USPS can now bill you for unpaid duties and customs charges on international packages
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A USPS interim final rule effective October 19, 2026 says duties, taxes, import fees and related charges are not included in postage, and USPS may invoice the mailer for any assessed on a package, including after postage is bought, when they weren't paid in full through USPS Delivered Duty Paid. Where a destination country requires delivered duty paid, the mailer must send it that way. USPS cites the EU ending its de minimis exemption for most low-value goods on July 1, 2026; some EU postal operators now require delivered duty paid or charge fees, for example for inaccurate customs information. Comments are due November 18, 2026.
Your net on a $10 / $25 / $50 sale: n/a / n/a / n/a
A liability rule, not a fee: if duties or a destination post's charges go unpaid, USPS can bill you. Accurate customs forms matter more now, especially for EU buyers.
Source: USPS interim final rule, Federal Register, Oct 19, 2026 · verified
Cite this
The Reseller Index change tracker, "USPS can now bill you for unpaid duties and customs charges on international packages," https://resellerindex.com/changes/usps/2026-10-19-usps-customs-charges-billed-to-mailer/, verified Oct 19, 2026. Free to reuse with a link (CC BY 4.0). First published on the tracker Oct 19, 2026.
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