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. No prepaid line means the order is DDU/DAP and destination charges may be collected on arrival.
United States
All US orders are DDP. The former US$800 duty-free de minimis treatment remains suspended. The current temporary import surcharge is 10% through July 24, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. US Eastern Time, in addition to any product-specific base duty. Qualifying printed and informational materials are handled automatically by the checkout calculation.
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
FedEx’s live landed-cost estimate is primary. If the live estimate is unavailable, the fallback for Korean-origin shipments using Mexico’s simplified courier procedure is the official 33.5% global import rate. The US$50 and US$117 treaty-origin bands do not apply to Korean-origin goods.
Brazil
FedEx’s live estimate is primary. EmpressKorea is not identified in our current configuration as a certified Programa Remessa Conforme seller, so we do not promise PRC discounts. Under Brazil’s rules effective May 12, 2026, the non-PRC fallback is 60% import tax at every value, plus destination ICMS of 17%–20%. The checkout estimate uses the conservative upper bound only when a destination-specific FedEx result is unavailable.
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 temporary import surcharge
- 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
Last reviewed: July 16, 2026. We recheck temporary and time-limited measures before their effective end date.
