🇺🇸 U.S. Shipping Resumed — New Tariffs and Taxes (Effective August 2025)
⚠️ Important Notice Shipments to the United States and Puerto Rico have resumed, but new U.S. customs regulations now apply to all parcels, regardless of their value. These changes are the result of:
- The introduction of new import tariffs on August 7, 2025
- The removal of the de minimis exemption through Executive Order 14324, effective August 29, 2025
1. Removal of the de minimis exemption
From now on, all shipments to the U.S., regardless of value or origin, are subject to customs duties and clearance procedures. SidecarTridge products are not included in any of the official exceptions.
2. New sender obligations
To comply with the new rules, we must now provide detailed electronic customs information in advance and prepay U.S. import duties in Spain, through Correos (the Spanish postal service). This includes:
- Harmonized System (HS) code (6–10 digits)
- Country of origin (manufacturing country, not shipping country)
- Declared value and precise description of the goods
- Recipient’s email and phone number
Correos acts as an intermediary, collecting the applicable U.S. duties and a “Destination Customs Management” service fee, then transmitting the information and payments to U.S. Customs.
3. How duties are calculated
Duties are calculated ad valorem, applying U.S. tariff rates to the declared value of each item.
For goods originating in the European Union, including Spain, the current general tariff rate is 15 %.
In addition, Correos charges approximately 1.50 € per 50 € of declared value for customs management.
To simplify pricing, SidecarTridge now applies price brackets of 50 € during checkout to automatically calculate tariffs and management fees.
4. What this means for U.S. customers
- ✅ No VAT: U.S. customers still benefit from VAT-free prices, which are roughly 20 %–25 % lower than EU prices.
- 🧾 New tariffs: A 15 % import tariff applies to the value of the goods.
- 💰 Customs service fee: About 1.50 € per 50 € of declared value is added for customs processing.
All SidecarTridge shipments to the U.S. (and non-EU destinations) are sent DAP (Delivered At Place). This means we deliver the goods, and the buyer is responsible for import duties and taxes—which are now prepaid in Spain and included in the total price you pay at checkout.
Other International sales outside the European Union
For international sales outside the European Union, the same principles apply regarding duties and customs clearance:
- All our international shipments do not include VAT, which may result in 20%-25% lower prices for customers outside the EU.
- Customers are responsible for any applicable duties and taxes upon delivery. If your shipment is subject to these fees, they will be collected by the carrier at the time of delivery.
- Each country has its own regulations regarding duties and taxes, so we recommend checking with your local customs office for specific information.
All our shipments are DAP (Delivered at Place).
We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.