Sending online orders to US customers
Start with the product, its origin and who handles the import. Use the linked briefings for the detailed rules, effective dates and official sources.
Before you send
- Confirm what the product is, where it originates and its US tariff classification.
- Agree who will be the US importer, who files the declaration and who pays any import charges.
- Check whether the product needs certificates, permits or other regulatory checks.
- Give the carrier complete, consistent information for every product in the order.
Duties depend on the goods—not just the dispatch address
Sending a product from the UK does not automatically make it UK-origin. Confirm its customs origin and the correct ten-digit US HTSUS classification before checking the applicable duties.
Do not promise duty-free delivery just because an order is low value. Ask the US importer or broker to check the current treatment for the product and clearance route, including any additional duties.
US International Trade Commission: current Harmonized Tariff Schedule ↗
A practical checklist covering origin, classification, value and carrier data.
Make the product easy to identify
Describe what it is, what it is made of and what it is used for. A stock code or “gift” is not a useful description on its own. Check descriptions, origin, quantities and values against the invoice before sending the data to your carrier.
How to write an accurate customs description →
US Customs and Border Protection: cargo-description examples ↗
Check product rules before booking the shipment
Customs clearance and product compliance are separate checks. Confirm any requirements for the specific goods with the US importer and relevant regulator. Paying duty does not make a prohibited product admissible.
Sunglasses, toothbrushes and personal-care products can have FDA requirements. Check the product, supplier evidence and carrier arrangements before offering US delivery.
GuidanceThis concerns products subject to CPSC certification requirements, not every consumer parcel. Check the product scope, certificate data and applicable date with the US importer.
In forceWhat has changed?
These updates concern different products and origins. Check the scope before applying a headline to your own orders.
- US palm-oil detention orders: check two named producers before shipping →In forcePublished 30 Sept 2026 · Last reviewed 30 Sept 2026
- US solar-product imports: check temporary volume controls before shipping →In forcePublished 23 Sept 2026 · Last reviewed 23 Sept 2026
- US importer records: check your details before 18 September →In forcePublished 17 Sept 2026 · Last reviewed 17 Sept 2026
- US tariffs on Canadian-origin goods: revised rules now in force, import bans from 29 September →In forcePublished 9 Sept 2026 · Last reviewed 15 Sept 2026
- US 50% tariffs on selected Canadian goods take effect →In forcePublished 22 Aug 2026 · Last reviewed 9 Sept 2026
- US drone tariffs now in force: what UK businesses need to know →In forcePublished 16 Aug 2026 · Last reviewed 8 Sept 2026
- US tariffs start with origin and the right 10-digit HTSUS code →In forcePublished 24 Jul 2026 · Last reviewed 28 Aug 2026
- CPSC eFiling is now required for regulated consumer-product imports →In forcePublished 8 Jul 2026 · Last reviewed 8 Sept 2026