Import taxes and fees

General information regarding import taxes/fees

Since Trade Japan Store does not collect any tax from buyers, please be aware that you may be subject to additional import taxes and other related fees when receiving your package, or at a later date, depending on your country's customs rules. Please note that this page offers only basic and general information regarding customs taxes/fees. TJS is unable to calculate how much the additional taxes/fees will be, so it is important to familiarize yourself with your country's customs policies and procedures before making a purchase. You can review this page to get a general idea on potential extra charges.

Import taxes/fees, when applicable, can generally be broken into two categories:
1) A percentage rate (example: 15%) applied to the total value of the order, including shipping costs. The rate will depend on the type of items in the order, as well as any trade agreements between your country/region and Japan. This tax can sometimes just be sales tax or VAT applied to the purchase.
2) A flat fee (or additional percentage fee) charged by the customs office, postal service, or shipping company (FedEx) to handle the customs procedures.

Some countries have a minimum threshold for levying customs taxes, meaning purchases won't incur extra costs when the order value is below the threshold amount. Please check your country's customs rules or contact your customs office to determine what import taxes, if any, will apply to your order.

Shipping with FedEx

Please note that FedEx handles their customs procedures separately from the postal service and may charge higher fees for customs processing.

United States buyers (Significant changes since Aug 2025)

On August 29th, 2025, the U.S. government eliminated the de minimis exemption for low-value international packages (goods valued under $800 USD). This means that going forward, all packages received for international orders may now be charged tariffs. FedEx will assess your package for any tariffs, and when owed, will send you a bill for the extra taxes (15% tariff + service charges) around 2-3 weeks after delivering your package.

European Union buyers

Although they vary country to country, most all EU countries will charge VAT on orders, as well as a service fee for handling customs (either by the post office or FedEx).

eBay Store

If you would like to avoid the uncertainty and hassle of dealing with customs, consider purchasing from our eBay store instead (https://www.ebay.com/str/tradejapanstore). eBay collects taxes for some countries upfront (only below a certain order value) which helps avoid the separate charges. eBay collects taxes for the following countries/regions: Australia, EU, New Zealand, and possibly others.

Last updated: 2026/01/12