Startups Stack Exchange Archive

Orderering sample from Chinese manufacturer. Do I need to go through customs?

I have found a company, which happens to be in China (I’m in US), that can make a product that I wish to sell. The product itself weighs a few grams, costs $1/each, and the shipping cost (DHL) is $20. The object is purely steel and not hazardous.

If I am shipping less than 5lbs, taking up 2 feet of space, spending less than $40, do I need to learn about how to get the item through customs and border patrol? Or can the package be sent to my address and pass through customs standalone without my intervention?

Answer 13346

It doesn’t look like you’ll need to pay anything:

Note: Most personal shipments worth up to $800, and gift packages worth up to $100, will pass duty-free as long as the recipient does not receive multiple packages in a single day whose cumulative value is more than these amounts.

But you might still need to do some paperwork. (Your Chinese supplier will almost certainly know what to do.)


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