Why do I have to pay DHL Custom duty fee??

[bonkers123]

I just got a letter in the mail from DHL regarding me paying Duty fees?? for a shipment of new cases from my supplier in China. DHL contacted me saying that my shipment was delayed due to customs verification. However this is the FIRST time this has happened as I have ordered many bulk pieces (usually in the 100's) and never once got any duty fee notice or call from DHL saying that there was a hold. They requested that I submit my federal tax id for my business to them and I did. Why is it that NOW I have too pay a fee when I never paid before? Is it because I told them of my business id information and I did not before?.... Is there any way too avoid this fee as I thought that the shipping that I pay to my suppliers were suppose too cover all this...Let me know what am I suppose to do..Thank you!

**I already got the cases but am worried about the fee...They did ask if the shipment is for business or home residence. If I told them it is for just home residence would that be okay?**

 

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[WestCoast]

There is a duty charge on almost all imports from overseas into the US. I pay from 1.5% to 20%+ on goods.

DHL and the like will usually pre-pay this when they clear it, then charge you the amount (plus a fee for services)

If you haven't been paying that on your imports, you might want to go back and take a look at that.... doesn't matter if it is for personal use, resale, whatever.

For small packages we use the freight company for customs clearance, but for larger shipments we have a customs broker do it all separately.

---
There are lots of laws/regs about this, and as much as I think it's insane, you need to be careful to play by the rules.

Sometimes shipping via USPS just sort of ... slips through. But that doesn't happen with FedEx/UPS/DHL unless something is going screwy.

 

[biophase]

I just got a letter in the mail from DHL regarding me paying Duty fees?? for a shipment of new cases from my supplier in China. DHL contacted me saying that my shipment was delayed due to customs verification. However this is the FIRST time this has happened as I have ordered many bulk pieces (usually in the 100's) and never once got any duty fee notice or call from DHL saying that there was a hold. They requested that I submit my federal tax id for my business to them and I did. Why is it that NOW I have too pay a fee when I never paid before? Is it because I told them of my business id information and I did not before?.... Is there any way too avoid this fee as I thought that the shipping that I pay to my suppliers were suppose too cover all this...Let me know what am I suppose to do..Thank you!

**I already got the cases but am worried about the fee...They did ask if the shipment is for business or home residence. If I told them it is for just home residence would that be okay?**

You should have been paying this all along. Consider yourself lucky. Sometimes small packages make it through because they are too small or considered gifts or samples. But you do have to pay a duty tax for imports. Im guessing that they opened it and saw it was a lot of one product as a business would order instead of a single item.

 

[bonkers123]

Is getting a customs broker better in terms of rates? I got charged about $52 total for the shipment for about 100 pcs which weights about 9.5oz each piece. Is this a cheap rate? or if i get a customs broker to do it for me it would be cheaper? thanks.

 

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[bonkers123]

There is a duty charge on almost all imports from overseas into the US. I pay from 1.5% to 20%+ on goods.

DHL and the like will usually pre-pay this when they clear it, then charge you the amount (plus a fee for services)

If you haven't been paying that on your imports, you might want to go back and take a look at that.... doesn't matter if it is for personal use, resale, whatever.

For small packages we use the freight company for customs clearance, but for larger shipments we have a customs broker do it all separately.

---
There are lots of laws/regs about this, and as much as I think it's insane, you need to be careful to play by the rules.

Sometimes shipping via USPS just sort of ... slips through. But that doesn't happen with FedEx/UPS/DHL unless something is going screwy.

Is getting a customs broker better in terms of rates? I got charged about $52 total for the shipment for about 100 pcs which weights about 9.5oz each piece. Is this a cheap rate? or if i get a customs broker to do it for me it would be cheaper? thanks.

 

[WestCoast]

The duty 'rate' will be the same if DHL clears it in-house, or you have a third party customs broker clear it. That rate applies to the item either way.

What CAN change, is the fees charged by either the carrier or the customs broker.

For instance, for what I import, I have found that a customs broker saves money on large shipments (full container or partial container). The customers broker fees are very reasonable for a whole load of stuff.

However, if I am shipping a small amount of goods airfreight (as you are doing it sounds) then the customs broker charges a higher rate proportionally than DHL/FedEx typically do.

--
Again, the customs 'Duty' will be the same % no matter who you clear with. It's the fees charged that are subject to change based on who you use for what.

Get a quote from a local broker and see what they would charge you for the clearance.

 

[rscully5]

This is an interesting post as I am curious about this as well.

What if you do not have a federal tax ID. Will DHL allow you to use your SSN number instead?

 

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