Last update: 10/19/2026

New customs conditions for postal merchandise shipments to the USA

This page provides information about the current customs regulations for shipping with DHL Paket International to the USA and Puerto Rico.

On 24 June 2026, the US customs authority published new import regulations that have applied since July 2026 and provide for further requirements for special goods. The US customs authority has now postponed the date from which these additional requirements become mandatory from 22 October 2026 to 20 January 2027.

Effective since 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 tariff-code adjustment may be made before the effective date. The value threshold for the pDDP service must be changed on the effective date. It remains impossible to book pDDP for shipments with a merchandise value exceeding USD 2,500. For such shipments, the recipient continues to pay the applicable duties and charges.

Please take the higher duties into account when setting prices for your customers in billing or checkout. Various service providers, including our broker Zonos, offer "landed cost calculators". Your tax adviser or chamber of foreign trade may also be able to assist. Please understand that we are not legally permitted to provide customs advice.

All existing customs-data requirements, particularly the country of origin for each item, remain in place. Please provide a clear and accurate description for each item, comparable to the description used in your online shop. This enables the broker to review or determine the 10-digit HTSUS code based on your data.

The calculation of duties is the responsibility of the broker in coordination with the US customs authorities. DHL has no influence over the amount of duties. Duties are calculated based on the data you provide and, when the pDDP service is used, are recharged to you by DHL.

Additional requirements for special goods from 20 January 2027

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has postponed the mandatory introduction of additional requirements for certain goods by 90 days, from 22 October 2026 to 20 January 2027.

The postponement does not change anything for "regular goods". For shipments without additional data requirements, the information applicable since 24 July 2026 and described above remains sufficient.

For special goods1, particularly goods subject to Section 232 (e.g. products containing steel or aluminium) and PGA-controlled goods (goods within the remit of a Partner Government Agency), additional US-specific data and, where applicable, documents will be required in future. The mandatory provision of this additional information will now apply from 20 January 2027. The postponement applies, among other things, to shipments subject to Section 232 duties or within the remit of a Partner Government Agency (PGA).

Additional information can already be provided from 22 October

DHL will continue to support the provision of additional information for special goods from 22 October 2026.

For goods subject to Section 232, such as products containing steel or aluminium, it may be beneficial to submit the additional data at this stage. More detailed information about the goods or their metal content allows the applicable Section 232 duties to be calculated more accurately and may help to avoid potential maximum duty rates where the additional information permits a lower rate to be applied.

For PGA-controlled goods, the additional information is primarily required to meet the specific regulatory requirements of the relevant US authority.

DHL offers two options for providing the additional US-specific customs and PGA data:

Option A (recommended): Zonos Verified Account

A Zonos Verified Account gives you access to support tools from our customs broker Zonos. These tools help identify additional data requirements for customs clearance of your special goods and allow you to store the required US-specific customs and PGA data directly with Zonos.

The basic service is free of charge. Registration for a Zonos Verified Account has been available since 14 September 2026.

Create Zonos Verified Account

Setup takes only a few steps:

  1. Register free of charge for a Zonos Verified Account.
  2. Create your product-related data in the Zonos portal.
  3. Enter the additional US-specific customs and PGA information required for customs clearance for each product.
  4. Have the information you provided verified by Zonos.
  5. Once setup is complete, you will receive your individual Zonos ID.

Sending your Zonos ID to DHL

Your Zonos ID must be transmitted to DHL so that the product information stored with Zonos can be used for customs clearance of your shipments.

You can transmit your Zonos ID in two ways:

  • Include the Zonos ID in the electronic shipment data when creating the shipment.

  • Store the Zonos ID in your master data in the DHL Business Customer Portal for US shipments, enabling it to be transmitted automatically for the relevant shipments.

A detailed description of both methods is available under Step 6 of the Zonos account setup instructions.

Our recommendation: If you wish to continue shipping special goods to the USA and have not yet set up a free Zonos Verified Account, the postponement until 20 January 2027 gives you additional time to register and prepare your product data for the new requirements. You can nevertheless provide the additional information from 22 October 2026.

Option B: Invoice-based customs clearance

Alternatively, you can provide the required additional US-specific customs and PGA data directly via the digital commercial invoice.

When booking your shipment to the USA, indicate that you are shipping special goods1. Then use the Paperless function to send your commercial invoice, including the required additional information, digitally to DHL.

The electronic shipment data and digitally submitted commercial invoice, including the additional product information, can then be used by Zonos for customs clearance.

Important: Despite digital transmission, the required customs documents must, until further notice, also be attached physically to the outside of the parcel in the document pouch. Use of the Paperless function does not currently replace the physical documents.

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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