Last update: 09/16/2026

New customs requirements for postal shipment of goods to the USA

We would like to inform you today about further developments in customs regulations for shipping with DHL Paket International to the USA and Puerto Rico effective from July 24, 2026. These require adjustments to data transmission as well as customs calculation towards your customers.

On June 24, U.S. Customs published new import regulations that will apply from July 2026 and October 2026. The aim is to align data requirements and duty levels with those of commercial customs clearance used by other service providers.

Effective from July 24, 2026:

 PreviouslyFrom July 24, 2026
CommodityAt least 6 digits (global HS code)10-digit U.S.-specific HTSUS code
pDDP service mandatory forShipments up to and including USD 800Shipments up to and including USD 2,500
Duties paid by recipient; no pDDPShipments from USD 800Shipments from USD 2,500
DutiesFlat-rate duty of 10%Dependent on the goods, higher duties based on commercial tariff rates

The adjustment of the commodity code can be made prior to the cut-off date. The change of the pDDP value threshold must be implemented on the cut-off date. For shipments with a value above USD 2,500, booking pDDP remains not possible. For such shipments, the recipient continues to pay the applicable duties.

Please take the higher duties into account in your pricing towards your customers in invoicing or checkout. Various service providers, including our broker Zonos, offer so-called "landed cost calculators." Your tax advisor or the Chamber of Foreign Trade can also assist with questions. Please understand that we are not legally permitted to provide customs consultancy.

All existing customs data requirements (especially the indication of country of origin per item) remain unchanged. Please ensure a clear and accurate description for each item, e.g. similar to the description used in your webshop. This allows the broker to verify or determine the 10-digit HTSUS code based on your data.

The calculation of duties is the responsibility of the broker in coordination with U.S. Customs authorities. DHL has no influence on the amount of duties. These are calculated based on the data you provide and, when using the pDDP service, are merely charged to you by us.

Outlook on requirements from October 22 for business customers

For specific goods1, e.g. products made of aluminum and steel, automotive parts, textiles or children's toys, additional data and documents (e.g. safety certificates) will be required to allow import or to use reduced duty rates. Please expect that during the transition phase until the end of October, U.S. Customs authorities may apply maximum duties, e.g. on Section 232 aluminum.

We are currently preparing our systems to receive and process documents and additional data elements beyond UPU standards from you. Please expect more detailed technical information at a later stage regarding the adjustment of your systems and the transmission of documents from you to us. We recommend that you carry out an analysis of the affected goods with your tax advisor.

Further details regarding the extended customs clearance processes from October will be provided here over the course of the summer.

As a general rule, customers can continue to ship parcels to the United States with Deutsche Post/DHL. For standard goods, meaning shipments that do not require additional data elements, the processes introduced on 24 June 2026 and described above are sufficient to ensure continued exports from 22 October 2026 onwards.

For "special goods"1 that require additional non-postal data elements or supporting documentation, we will support two methods for providing the necessary information in the future.

Option A (Recommended) – Zonos Verified Account

Use the comprehensive support tools provided by our customs broker, Zonos, to identify any additional data requirements for the customs clearance of your shipments and to submit the required U.S.-specific customs and PGA (Partner Government Agency) information directly to Zonos. The basic service is available free of charge and helps streamline the customs clearance process by supporting the provision of shipment-related information.

Registration for a Zonos Verified Account has been available since September 14, 2026.

Setting up your account only requires a few steps:

  1. Register for a Zonos Verified Account. (Detailed information and a video tutorial are available directly from Zonos)
  2. Create and maintain your product-related information in the Zonos portal.
  3. Provide the U.S.-specific customs and PGA information required for customs clearance for each product.
  4. Have the submitted information reviewed and verified by Zonos.
  5. Receive your individual Zonos ID once setup and verification have been completed successfully.

After registering for a Zonos Verified Account, you can include your Zonos ID in the electronic shipment data you transmit to DHL using the field. This allows your verified product information stored with Zonos to be used for customs filing and clearance in the United States on a shipment-by-shipment basis.

In addition, we are preparing functionality that will allow you to store your Zonos ID in your DHL Business Customer Portal account settings for U.S. shipments. Once available, the Zonos ID will be transmitted automatically with each shipment.

The technical details for transmitting and processing the Zonos ID are currently being finalized. The use of product data provided and verified through Zonos in shipment processing and customs clearance is currently planned for mid-October 2026.

Detailed step-by-step instructions for registering a Zonos Verified Account and submitting the required product, customs, and PGA data are already available on the Zonos website: Deutsche Post U.S. Product Data | Zonos.

Option B (In Development) – Invoice-Based Customs Clearance

We are currently working on the implementation of an invoice-based customs clearance process. This option is not yet available. Additional information regarding availability and use will be published at a later date.

In the future, you will be able to provide the required U.S.-specific customs and PGA information for each product directly on the shipment-specific commercial invoice and submit the invoice electronically to DHL as part of the shipment booking process.

Based on the shipment data and the digital customs documentation, including the detailed product information provided on the commercial invoice, Zonos will perform the customs clearance process.

Due to specific U.S. regulatory requirements, customs documentation, including the commercial invoice and CN23 customs declaration, must continue to accompany the shipment in paper form and be placed in the document pouch on the outside of the parcel until further notice.

Important Information for Both Options

"Special goods"1 arriving in the United States without the required U.S.-specific customs and PGA data cannot be customs cleared and will be returned to the sender at the sender's expense.

As legal requirements and available solutions are currently evolving rapidly, please refer regularly to the latest updates and guidance provided on this webpage.

The new shipping conditions for postal shipment of goods from Germany to the USA apply exclusively to DHL Paket products. Products of other DHL divisions such as DHL Express or DHL eCommerce remain unaffected.

Up-to-date information on these dynamic developments can be found on this page and at www.dhl.de/pddp as well as directly on the topic website of our customs service provider: https://zonos.com/ieepa-tariff-ruling-updates

1Definition according to CBP publication: "subject to PGA requirements, merchandise subject to duties under Chapter 98 or Chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), or for which duty-free treatment is claimed under Chapter 98 of the HTSUS or pursuant to a Free Trade Agreement (see new 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v)-(vi))" Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/24/2026-12669/indefinite-suspension-of-the-de-minimis-exemption-for-mail-shipments-and-new-postal-informal-entry

Billing for shipments up to and including USD 2,500 (shipping with PDDP)

Please note that the calculation of duties is the responsibility of the broker in coordination with U.S. Customs authorities. DHL has no influence on the amount of duties. These are calculated based on the data you provide and, when using the pDDP service, are merely charged to you by us.

Further information on the Postal Delivered Duty Paid service (Postal DDP / PDDP) can be found here.

Update on the IEEPA duties refund process

We are closely monitoring legal developments related to IEEPA duties to ensure that our customers are able to fully exercise their legal rights. In light of the current legal situation, we will support our customers in ensuring that potential refunds can be processed correctly and efficiently.

We are also aware that this applies exclusively to IEEPA duties. So far, these are the only duties that apply in postal traffic. Previous reports on refunds in the media do not relate to postal customs clearance, to which our products are subject.

Further information

On August 29, 2025, a new U.S. customs regulation came into force: the Executive Order "Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for all Countries." This led to global restrictions for the postal shipment of goods to the USA and to the elimination of the previous duty-free threshold for all commercial imports into the USA. This regulation, always described as temporary, is now being replaced by the new 19 CFR Part 145 "Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Mail Shipments and New Postal." The aim of this change is to align data requirements and duty levels with those of commercial customs clearance used by non-postal service providers.

Postal customs clearance:

The shipping and import of postal items is handled by national postal operators that have special agreements with customs authorities and the United States Postal Service (USPS). The postal customs clearance process is generally simpler and more cost-efficient, as it is based on the Universal Postal Union framework. With the current adjustments, U.S. Customs authorities aim to align the data requirements and duty levels with those of commercial customs clearance of non-postal service providers.

Commercial customs clearance:

DHL Express offers the option of commercial customs clearance. This type of clearance mainly concerns commercial goods traffic and is often handled by specialized customs agents or brokers. Commercial shipments are subject to stricter requirements regarding description, classification and proof of value of the goods, as well as additional controls.

When shipping with DHL Express, the goods declaration is made by DHL as the customs broker in the USA. Payment of the duties is made according to the "Incoterm" agreed between sender and recipient, which determines who is responsible for costs, risks and customs clearance.

For private customers, there are no additional changes resulting from the new regulation.  Further information is available at the  US country site (German only).

Customs duties for shipments with pDDP to the USA are determined by our broker Zonos as part of the customs process and paid to U.S. authorities to ensure a smooth customs clearance process.

Afterwards, we will issue you an invoice for the advanced customs duties.

We recommend that you inform yourself about the applicable customs duties using a "landed cost calculator" or by consulting your tax advisor.

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Due to U.S. regulations, it is currently not possible to reclaim duties for returns of goods up to and including USD 2,500.

We expect that refunds may be possible under the new procedure from the end of October. However, this has not yet been confirmed.

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Transit times for shipments should not increase under the new regulations, provided that correct customs data is supplied.

Current transit times for international shipments and possible delays can be found on our website.

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Excluded from the regulation are:

  • Private parcels with a value of up to USD 100 that are clearly marked as "gift"
  • Documents

These shipments are subject to strict controls.

Shipments with a value above USD 2,500 are also exempt from the mandatory use of PDDP.

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Most shipping information for shipments to the USA will initially remain unchanged.

Particularly important are:

  • A precise item description
  • HS code
  • Country of origin
  • Declared value

These details are mandatory for customs calculation.

Additionally, from July 24, a 10-digit U.S.-specific HTSUS code will become mandatory. Without this information, shipments cannot be delivered and will be returned to the sender.

Further changes will apply from October 22.

For specific goods, e.g. aluminum products, automotive parts, textiles or toys, additional data or documents (e.g. safety certificates) will be required in order to allow import or to benefit from lower duty rates.

Please expect that during the transition period until the end of October, U.S. Customs authorities may apply maximum duties, e.g. for Section 232 aluminum. We recommend conducting an analysis of affected goods together with your tax advisor.

We are preparing our systems to receive and process documents and additional data elements in addition to the currently required postal customs data. Please expect technical information regarding system adjustments at a later stage.

According to CBP publication, specific goods are defined as: "subject to PGA requirements, merchandise subject to duties under Chapter 98 or Chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), or for which duty-free treatment is claimed under Chapter 98 of the HTSUS or pursuant to a Free Trade Agreement (see new 19 CFR 145.12(a)(2)(v)-(vi))" 

Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/24/2026-12669/indefinite-suspension-of-the-de-minimis-exemption-for-mail-shipments-and-new-postal-informal-entry

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If you declare a shipment using the PDDP service and the declared value exceeds the country-specific maximum threshold for PDDP, the shipment will be returned to you.

In this case, no customs duties will be charged.

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If you declare a shipment without using the PDDP service and the declared value is below USD 2,500, the shipment will be returned to you.

In this case, no customs duties will be charged.

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For various reasons, we use a fixed exchange rate of EUR 0.85 per USD. Therefore, the value threshold in our systems is set at USD 2,500 or EUR 2,125. USD 100 corresponds to EUR 85. In the event of significant exchange rate fluctuations, we reserve the right to adjust the fixed exchange rate. To make full use of the allowance up to and including USD 2,500, we strongly recommend declaring the value of the goods in the destination country's currency (in this case, USD).

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The official U.S. government website containing all HTSUS codes, training materials, and guidance documents can be found at HTSUS Website. There are also various service providers, including customs and tax advisors as well as technology companies, that offer support in determining the correct customs tariff classification for goods. Zonos, our customs broker in the United States, also provides such services through Zonos. We are currently working on a partnership model that is planned for the fourth quarter of this year.

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