box ships from.
Moving? Send Form 3299 and a full packing list to the courier before the boxes arrive.
Give the courier the receiver's SSN, EIN, or CBP-assigned number early, so clearance isn't held up.
Leave out food, plants, and seeds unless you have checked the rules, and clean all soil off shoes, bikes, and outdoor gear.

Shipping to and from the United States: questions

Is there still an $800 duty-free limit for packages to the US?

No. The $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended for every country since August 29, 2025, and a 2025 law ends it permanently on July 1, 2027. Most boxes now need a customs entry and may owe duty. Genuine gifts up to $100 and qualifying used personal effects are still duty-free.

Can I send a gift to someone in the US without duty?

Yes, if it is a genuine gift from a person abroad and everything the receiver gets that day is worth $100 or less ($200 from the US Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa). Mark the box as a gift. Alcohol and tobacco never qualify, and a gift over the limit pays duty on its full value.

Do the new US tariffs apply to my used belongings?

Not if they qualify as your personal or household effects and you claim them on CBP Form 3299. CBP says the Section 301 duties in force since July 24, 2026 don't apply to goods properly claimed under Chapter 98, which covers these effects. Boxes that don't qualify pay normal duty plus any extra duty for the goods' country of origin.

How do I ship my belongings back to the US when I move home?

List every item with its value, complete CBP Form 3299, and send both to the courier. Things you took abroad come back free, and household goods you bought abroad are free if you used them there for at least a year. Declare anything else you bought abroad.

Do I need a Social Security number to receive a package in the US?

The courier needs an importer number for the customs entry: an SSN, an IRS EIN, or a number CBP assigns through Form 5106 if you have neither. Give it to the courier early to avoid delays.

Can I send food or medicine to the US?

Food needs care: meat, eggs, dairy, fresh produce, and plants are restricted or banned, and FDA Prior Notice may be needed unless the food is homemade and sent as a personal gift. For medicine, FDA lets foreign nationals bring or ship up to a 90-day supply. For others, including US citizens, importing unapproved drugs is generally not allowed.

Do I need to file export paperwork to send boxes from the US?

Usually not. Electronic Export Information is needed only when one type of item (one Schedule B number) is worth more than $2,500, or when an export license is required. Shipments to Canada are generally exempt. The courier can file it for you.

What can't I send out of the US?

Items that need an export license, such as firearms and defense articles, and goods for embargoed destinations such as Cuba or Iran without US government authorization. Couriers also refuse hazardous items like aerosols, flammables, and loose lithium batteries.

Official help in the United States

CBP Information Center (opens in a new tab)
Answers and online questions at help.cbp.gov. Phone 877-CBP-5511 in the US or +1-202-325-8000 from abroad, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.
USDA APHIS Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) (opens in a new tab)
Look up the import rules for a food, plant, or animal product from a given country.

Official sources

Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in the United States makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

1.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
E-Commerce Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
2.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Federal Register, 91 FR 37789)
Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Merchandise Arriving Through All Modes Other Than the International Postal Network (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
3.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CSMS # 69326983 - GUIDANCE: Section 301 Forced Labor Import Duties (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
4.
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)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
5.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles (CBP Form 3299) (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
6.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Prohibited and Restricted Items (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
7.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Shipping Plants, Food, and Other Ag Items via Express Courier (opens in a new tab)
Biosecurity · checked September 26, 2026
8.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Personal Importation (opens in a new tab)
Health regulator · checked September 26, 2026
9.
U.S. Census Bureau (eCFR)
15 CFR Part 30 -- Foreign Trade Regulations (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
10.
Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury (eCFR)
31 CFR Chapter V -- Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

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