Beware the tariff on gifts mailed to the US!

Thanks for the heads up Ruth. I found something I liked in the UK this summer but couldn’t find a copy to take home. Fortunately I found one online and knew someone traveling from the UK to us this fall so she ordered it and brought the small item with her. Things have become more complicated and expensive.

Good reminder! I was thinking about doing that on my recent trip to Romania because I bought so many souvenirs and gifts. Everything is just so gorgeous. At the time I wasn't totally sure whether a tariff would kick in, but I sort of assumed it would. I ultimately decided that I would just lug it around, which I did. But that's a good point for those who are traveling now. Definitely think about that before you ship.

Ruth, unsolicited gifts under $100US sent between individuals are exempt from tariffs if the package is declared as a gift at the time of shipping.

The package must have the words "Unsolicited Gift" or "Consolidated Gift Package;" written on it along with a total value of the package plus recipient's name and the nature and value of the gifts, such as tea towel $15.

Thanks, Jean. Wish she had known that! Wish you could post this in bold on my post!

I plan to mail home some personal clothing items and things from Paris at the end of the week because we no longer need them and I would like to lighten our load. Over our 11 week trip we there are various weather conditions and activities, and now that we are 6 weeks in we are no longer hiking, etc., so why continue to cart them around? Does anyone know if your already owned personal items are subject to tariffs?

They are not, but you need to complete the customs form accurately. I've never mailed US goods home, so I can't give you proper terminology. I think you'll find it pretty easily by Googling, though.

Andrea I would go sooner rather than later this week and get a customs form https://www.laposte.fr/ecom/occ/smartedit/medias/sys_master/pdf/hd2/he3/13372369240094/modele-de-facture-pro-forma/modele-de-facture-pro-forma.pdf and buy a box. It seems like the current rules to the US are personal goods or gifts under $100 total are duty/tariff free but go soon to ask. Be sure to list items and note that their country of origin was the US. We have mailed things back on semester long trips and would need to itemize used, US clothing. The new tariff rules kicked in on August while we and you were in Europe so go soon to LaPoste to pick up materials and ask your questions.

To avoid tariffs when mailing items to Croatia, especially clothing, we would write used when describing the item. We took off any tags and pre washed the clothes. It has worked these past few years.
It might work in reverse.
PS - my sister uses this method when mailing things to her daughter in Australia also. So far no tariffs.

Okay, I just deleted my original response and I'm rewriting it.

According to the Customs website there is NO exemption for gifts anymore effective August 29, 2025. I'm posting this but will come back with a link.

Here is a link about international shipping and tariffs from UPS that explains this: https://www.ups.com/us/en/shipping/international-shipping/tariffs

Changes to De Minimis
Effective August 29th, de minimis will be eliminated for all shipments imported into the U.S. regardless of origin country or shipment value. All shipments will need to go through U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) and could be subject to duties, taxes and brokerage fees. Typically, these costs are the responsibility of the person receiving the shipment.

This is insane - according to this parcel service, gifts are still exempted as follows:

Gifts: Parcels sent from one individual to another, declared as “gift”, with a value of up to $100, remain duty-free, though they are now subject to stricter customs checks.

And on the US Customs website, it does say gifts are exempt, but also says that all information on this page is out of date. And this page is even more unclear (but also says the info is 5 years old). Oh, I could get so political here, but won't.

Mardee I read through some of those recent changes and I believe the tariffs only apply to businesses. They said individuals could mail used items with a value under $100. It will be good for Andrea to go find out the details on Monday at LePoste.

Also gift vs personal item differences for individuals…

Yes, I agree but Mona, as noted above, I would not trust anything on the Customs website right now, as nothing is current. So yes, I would also suggest going to the parcel place and asking.

But just an FYI, Andrea is not shipping gifts, she is shipping used clothing home and from everything I have read, that is not exempt. The only way to get around it would be to list the items as gifts to friends/relatives who live close by and have it mailed there. And if it's not accepted as a gift (one parcel company noted that they are subjecting gift packages to greater scrutiny), then the recipient might have to pay the tariff fee.

Hopefully I'm wrong! But I do know that a lot changed on August 29th.

For what it's worth, here is what AI is saying (which makes sense):

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not changed the rules for sending gifts to the United States. A gift sent from an individual in Europe to a private U.S. resident is exempt from duty and tax if its value is $100 or less. However, recent changes to the "de minimis" tariff exemption on commercial shipments have caused confusion and led some European postal services to temporarily suspend packages to the U.S.

Gifts vs. commercial shipments
The key to understanding the recent customs changes is the difference between a bona fide gift and a commercial shipment.
Bona fide gift: These are sent from one private individual to another for personal use. They are not affected by the new rules if they are valued at $100 or less. They must be clearly marked "gift" on the customs form.
Commercial shipment: These are sent by a business or an individual selling an item. Effective August 29, 2025, the U.S. suspended the de minimis exemption for all countries, meaning commercial shipments valued under $800 are no longer duty-free. They are now subject to tariffs and taxes.

Why European postal services paused shipments
In late August 2025, some European postal agencies, such as those in Germany, Denmark, and Italy, temporarily stopped shipping many packages to the U.S.. This was not because the rules changed for gifts, but due to confusion over the complex new requirements and paperwork for commercial shipments.

For commercial shipments, the new process requires:
More complex customs documentation.
Higher costs for sellers, which are often passed to the buyer.
New tariff rates that apply based on the item and its country of origin.

Summary of what you need to know
For gifts under $100: If you are receiving a gift from a friend or relative in Europe that is valued at $100 or less, it should still be duty and tax-free. Make sure the sender marks the package "Unsolicited Gift" and includes a detailed description and value of the contents on the customs form.
For gifts over $100: If a gift exceeds the $100 limit, the entire value of the package will be subject to duties. The recipient is typically responsible for paying these fees upon delivery.
For online purchases: If you buy something online from a European business, it is a commercial shipment and is no longer exempt from tariffs. Be prepared for potentially higher costs and delays as shipping companies adapt to the new rules.

And one more site. I went to Le Poste to see what they said, and at the top is a notice saying:

Due to new US customs measures, shipments of goods to the United States have been temporarily suspended since August 25. Sending gifts with a total value of less than 80 euros remains possible between individuals only. Translated from French

It then directs you to this page that gives more details about shipping gifts and other packages to the US:
https://aide.laposte.fr/contenu/quelle-est-la-nouvelle-reglementation-pour-les-envois-vers-les-etats-unis

I just submitted a question to CBP re clarification on the exemption for duty on unsolicited gifts. If I get a response, I'll post it here.

So sorry for these countries and our unclear, changing pronouncements.

To add to what's been said above- I was in Greece about a month ago and there was a sign at the post office saying all shipments to the US were currently suspended.

It's ridiculous. I won't get political here, but even so, you'd think there could be some clarity from the agency that is mandating all this.

Andrea, The French Post Office is not sending packages to the US. In fact, Americans I know told me their post office wasn't even sending letters to the US right now. So before you buy that expensive shipping box at La Poste, ask the person behind the desk if they are shipping to the US now in case it has changed. We used to ship books every year. The last time we did it 10 years ago, it costs about 48 euros for a smallish box.

Someone else said to try UPS or FeEx because they heard they were shipping to the US.

And beware sending us gifts in France and possibly other EU countries. Ask the recipient before sending as your well-meaning gift could be a PIA.

We get hit with high tariffs on gifts, from a slightly thick birthday card (10 euro) to anything in a box (10-40+ euros). If you have to send a gift to France, or other EU countries, contact an EU company and have it sent from within the EU.

I’m glad this topic came up. I’ll be in France another couple weeks and really want to shop more, but in the past I’ve sent old clothes home via Mailbox’s Etc.. so I had room for the new stuff I purchased. The changing weather just makes sending some things home an even better idea, but it sounds like that isn’t an option any longer.

Per Business insider: "About a month ago, the Trump administration got rid of the de minimis exemption, whereby packages valued under $800 could slide in without import duties. Now there's a backlog as the government can't process all of this paperwork, leading to UPS just destroying packages"

Happy travels!

Update - I went to a post office in Paris and asked the gentleman if they were shipping personal packages to the U.S. He stated they were not. It is possible he said that to make it easier on himself so I will try another post office tomorrow.

Hi Andrea—That info. was correct. If you check the link Mardee posted above, you can see what the French post office will continue to ship to the US: “gifts exclusively between individuals with a value of less than €80/$100 per package.” If your package does not meet those requirements, they will not ship it.

They just said I couldn’t ship a package to the U.S. There was no discussion about specifics. I’ll try a different post office. I only want to send some of my personal used clothing and a few things I brought from home that I no longer need on the trip. Do I need to state they are gifts?

That is a question to ask LePoste #2 tomorrow and please report back here.

Do I need to state they are gifts?

I would not recommend lying on customs forms. That would be considered fraud, subject to fines and criminal charges.

Also check with your airline, my partner had accumulated so many goodies that we discovered it was cheaper to buy a cheap suitcase near a train station and check it onto the plane.

Carrie, I don’t intend to lie. I have bought a few small gifts and will keep them with us.

The two flights I’m concerned about are from Bordeaux-Porto (Easyjet) and Lisbon-Manchester (Ryanair). It’s not that our belongings won’t fit in our luggage, but I am concerned about weight, not just to meet the requirements for the flights but also for moving locations. We are in Paris for a month, but after that we have trains and planes to relocate 6 more times before we go home. As for our flight home, we have an extra tote bag we can carry on and check our other bags. I just want to unload some of the things we don’t need anymore for the rest of the trip.

Andrea, find a DHL office. They'll ship your stuff.

Andrea, my apologies if I misunderstood, but you stated above “I only want to send some of my personal used clothing and a few things I brought from home that I no longer need on the trip. Do I need to state they are gifts?”

f you can wait until you get to England, the Royal Mail is still shipping packages to the US, but it will be expensive:

https://www.royalmail.com/usapersonalupdates

https://www.royalmail.com/business/international/guide/delivered-duties-paid-ioss/pddp

Andrea (and jphbucks), unfortunately, it does look like even DHL is not shipping from France to the US right now.

Go to the DHL France website at https://www.dhl.com/fr-en/home/get-a-quote.html. It will ask you which country you are shipping to, and if you choose the United States, there is a message below that says, "Unfortunately we are not shipping to the country or region you entered. Please choose a suggested country or region from the dropdown.

So it sounds like no shippers are sending anything from France to the US right now. And from everything I've been reading, this is true of many other countries in Europe. The problem (again, from what I've read) is that the countries are very confused by the recent change to the tariff law that became effective on August 29, 2025 (and with good reason, I think). So rather than try and muddle through it, many of them are just refusing to ship to the United States.

it does look like even DHL is not shipping from France to the US right now

Oh, goody. Just so happy to be an American at this moment.

@Andrea

When I lived in Europe, we were told to write something like, “personal effects purchased in the U.S. returned home” on the package for sending items like clothing home.

There is a different form you use when you are a U.S. citizen who is shipping goods purchased in the U.S. home. While this form is primarily used by expats moving back to the U.S., I believe that b on form 3299
“ All personal effects for which free entry is sought were taken abroad by
me or for my account. (9804.00.45, HTSUSA)” applies.

https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1131?language=en_US

I wanted to follow up with my experience trying to ship some personal items home. At the first post office I went to I was told they were not mailing anything to the U.S. I went to another post office yesterday and was told the same thing. But…another employee overheard the conversation and stepped in and said he could help. He spent about 15 minutes showing us various sizes of boxes including those that cover the shipping and suggested we come back with the things we wanted to ship so we could determine what box we need. We did that and he found a box that we could cram the things into and he proceeded to spend about 45 minutes with us taking care of everything. He said it was his first time doing this since things had changed and he was learning. When we repeatedly thanked him for spending so much time with us he said if he was in that situation he would hope someone would help him. He had to check a box for contents and he said he checked the gift box. When I had to itemize I said it was personal used clothing and a few other used personal items. The value has to be less than $100 (€80) and since these are used clothes, etc. it should be fine. He says it will arrive at our house on the 17th. Wow, probably faster than if I mailed something within the U.S. when things are shipped to the U.S. they arrive either in New York or Los Angeles, depending on the zip code. Since it is being mailed to a California address it will go to L.A. He said if it was being sent to the middle of the country it could take a lot longer. Fingers crossed it arrives.

It appears that the two people who told me it couldn’t be done were either uninformed or just didn’t want to deal with it.

You’ll see what happens. My retirement form that I sent with tracking from La Poste to Sacramento never arrived last spring. So for the next form in August I paid 35€ to send this second form to my son via UPS. This was a couple weeks before all the tariff mess started. Let us know what happens.

Actually, the postal clerk today committed fraud ....

That sort of a mean attitude. I'm no attorney but I think it requires intent. Somehow I find it doubtful that a postal agent that tries so hard to help is also a mail fraud criminal. Besides, would have to be fraud under French law. But Andrea's comment was to demonstrate that you could mail a package and I dont think the "gift" or not gift has any impact on the intent of the post, so .....

The literal language from the French post office is that the only exception being allowed (I.e., the *only packages that may be shipped to the United States from France currently) * are non-commercial packages of a value of under $100 / €80.

Whether the stuff in a box is a gift between two people, or someone's old used stuff, as long as the value is below €80, it is okay to send. (but you have to use one of their Chronopost boxes.)

The key is that it is not commercial merchandise / not goods bought, sold, traded.

Andrea's clothes etc. clearly qualify to be sent.

Now, as Andrea's experience shows, whether you will actually find a postal employee who wants to mess with you and your stuff you want to send is another issue.

I personally stopped mailing packages from here to the States years ago because La Poste really hiked the rates — I don't know, eight years ago ? Ten years ago ? — thereby making it prohibitively expensive to send the smallest thing. So you won't see me at the post office trying to send a box anyway,

UPDATE - My package was delivered to my house yesterday. Thankfully we have a Ring doorbell and my husband was able to speak to the postal worker who needed a signature. The package was taken to our next door neighbor’s who signed for it and are wondering if it is technically theirs since they signed for it. Imagine their disappointment if they open it and find my used clothes. Lol! We mailed it on October 14th and it was delivered 11 days later. Not bad!