Surprise import fees are landing on doorsteps - along with packages ordered for the holidays

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Online shoppers paying import fees should also beware of scammers posing as major shippers and exploiting confusion over new tariff charges

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Online shoppers across the U.S. are experiencing unexpected costs this holiday season upon delivery of their packages, with some import-related fees topping $100.

For example, small business owner Jennifer Scully told WMTV about her shock when a delivery driver showed up with a $54 bill she had to pay before receiving her package, even though she’d already paid for the order and shipping.

“It was only about $200 worth of goods, so percentage-wise, adds a lot to the cost,” Scully told the outlet, saying she paid the bill because she needed the package for her business.

The unexpected charge is an import fee required to move international goods through customs.

While many large global companies are covering the fee and raising product prices to compensate, smaller shippers are instead passing the cost directly to customers, sometimes without clearly disclosing it.

Until recently, Americans could buy up to $800 worth of goods from overseas without paying duties, thanks to the de minimis exemption. That changed in July, when President Donald Trump issued an executive order eliminating the exemption.

Now, shipping companies must collect tariffs from customers and pass the money to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with the funds ultimately going to the U.S. Treasury.

The responsibility for duties is determined when the overseas seller creates the shipping label. If the seller doesn’t choose to pay the duties themselves, the cost is automatically shifted to the buyer.

“This is a tax on all of us,” political scientist Jon Pevehouse told WMTV. “The Postal Service reported a 70 percent drop in packages coming into the United States over the last couple of months.”

In addition to standard customs tariffs, some items from specific countries face extra fees, which can drive the total cost even higher for shoppers.

These changes are also something to think about when traveling and picking up souvenirs for loved ones, or going on a shopping spree overseas. Travelers returning to the US with gifts are not affected by the new import fee changes, because personal duty exemptions still apply.

Travel agent Otehlia Cassidy said that depending on the country you’re arriving from, travelers can bring back $200, $800, or $1,600 worth of goods without paying duties, as long as the items are declared.

“My recommendation is, if you can stuff it into your check bag, that's the best option,” Cassidy told WMTV.

However, shipping gifts home is a different story. Mailed packages no longer qualify for these exemptions, meaning tariffs apply regardless of the item’s value.

As for avoiding surprise delivery fees, consumers legally cannot bypass them if they want the package.

The only alternative is refusing the shipment so the carrier returns it to the sender, which prevents the buyer from being charged.

Consumers who choose to pay import fees should be on guard for scams. Tiffany Schultz of the Better Business Bureau warns that scammers often pose as legitimate carriers like UPS, FedEx, and DHL, taking advantage of the confusion surrounding new tariff charges.

She advises shoppers to verify any unexpected fee notices by checking whether the website link is genuine and, when in doubt, calling the shipping company directly to confirm the charge.

“It's okay to pick up the phone,” Schultz told the outlet.

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