Importing from Japan into United States
Import tax is set by United States, not by the proxy service you choose. All the proxy decides is whether it takes the money at checkout or leaves you to settle with the courier at the door — the amount owed is the same either way. That is why the totals on this site are split into what you pay now and what you pay on arrival, rather than merged into one figure that would make the companies who collect honestly look dearer.
The numbers
- Import VAT / GST: none — the US has no import VAT or GST, and state sales tax is not collected at the border
- Duty-free threshold: suspended — duty applies to every parcel
Which proxies collect this tax up front
None of the four services collect this tax up front for United States. You pay it when the parcel arrives, and couriers normally add a handling charge on top.
What that means in money
Two orders to United States — both from Mercari Japan, both about 1 kg packed, both with ¥700 of domestic postage inside Japan — priced through the cheapest service available for each:
| Item price | Pay the proxy | Pay on arrival | Total | Cheapest via |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¥10,000 | ¥16,500 | not estimable | ¥16,500 +duty | FROM JAPAN |
| ¥50,000 | ¥56,500 | not estimable | ¥56,500 +duty | FROM JAPAN |
The US $800 de minimis exemption was suspended on 29 Aug 2025 and made indefinite on 24 Jun 2026. Every parcel needs formal entry and duty, regardless of value. The exact rate depends on the item's HS code, so we do not estimate it here.
Couriers usually add their own customs handling fee on top. Paying tax up front often avoids it.
The handling fee nobody quotes
Where tax is not collected up front, the courier or postal operator pays it for you at the border and then charges a fee for having done so. It is commonly ¥1,000–3,000 and it is not part of the tax itself. None of the four services publish it and it varies by carrier, so it is deliberately left out of the totals here rather than guessed at — but it is a real reason to prefer a service that collects at checkout where you have the choice.