DeadlinePostal Service · Shipping & postalDeadline Nov 18, in 6 days5/5 quoted sentences found in the source

USPS can now bill the sender for foreign duties and fees on international mail; comments close November 18

The Postal Service changed its International Mail Manual, effective October 19, 2026, so that it can invoice a mailer for duties, taxes, import fees, and related charges assessed on a parcel abroad when they were not paid through USPS Delivered Duty Paid service. The change follows the European Union ending its low-value exemption on July 1, 2026; some EU posts now require duties prepaid, charge fees for inaccurate customs data, and pursue the sender when the recipient does not pay. It is an interim final rule with comments open until November 18.

EffectiveOctober 19, 2026
Comments byNovember 18, 2026
Prepaid optionUSPS Delivered Duty Paid

What the document says

Matched to source. In force October 19; comments until November 18, 2026.
Matched to source. The trigger is the EU ending its low-value exemption.
Matched to source. USPS may invoice the mailer for charges not prepaid.
Matched to source. If the recipient does not pay, the foreign post may come back to the sender.
Matched to source. Some posts charge fees for inaccurate customs information.

Who does this affect?: U.S. sellers who ship orders abroad by USPS, especially to the European Union, including through Shopify, Etsy, and eBay label tools.
What it costs: No rate stated. USPS may invoice the mailer for duties, taxes, import fees, and other charges a destination post assesses when they were not paid in full through USPS Delivered Duty Paid service.
What to check: If you mail orders to EU customers with USPS, check whether your label tool offers USPS Delivered Duty Paid for the destination country, look at how refused or unpaid parcels are handled in your terms, and ask your shipping platform who receives the invoice if a foreign post bills duties back.

The headline, summary, who, cost, and what-to-check lines are our reading of the document, not the document’s words and not advice.

Primary source

Customs Requirements and Payment Procedures for Certain Customs Charges