Everything You Need to Know About Shipping Parcels to America

ParcelBroker has created this comprehensive guide on the most frequently asked questions about sending your parcels to the USA, including delivery times, weight restrictions, tax and import duties, pallet deliveries and more. As the world’s second-largest importer, the US is a popular destination for international shipping for all manner of goods.

What's the Cheapest Way to Send a Parcel to the USA?

Sending packages to the USA from the UK can be as cheap as £17.80 for our DPD: Lite service, with same day pickup and full parcel tracking offered. Book your delivery today and enjoy up to £25 free extended liability cover from ParcelBroker.

Your package could arrive in as little as 2 business days with DPD. However, you will need to take into consideration the following variables when booking your delivery, which may affect delivery time and prices offered. You can use our shipping calculator to get up-to-date delivery costs.

Go to our Shipping Calculator

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Can I Send a Pallet to the USA?

ParcelBroker provides pallet deliveries to the USA through our PB:Express Pallet service, and through DHL: Express Pallet. You can use our pallet delivery calculator for instance live quotes on your pallet delivery to the US.

Pallet deliveries are your best option for sending heavy, bulky, or multiple packages in a single shipment. Simply obtain a pallet from your local supplier, stack your items according to our guidance below, and secure your package with shrink-wrap.

Packaging Your Pallet

An additional charge will be incurred if your pallet is not stackable with others. You can use our guidance on non-stackable freight to ensure your pallet is stacked correctly, which will allow you to avoid charges or rejection of your pallet by the courier.

You can also explore our Pallet Delivery Guide for more information.

Courier Pickups for Pallets

Once your courier arrives to collect your pallet, you can either load it onto their truck yourself using a forklift, or you can request for the courier to provide a pallet pump truck to assist in lifting your items onto the truck. Bear in mind that your pallet must be easily accessible and on a flat surface for a courier to accept it.

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Same-Day Pickup and Local Drop-Off

You can usually obtain a same-day pickup if you arrange your delivery before 12 noon from the majority of couriers, or you can utilise one of many local drop off points. If you are sending a pallet then you will need to plan your collection in advance, as vehicle space will need to be allocated for your pallet. If you are planning on dropping off a pallet yourself, you will need to use a local depot rather than a drop-off point.

You can compare our live prices below to gain up-to-date costs for shipping to the USA:

How Long Does it Take to Deliver to the USA?

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How to Address my Parcels to the USA?

Make sure you correctly address your package before collection or drop-off at your local postal depot.

Below we have included some tips on correct formatting for address labels to the USA:

• Write the name of your recipient on the first line.

• Write the apartment unit and number on the second.

• Write the city, state, and zip code on the third.

• Write USA on the fourth.

In this example, the addressee lives in apartment 34, at 343 Park Avenue - New York:

Kurt David
343 Park Avenue
Apartment #34
New York, NY 100014
USA

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will require the following:

• Entry Manifest or Application and Special Permit for Immediate Delivery.

• Commercial invoice or pro forma invoice if a commercial invoice cannot be produced.

• Packing/ingredient list

You will also be subject to FDA approval of your package if you are sending food, sanitary products, human and veterinary drugs, biological products, or medical devices. For this reason, it is important to clearly state on the packaging if your item falls under one of these categories.

A package will usually take around 24 hours to clear customs, provided there are no holds currently in place by the USA Border Force.

Why is my Package Stuck in USA Customs?

Here are some of the most common reasons for a package to be delayed at US customs.

1. Unpaid Duty Payments on Your Item(s)

When sending items to the USA, duty tax is typically required and calculated based on the commercial value of the items being shipped. The recipient should anticipate paying approximately 5% of the item's value for customs duty and approximately 10% for Goods and Services Tax (GST).

These fees are expected to be paid upon collection of the package. Failure to do so could lead to the package's disposal, abandonment, or return-to-sender with additional charges.

Duty tax rates in the US can be between 0% to 37.5%, though the typical rate is 5.63%.

2. Missing or Incorrect Documentation

To successfully ship goods it is necessary to provide documentation, especially when including restricted items in your package. If you are a supplier sending commercial goods to the USA, the following documents are mandatory:

• Commercial Invoice: This document outlines the pricing and quantity of the goods being imported to the USA.
• Packing List: This list should contain specific details on the weight and dimensions of the items being shipped.
• Certificate of Origin: This certification indicates the country where the goods were manufactured. If the USA has a free trade agreement with the country of origin, this type of documentation could be advantageous for the sender.

You can view downloads for our documentation here.

Sending Gifts to the USA

It is possible to send gifts to friends and family members in the US without paying duty or tax if the value of the gifts is $100 or less per person per day. However, if the gifts are being mailed or shipped from an insular possession, the value limit increases to $200. Please note that items such as alcohol, tobacco, and perfume that contain alcohol cannot be sent as duty-free gifts.

Sending Multiple People Gifts to the USA

If you are sending gifts to multiple recipients, you can package them together as long as each gift is individually wrapped and labelled with the recipient's name. However, make sure to label the outermost wrapper with the following details:

• Unsolicited Gift

• Consolidated Gift Package

• The total value of the package

• The names of the recipients

• The nature and value of each gift inside.

Provide a list of the gifts and their values for each recipient, such as:

"To Jesse Weathers - one belt, $20; one box of chocolates, $5; one pair of shoes, $20.

To Carl Ventura - one book, $45; one tie, $15; one cushion, $30."

If any of the items exceed the $100 gift allowance, the entire package will be subject to duty. If the package is sent through mail and is dutiable, the US Postal Service will collect the duty along with any applicable postage and handling charges from the recipient.

Import Tax and VAT on Items Sent to the USA

If you are sending items from the UK to the USA, duty tax rates will typically be in the range of 0% to 37.5%, however, the most common duty tax rate sits at 5.63% VAT. Items with a value of $800 or more will generally be subject to duties and taxes.

Goods manufactured or produced in Canada or Mexico receive free or reduced rates under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, increased duty is applied to certain products from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine.

What Can and Can't I send to the USA?

As with all countries, there are a number of items which are either restricted or outright prohibited for import to the US. You can find a full list of these items on the US Customs and border Protection website.

Items you Can’t Ship to the USA that May Surprise You

Whilst most items on the restricted and prohibited list for the USA are not surprising, the US is one of the only countries that expressly states that ‘traitorous material’ cannot be brought into the country, although a clear definition on what this restriction refers to is not provided.

COMMONLY PROHIBITED ITEMS

What are the USA's Top Imports?

The USA is the second-largest importer of goods around the world, and in 2022 imported more than $3.376 trillion worth of goods, and the following items made up the majority of imported goods, according to a recent analysis from WorldsTopExports:

• Electrical machinery, equipment: US$477.1 billion (14.1% of total imports)
• Machinery including computers: $475.9 billion (14.1%)
• Vehicles: $329.6 billion (9.8%)
• Mineral fuels including oil: $322.7 billion (9.6%)
• Pharmaceuticals: $165 billion (4.9%)

More from ParcelBroker

For more help with shipping parcels internationally you can browse our frequently asked questions (FAQs) and helpful shipping guides here.

Compare Prices to Ship to THE USA Here