IMPORT DUTY FEES FROM UPS

Question

I bought an item that is being shipped from out of the U.S. Just got an email from UPS saying I owe over $50.00 in import fees in order for item to be delivered. Please note I was never notified of any potential additional charges after checkout.

I contacted seller on ebay and they said they already paid for this. I contacted ebay support and they told me to just ignore the UPS email (this worries me, idk). Any advice?

comics-scifi-collectibles · Answer

@kaskl_98 All items shipped to the US from other countries do have tariffs charged now. Unless the sellers listing specifically says tariffs are prepaid then you will owe tariffs. Tariffs are charged based on what country the item is made in, not where it was shipped from. For example and item shipped from Canada that was made in China will have China tariffs.

This page explains when you should expect to pay tariffs... basically unless the seller is in Japan or China AND uses SpeedPAK for shipping then you should expect to pay tariffs.

Ignoring the bill is something you could do but not the best idea>>>

I googled will "UPS send me to collections if I don't pay tariffs that are due? "

This is the answer I received> Yes, if you don't pay UPS for import tariffs/duties after they've paid the government for you, they will pursue collection, potentially sending the debt to a third-party agency and blacklisting you from future UPS services. UPS pays these government charges upfront, then bills you, and if unpaid, they follow standard collection processes, which can include late fees and escalating debt recovery.

Also of note is that UPS, Fed Ex, and DHL also charged brokerage fees in addition to the tariffs.