Products arriving from overseas may be subject to customs duties based on the laws of the destination country. Customs duties are borne by the customer. Because the exact price is determined by the customs of the destination country, WorldShopping cannot inform you of the exact amount in advance.
What are customs duties?
Customs duties are a tax that the destination country imposes on the customer who receives the package (the importer) for products arriving from overseas. It is a system established by the destination country to protect its own industries, and it is imposed when the product passes through the destination country's customs.
Who pays?
Customs duties are borne by the customer (the recipient). The fees presented by WorldShopping (product price, proxy purchase fee, International shipping fee, etc.) do not include customs duties.
How much customs duties cost
The price of customs duties varies depending on the following factors:
- The laws of the destination country (the tax rate differs by country)
- The type of product (the tax rate differs by item classification)
- The price of the product: the base price differs by country. In some countries, only the product price is the base, while in others, the total price including the International shipping fee and insurance fee is the base.
Whether customs duties apply and the tax rate differ by country or region. For details, please contact the customs of the destination country.
When and where to pay
Customs duties are billed to the customer when the product arrives in the destination country and passes through customs. The Shipping carrier or customs in the destination country will send a payment notice to the customer.
Until payment is completed, delivery of the product may be put on hold. If payment is not made, the product may be returned.
*If customs duties are not paid and the product is returned to Japan, returns and refunds cannot be handled. If reshipping is requested, please contact WorldShopping Customer Support via the Contact Form. The reshipping cost will be borne by the customer.
About shipping to the United States (Abolition of the De Minimis system)
For shipping to the United States, the De Minimis (low-value goods exemption) system was abolished on August 29, 2025. Previously, products of 800 USD or less were exempt from customs duties, but customs duties now apply regardless of the price.
At WorldShopping, DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) can be selected on the ECMS service to the U.S. mainland when the conditions are met. By choosing DDP, the customs duties can be paid together at the time of the Second payment, so in principle there is no additional payment when the product arrives.
For details on how DDP works and its conditions, please refer to the following:
→ The Difference Between DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid)