Selling in the USA and tariffs

Summary: The discussion concerns sales in the US and the implications of tariffs. affarivintage started the topic, but the specific details are not provided in the messages. heavenwelkin and marioelegio took part, but without adding any further information or details to the discussion.

I’m a private seller using eBay to sell in Italy and the EU. Some users have messaged me privately asking if I can sell to them too, but they’re in the USA. But, considering tariffs and customs formalities, is it actually still worth selling to the USA today? Have the recent tariffs changed anything regarding private-to-private sales? I understood that no duties are paid if it’s a private-to-private sale and the value of the goods does not exceed $800, but otherwise it’s the buyer who has to pay them? And if the goods get stuck at customs, can the buyer ask for a refund since the goods don’t arrive (on time)? Lastly, is it safe to ship with Poste Delivery International Standard, which offers tracking only up to customs?

affarivintage

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Posted 1 year ago·Last reply 1 year ago

2 comments

marioelegio

·1 year ago

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To import into the EU, there are no duties under 150 euros. In the US, this exemption threshold is 800 dollars, and it makes no distinction between professionals and private individuals.

The buyer will only pay the usual sales taxes, which vary from state to state.

https://www.exportusa.us/vendere-stati-uniti-senza-dazio.php#:~:text=La%20norma%20che%20permette%20di,e%20con%20procedura%20doganale%20semplificata&text=Quindi%20si%20tratta%20del%20valore,%24800%20al%20giorno%20per%20persona.

If the buyer refuses to pay the customs charges, they lose their right to eBay buyer protection.

mario

heavenwelkin

·1 year ago

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@affarivintage wrote:
I’m a private seller who uses eBay to sell in Italy and the EU. Some users have asked me privately whether I can sell to them too, but they’re in the USA. But considering customs duties and formalities, can it actually still be worthwhile to sell in the USA today? Have the recent tariffs changed anything regarding private sales between individuals? I understood that tariffs aren’t paid if it’s a sale between private individuals and the value of the goods doesn’t exceed $800, but otherwise it’s the buyer who has to pay them? And if the goods get stuck in customs, can the buyer ask for a refund since the goods don’t arrive (on time)? Finally, is it safe to ship with Poste Delivery International Standard, which only offers tracking up to customs?

Hi affarivintage

First of all, at the moment the tariffs (the ones being advertised on TV all over the world) are suspended for 90 days

The traditional tariffs (the ones that until yesterday were being paid) are part of the import costs since there’s also VAT.

Anyway, if you sell items on eBay up to 150 euros, you pay the import fees directly on eBay.

And if, while filling out the various customs forms, you also add the relevant order summary stating that the import fees have already been collected by eBay, there’s a very good chance the buyer won’t have to pay anything on delivery.

For items above 150 euros, eBay does not (or should not) handle collecting the relevant import costs; if that’s the case, you need to warn the buyer (just to be safe) that there will be import costs to pay.

If you’re worried that the goods may be delayed, with the related possibility of losing those sales (due to excessive delay), you should rely on couriers like UPS, DHL or FedEx, which usually guarantee shipping times of around 7 days or even less.

Selling outside Italy inevitably increases the risks, so it’s up to the seller to assess any risks / benefits of an international shipment beyond the issue of tariffs.

You could write a lot on the topic; the suggestion I can give you is to come back to the forum if an international sale comes up, so maybe by getting into the specifics of the sale we can be clearer and more thorough regarding import costs and other customs procedures.