Import Charges Guide
This page explains how EmpressKorea currently handles import charges. It is not a universal country tax calculator. Product classification, origin, order value, carrier, and destination rules can change the result.
A prepaid import line means that amount is collected before shipment. A selected FedEx rate may instead include duties in shipping; checkout will not duplicate the charge. Only an explicit import charges not included or DDU/DAP notice means destination charges may be collected before delivery.
United States
All US orders are DDP. For non-exempt South Korean goods entered from July 24, 2026, the combined MFN and Section 301 duty is capped at 12.5%. FedEx uses its live HTS and landed-cost response. K-Packet uses the same verified 12.5% operational rate for dutiable goods plus the separately shown postal handling fee. Qualifying printed and informational materials are exempt from this duty and are handled automatically at checkout.
European Union
For distance-sale consignments valued at or below €150, destination VAT is collected through IOSS. From July 1, 2026 through July 1, 2028, the former customs-duty exemption is replaced by a temporary €3 duty per tariff classification (not per physical quantity); checkout prepays it for imported items. Above €150, eligible FedEx shipments use DDP for destination VAT and any applicable product duty.
United Kingdom
EmpressKorea’s operational FedEx DDP floor is US$500. Below that value the order is DDU. UK rules require VAT treatment at the point of sale for consignments valued at £135 or less; therefore, do not assume that a low-value order is tax-free. Use the actual tax/import lines shown at checkout.
Canada, UAE and Saudi Arabia
Orders below US$500 are DDU and orders of US$500 or more use FedEx DDP when checkout shows the prepaid line. Canada’s tax can vary by province. UAE’s AED300 and Saudi Arabia’s SAR1,000 figures concern customs-duty treatment and do not automatically remove VAT.
Mexico
Mexico is FedEx-only DDP at every order value. Applicable import charges are prepaid at checkout. Checkout uses the selected FedEx service’s landed-cost quote when FedEx returns one; otherwise it prepays the 33.5% global import rate for Korean-origin shipments under Mexico’s simplified courier procedure, applied to goods plus shipping, together with the FedEx advancement fee. The US$50 and US$117 treaty-origin bands do not apply to Korean-origin goods. Korea Post is not offered for Mexico.
Brazil
Brazil is FedEx-only DDP at every order value. Applicable import charges are prepaid at checkout. Checkout uses the selected FedEx service’s landed-cost quote when FedEx returns one. EmpressKorea is not identified in our current configuration as a certified Programa Remessa Conforme seller, so we do not promise PRC discounts. Otherwise checkout prepays the non-PRC 60% import tax on goods plus shipping and ICMS at the 20% upper bound of the 17%–20% destination range, together with the FedEx advancement fee. Korea Post is not offered for Brazil.
Central America, South America and Caribbean
FedEx DDP at every order value. Checkout uses the FedEx landed-cost quote when FedEx returns one. FedEx rarely returns one for Korean-origin parcels, so applicable import duties and taxes are otherwise prepaid from each destination’s published rates (Mexico: 33.5% global import rate; Brazil: 60% non-PRC import tax plus ICMS) together with the FedEx advancement fee. Puerto Rico follows the United States customs contract with Puerto Rico IVU.
Peru and Uruguay ship by Korea Post only and are DDU for personal orders with goods value up to US$200 (Peru SUNAT Importa Fácil; the Uruguayan personal postal allowance of three shipments per year). Orders above US$200 cannot be placed for these two destinations.
Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba are not served: no carrier can deliver from Korea with import charges settled in advance.
Australia, New Zealand and Singapore
- Australia: low-value GST rules apply at or below A$1,000; higher-value FedEx orders use the live DDP estimate.
- New Zealand: low-value GST rules apply at or below NZ$1,000. A low-value border levy has applied since April 1, 2026 and is usually paid by the freight forwarder.
- Singapore: GST is 9%. Low-value goods are S$400 or less; registered overseas vendors may collect GST at sale, while higher-value imports are assessed at import.
All other countries
Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, Norway, Israel, and destinations not listed above are DDU/DAP. We intentionally do not publish a fixed estimate for them. The destination customs authority or carrier determines any applicable amount.
Official references
- United States Section 301 Korea rate effective July 24, 2026
- European Commission — IOSS / €150 treatment
- European Commission — temporary €3 low-value customs duty from July 1, 2026
- UK Government — overseas goods and £135 VAT rule
- Mexico ANAM — courier import rules
- Brazil Receita Federal — rules effective May 12, 2026
- Singapore Customs — low-value GST
- New Zealand Customs — 2026 goods levies
Policy rate blocks are synchronized weekly with checkout settings. Last policy review: September 11, 2026. Time-limited measures remain subject to their cited official sources.
