Chunghwa Post is to launch on June 1 a duty prepayment service for US-bound mail and resume merchandise mail service to the country, the state postal firm said on Monday.
The US government on Aug. 29 last year suspended duty-free de minimis treatment for all international mail, effectively removing tariff waivers on imported goods valued at US$800 or less.
All mail items sent to the US must complete customs duty payment procedures before shipment to clear US customs and be delivered, Chunghwa Post said.
Photo: Huang Yi-ching, Taipei Times
To comply with the new regulations, Chunghwa Post is introducing the new service in partnership with US customs brokers that would handle customs declarations and duty payments with US customs on behalf of senders.
After customs clearance, mail would be delivered by US Postal Service (USPS), the company said.
When senders prepare shipping labels through Chunghwa Post’s EZPost system, the system would automatically calculate the applicable charges based on the declared value of the contents, including customs duties and handling fees, the company said, adding that the charges must be paid together with postage when the item is mailed.
Under current US regulations, documents, noncommercial gifts valued at US$100 or less, books and certain other specified items are still exempt from duties.
For goods valued at US$800 or less, customs duties are calculated at 10 percent of the declared value, in addition to handling fees charged by customs brokers, Chunghwa Post said.
For mail items containing goods valued at more than US$800, the procedures are unchanged, with USPS collecting the duties and fees from recipients upon delivery, it said.
Duty calculations will follow the latest US customs regulations and be announced on Chunghwa Post’s official Web site, the company said.
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