What changed for shipping to the US in 2026

Shipping from Korea to the United States has changed a lot since August 2025. Duty-free imports ended, tariffs changed several times, and Korea Post paused its US service. This post explains where things stand as of 28 September 2026, how we ship to the US now, and what you'll pay.

We'll update this post when the rules change again.

What changed

Date	Change
29 Aug 2025	The US ended duty-free imports for parcels under $800 (the "de minimis" rule). Since then, any parcel can owe duty.
20 Feb 2026	The Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs.
24 Feb 2026	A 10% tariff under Section 122 started.
21 Jul 2026	Korea Post temporarily suspended its services to the US.
24 Jul 2026	The Section 122 tariff was replaced by a Section 301 tariff, reported at 10–12.5% for Korean goods.

On top of that tariff, some clothing and footwear carries extra duty.

How we ship to the US now

While Korea Post's US service is suspended, K-Packet, EMS, EMS Premium, air parcel and sea parcel aren't available to US addresses. We ship US orders with two courier options:

	FedEx International	HDK Economy USA
Typical transit	2–5 days	6–11 days
Duties	Prepaid at checkout	Prepaid at checkout
Pricing	Our courier rate card	Our courier rate card

Transit times are typical ranges, not guarantees. Customs checks can add time.

FedEx uses volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 5000) when it's higher than the actual weight, so a large, light box can cost more than its weight suggests. Consolidating parcels and removing bulky outer boxes helps. You can compare both options in the shipping calculator.

How prepaid duties work

For US shipments, we collect duties when you pay for shipping. That way you usually won't get a separate duty bill at your door.

1. At checkout we add 12.5% of the goods value as prepaid duty.
2. The shipment clears US Customs, and the actual duty is billed.
3. If the actual amount is lower than what you prepaid, we refund the difference.

Example. You ship $120 of goods. We prepay 12.5%, which is $15. If US Customs bills 10%, the actual duty is $12, and we refund $3 to you.

Two things to keep in mind:

• This is an estimate. US Customs decides the final amount, not us.
• Clothing and footwear can cost more. Some of these items carry extra duty on top of the tariff, so the actual bill can be higher than 12.5%. If you're sending clothes or shoes to the US, ask us before you order and we'll look at your specific items.

Food needs FDA prior notice

Food shipped to the US, including snacks, tea and instant noodles, needs an FDA prior notice filed before it arrives. Mention any food in your request so we can check it before we quote. Some items may not be possible to ship.

Store changes US shoppers should know

Several Korean stores changed how they sell to the US.

• Olive Young Global stopped shipping to the US on 29 May 2026. Olive Young US opened in June 2026 with around 5,000 items. It doesn't carry Korean sunscreens, because sunscreen is regulated as an over-the-counter drug in the US. Small personal quantities of sunscreen usually clear customs, but customs can refuse them. We can buy from the Korean Olive Young site for you. See Olive Young.
• Aladin has restricted non-book goods to the US since 27 Aug 2025. See Aladin.
• Weverse Shop has shown tax-excluded prices to overseas buyers since 3 Feb 2026, with an option to prepay duties. See Weverse Shop.
• Ktown4u raised its international shipping charges by 7% from 1 Feb 2026, and charges a $12 fee on UPS deliveries to the US if duties aren't prepaid.

If a store ships to you directly with duties prepaid and has what you want, buying direct can be simpler. We're most useful when an item, a benefit or a price is only available on a Korean store that won't ship to you.

What to expect, start to finish

• Quote. Your buy-for-me quote covers the items and our service fee. You'll see shipping and prepaid duty when you ship, or at the start if you choose to pay once.
• Payment. Everything is charged in US dollars at the mid-market rate plus 4.5%. That margin covers card and PayPal fees and currency conversion, with no other payment fee. On 28 Sep 2026 that worked out to about ₩1,298 per dollar.
• Packing. We combine your parcels for free and charge ₩3,000 packing and handling per shipment.
• Transit. Typically 2–5 days by FedEx or 6–11 days by HDK Economy USA once the box leaves Korea.
• Duty refund. If US Customs bills less than you prepaid, we refund the difference after the actual amount is billed.

Things we can't promise

• Delivery by a specific date.
• That US tariff rates won't change again. They changed several times in 2026.
• That customs will release every item. Sunscreen, food and anything else regulated in the US can be held or refused, and that decision belongs to US authorities.

If you're not sure whether something can go to the US, ask in community Q&A or check what we can't ship before you order. Our pricing page has the full fee list.