Customs and Taxes

1. VAT & Duties Update for EU Orders

  • EU orders under €150: Starting July 1, 2026, EU orders valued under €150 may incur a customs-related fee of €3 per tariff line when cleared through customs.
  • EU orders valued at €150 or above: duties and taxes will continue to apply as before.
  • A tariff line refers to a unique customs tariff classification in a parcel. This means the fee is not charged per individual item. If an order includes multiple items under the same tariff classification, the fee is charged only once for that tariff line.

For example, a parcel containing only apparel would be charged €3. A parcel containing apparel, cosmetics, shoes, and jewelry may be charged €12, as these items may fall under four different tariff lines.

    2. [U.S. Only] [Mar 5th 2026 UPDATE] Additional 10% tariff imposed (Feb 24 – Jul 24, 2026)

    In late February 2026, the United States introduced a temporary global tariff following a court ruling that blocked several previous emergency tariffs. As a result, orders shipped to the United States may now be subject to an additional 10% tariff compared to the rates before reciprocal tariffs were introduced, affected from February 24, 2026 and expected to remain in place for up to 150 days, ending on July 24, 2026. In practical terms, instead of the previously anticipated 15–50% tariffs, total tariffs on U.S.-bound orders may range approximately from 10% to 60%, depending on the product category. This update currently applies only to shipments entering the United States.

    3. Dec 24, 2025 (JST) update: Latest situation for shipping parcels to the U.S.

    At Japan With Love, we’d like to share an important update regarding shipments from Japan to the United States. Recent changes to U.S. customs regulations mean that import duties on international parcels may increase, with rates reaching up to 50% for certain products.

    In particular, items containing aluminum or steel may be subject to significantly higher import taxes. All duties are assessed by U.S. Customs and paid by the recipient, so we recommend being prepared for possible charges upon delivery.

    4. Update: 02:00 PM Sep 25, 2025 (JST) (for US customers only)

    The U.S. de minimis exemption has ended. Beginning August 29, 2025, U.S. Customs applies an up to 50% import duty on most goods, regardless of value.

    How we’re handling your orders (applies to US)

    • Japan Post (when available): We’ll keep parcel value under $150 per shipment to help minimize duties and processing issues.
    • Other couriers (DHL / FedEx / UPS / etc.): All orders are now shipped with customs duties prepaid. This means you’ve already covered the required fees at checkout, so your package clears customs smoothly with no extra charges upon delivery.

    What you need to know

    • Transit times and customs reviews can vary; we’ll keep you updated if your shipment needs any extra paperwork.
    • We may split large orders into multiple parcels to comply with courier and customs rules. If splitting is needed, our team will notify you.

    Important notice on returns

    • Any order returned or refused due to unpaid import duties will be subject to two-way shipping fees if a refund is requested.
    • Please review our Refund Policy for full details.
    For assistance with your current order, please contact hello@japanwithlovestore.com with your order number and tracking.

    5. 📢 Update: April 22, 2025 (for US customers only)

    We’d like to inform you that there are no changes to the current U.S. import tax policy on Japanese goods.

    • Orders under $800 USD are still duty-free.
    • Orders over $800 USD continue to be taxed at up to 50%, just like before.
    ⚠️ Important Notice – Starting from 22nd April: DHL and possibly FedEx, UPS may stop accepting shipments over $800 due to stricter U.S. customs under the new policy changes. Therefore, to support our customers, we will automatically split orders over $800 USD into separate shipments whenever possible. Our team will contact you directly if this applies to your order. We promise to keep you updated immediately if there are any changes in the future.

    6. Customs Policy (for All Customers)

    In general, items purchased from overseas may be subject to additional taxes and handling fees imposed by the customs authorities or mail carriers of your country and region. Such costs are the responsibility of the customer.

    Customs and import rules vary by country and region. Unfortunately, we’re not able to estimate these in advance, but here we have provided some helpful links, together with some general information for your reference. Please note that these are subject to change, so it’s best to check with your local customs.

    As the rules and value thresholds differ by country, we invite you to please refer to your country's government website. To find out more about VAT and duties in your country: Click here!

    Any order returned or not accepted because of import duties left unpaid will be subject to a two-way shipping fee if a refund is requested. Please also see our Refund Policy.