Important Update: New US Tariffs on UK Exports
Historically, exporting Print on Demand (POD) orders from the UK to the USA has been frictionless thanks to the de minimis exemption, which allowed products worth up to $800 to enter the US free of tariffs and import duties.
However, on 30th July 2025, the US government announced the removal of this exemption and from 29th August 2025, all parcels entering the USA will be subject to tariffs.
This change will affect any merchant selling goods to the USA, including Print-on-Demand products fulfilled by Inkthreadable.
In this blog, we’ll cover:
TL;DR: From 29th August 2025, all US orders will attract a 10% duty. Inkthreadable will collect this automatically on your invoice, based on your fulfillment costs, and pay it directly to our courier partners. Your customers will continue to get fast, uninterrupted delivery. To protect your margins, review and adjust your US pricing.
How will ordering with Inkthreadable change?
From Friday 29th August, Inkthreadable will switch to exporting US orders under Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) incoterms.
What does this mean for you?
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Fast, uninterrupted delivery: Your US customers won’t face surprise customs bills or delays at the border.
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Inkthreadable pays the courier upfront: Customs duties will be paid directly by us to our courier partners.
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We recover duties at checkout: Duties will be added to your order total automatically, clearly shown as a separate line item on your invoice.
Tariffs will be charged at 10% of your total Inkthreadable order cost.
How should you adjust your pricing?
To protect your margins, we strongly recommend updating your product pricing for US customers.
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Absorb tariffs into product pricing: Rather than showing tariffs as an “extra” cost, build them into your retail prices. This avoids checkout surprises that can hurt conversion.
If your e-commerce platform doesn’t allow setting prices by region, you may choose to increase your price to all customers by a small percentage to offset your increased COGS to the USA.
If you’re selling on Shopify, use Shopify Markets and Catalogues to increase your prices automatically to US customers by following this guide. -
Be transparent where possible: Adding a note like “Duties Included” in your checkout messaging can reassure customers that they won’t face hidden fees and optimise your conversion rate.
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Plan for a 10% increase on US fulfilment costs: This is the simplest way to maintain profitability. For example, if your current cost for a t-shirt is £15, you should expect to pay £16.50 including tariffs.
Will there be changes to couriers?
Inkthreadable currently exports all US orders using a USPS mail partner. From 29th August, we will also introduce Royal Mail as a service option for USA exports.
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You cannot choose which courier is used. Our system will select the best option for your order based on its contents and delivery location.
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Final-mile delivery will always be completed by USPS, ensuring reliable handoff within the USA.
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Our optimised routing rules will ensure you receive the best possible delivery speeds and costs.
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There will be no changes to USA shipping costs with the introduction of Royal Mail. The only additional charges are the duties.
What should you do next?
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Review your US pricing and adjust it to account for tariffs.
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Update your storefront messaging if you want to highlight “Duties Included” at checkout.
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Keep communicating with your customers, reassuring them that they won’t face extra customs bills or delays when shopping with you.
In summary
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From 29th August, all orders shipped to the USA will attract a tariff.
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Inkthreadable will pay the duties upfront so that your customers keep an uninterrupted delivery experience.
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You’ll see a new “Export Duties” line on your orders with Inkthreadable for USA orders, which will be billed at 10% of the order total.
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We recommend adjusting your US prices to protect margins and maintain a smooth customer experience.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as international trade regulations evolve, and our support team is here if you have any questions.