USPS Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) allows the sender to prepay applicable import duties, taxes, and fees at the time of mailing. USPS DDP is intended to ensure delivery of merchandise to the recipient without any additional charges related to import duties, taxes, and fees due upon delivery under normal circumstances.
The term “de minimis” refers to a value threshold below which imported goods are exempt from import duties or taxes. This threshold varies significantly across countries.
Import duties are charges collected by the destination country on imported goods. The duty amount is calculated based on the value, country of origin, and classification of the goods. Import duties can also vary depending on free trade agreements, and the de minimis value set by the importing country.
Import fees may be applied by brokers, government agencies, customs, and other service providers. These fees can change based on many different factors and may apply even when duties and taxes are not applicable.
Import taxes are taxes placed on international purchases and can vary by country, region, HS code, and de minimis value. Some countries apply a general consumption tax referred to as a value-added tax (VAT) or a goods and services tax (GST). The way these taxes are calculated varies by country.
Low-value goods are imported goods for which the seller is required by the destination country to register for VAT/GST and collect and remit taxes. Only certain countries impose this requirement and the value threshold required to qualify as “low-value” varies across countries.
A third-party service provider used by USPS to facilitate payment of any applicable import duties, import taxes, and import fees in accordance with the Service Provider Terms of Service.
An agreement between the sender and the Service Provider that the sender must agree to during the USPS postage payment process when opting to use USPS Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). The Service Provider Terms of Service establish the sender’s rights and responsibilities vis-à-vis the Service Provider with respect to the sender’s use of USPS DDP. The current version of the Service Provider Terms of Service is available at https://zonos.com/docs/legal/usps-terms-of-service.
The estimated amount of all import duties, import taxes, and import fees, as applicable, for a mailpiece being shipped through the USPS to an international destination that is quoted to the sender at the time of mailing.
