Every package entering a foreign country goes through customs and may be charged duties, taxes, or other fees under that country's laws. Charges usually apply when:
- The item is classified as dutiable, or
- The declared value is above the country's duty-free threshold
These rules vary by country.
However, Printed books are among the most duty-friendly products to ship internationally. They fall under HS code 4901 ("printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter"). Under the UNESCO Florence Agreement and most countries' tariff schedules, they enter duty-free in the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia and most other major markets.
Duty-free does not always mean tax-free. Some countries charge import VAT or GST on books, and carriers may add a clearance or brokerage fee.
Who pays duties and taxes on international orders?
Acutrack ships all international orders under DAP (Delivered at Place), formerly known as DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid). The recipient pays any duties, taxes, or customs fees, which the carrier usually collects before or at delivery.
To avoid surprises, we recommend telling your international customers, at checkout or on your website, that they may owe import fees.
Can Acutrack prepay duties and taxes (DDP)?
Not at this time. With DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), the shipper pays all import duties, taxes, and clearance fees in advance, so the package arrives fully cleared and the recipient owes nothing at delivery.
We don't offer DDP for several reasons:
- It requires calculating each country's duties and taxes when the order is placed, and our system doesn't currently support that.
- Among our carriers, only FedEx supports DDP. USPS, DHL and others do not.
- Shipping books by FedEx International is significantly more expensive, which makes DDP impractical for most book orders.
All international orders therefore ship DAP, with duties and taxes paid by the recipient.