2M+ orders fulfilled 
How duty is calculated on your USA orders
How duty is calculated on your USA orders
We calculate duty on USA orders using the price your buyer pays for each product, plus the shipping they pay. The previous flat 10% has gone. Each product has its own duty rate, so your selling price and the products in the order affect the charge.
We apply the rate to those amounts paid by your buyer when working out duty on your order with us. A Gildan Heavy Cotton T-shirt carries 26.50% duty, while loose prints, framed prints and greeting cards carry no duty.
Estimate your USA duty
What changed
From 24 July 2026, standard product duty rates apply to postal shipments entering the USA. Royal Mail’s USA guidance confirms that date, and the USPS notice dated 27 July 2026 confirms when the new US customs rules took effect.
If your US prices still allow for that single rate, check the products you sell before your next price update.
How the product rate is decided
US duties depend on the type of product and its country of origin. The product’s HS code is the customs code used to identify its category, and applicable additional US duties can also affect the rate.
The US authorities set these duties; Royal Mail collects them through its delivery service.
Use the complete product rate returned by the calculator for your estimate, without adding a separate 10% on top.
Country of origin means where the product was made. A garment made in Bangladesh and one made in China can carry different rates, even when we print both in our UK factory and send them together.
Printing and dispatching your order from the UK doesn’t mean every item has the same origin. When you’re comparing two products for a new listing, check each product’s rate alongside its price.
Rates for products you sell
Use the duty calculator above to find a product or HS code and check its rate. Enter the product price and shipping charge paid by your buyer in GBP to estimate the duty.
Check each product separately when comparing your range. Products in the same broad category can carry different rates.
Estimate the duty before you sell
Start with the amount your buyer pays for the product in your store. Add the shipping they pay for that item. Enter both amounts in GBP when using the calculator.
Estimated duty = product rate × (buyer’s product price + buyer’s shipping charge)
Use the product price actually paid, after any discount you’ve applied. If you offer free shipping, enter zero for the buyer’s shipping charge.
For a calculator, divide the percentage by 100 first: 26.50% becomes 0.265. Add the buyer’s product price and shipping charge together, multiply by that decimal rate and round the answer to the nearest penny.
The product and shipping costs you pay us are separate inputs when you work out your margin. Add the estimated duty to your fulfilment cost before duty to find your total fulfilment cost including duty.
A cotton T-shirt sold to a US buyer
This example uses the 26.50% rate checked on 9 September 2026 and illustrative selling prices: your buyer pays £10 for a Gildan Heavy Cotton T-shirt and £4 for shipping. Replace those amounts with the prices from your own store when you estimate an order.
| Part of the calculation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Product price paid by your buyer | £10 |
| Shipping paid by your buyer | £4 |
| Sale value used for duty | £14 |
| Duty at 26.50%: £14 × 0.265 | £3.71 |
The estimated duty on this sale is £3.71. That amount forms part of your fulfilment cost, so allow for it when checking what’s left from the sale.
The calculator also lets you enter your fulfilment cost before duty. That optional amount includes the product, decoration and shipping you pay us, and lets you see your total fulfilment cost including duty.
Orders with different products
The estimator works with one product rate at a time. For an order containing different rates, you’ll need the portion of the buyer’s shipping charge attributable to each item before estimating the items separately.
Don’t add the full shipping charge to every item, because that counts the same shipping more than once. If you need help matching the items and shipping on a mixed order, contact us with the order number and we’ll help you check it.
Products with no duty
Loose art prints and posters, framed prints and greeting cards carry 0.00% duty on our USA orders. Their product and shipping costs still form part of your fulfilment cost, but there’s no duty amount to add for those products.
If you sell prints alongside clothing, check them separately when reviewing your US prices. The clothing rate doesn’t apply to your prints.
What your buyer sees
We send US orders delivered duty paid, usually shortened to DDP. Duty is settled before delivery. Your buyer isn’t asked to pay it on arrival and the parcel isn’t held awaiting their duty payment.
You can tell your US buyers that duty is paid before delivery when they order products fulfilled by us. That gives you a clear answer when someone asks whether they’ll receive a separate duty bill.
Review your US retail prices
Start with the products you sell most often to US buyers. Estimate duty using the product price and shipping charge in your store, then add that duty to your fulfilment cost and compare the result with what your buyer pays.
You can account for duty in your US price, absorb it in your margin or split it between the two. If you already allow for duty in your pricing, compare the estimate with that existing allowance before deciding what to change.
Recalculate duty at any new selling price you’re considering. Increasing your product price or shipping charge also increases the amount used to calculate duty, so check the revised estimate before saving the price in your store.
A promotion can change the calculation too. Use the discounted product price your buyer pays when checking whether an offer leaves the margin you need, and include your selling fees in that separate margin calculation.
Save the product rate alongside your pricing calculation so you can revisit it when your prices change. Check the rate on your order before relying on an older estimate, as rates can change.
For help understanding a duty charge on one of our invoices, contact us with the order number and product name. For advice about your own tax or customs position, speak to your adviser.