Terms USPS
USPS rule (Oct 19, 2026): senders billed for unpaid foreign duties on packages, even if disputed, 6% interest
The U.S. Postal Service published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on October 19, 2026 (FR Doc. 2026-21310, "Customs Requirements and Payment Procedures for Certain Customs Charges") that took effect the same day. It rewrites the International Mail Manual so the person who mails a package abroad can be billed later for the destination country's duties, taxes and import fees. A new section 424, "Unpaid Destination Customs Charges," says that if a customs authority, postal operator or broker in the destination country "seeks to collect duties, taxes, or import fees from the mailer or the Postal Service" and they "have not been paid in full, the Postal Service (or its representative) will send an invoice to the mailer for such amounts." The mailer "must pay the Postal Service ... the entire amount due in accordance with the invoice terms, even if the mailer disputes the assessment," and is not relieved of the charge "regardless of whether the item is delivered, lost, damaged, or returned." Late payment accrues "interest ... at a rate of 6 percent per annum," and USPS can recover its collection costs and may treat the unpaid amount as a postage revenue deficiency. You can dispute only USPS accounting errors. Any challenge to the foreign charge itself "must be addressed directly to such party without involvement from the Postal Service," and USPS says it "is not responsible for the accuracy" of those charges. The rule also says that where a destination country requires a delivered duty paid (DDP) shipment, "the mailer must send the mailpiece on a delivered duty paid basis," and that duties and fees "are not included in the postage paid by the mailer." USPS says the trigger is the European Union ending its de minimis exemption for most low-value goods on July 1, 2026. Under the new EU rules, some EU postal operators require prepaid duties, charge fees when customs data is wrong, or go after the sender when the recipient doesn't pay. USPS's own prepaid-duties page says EU countries now charge a flat, nonrefundable €3 duty on merchandise up to €150 and on gifts worth over €45 up to €150, and that USPS Delivered Duty Paid is built into retail counters and Click-N-Ship. The rule text itself isn't limited to the EU: it applies wherever a destination party seeks unpaid charges. USPS is taking comments until November 18, 2026. Coverage so far: a legal-news summary (LexVira) and one personal-finance blog. We found no major news outlet reporting it.
Who it affects
Anyone who mails gifts or goods abroad with USPS, especially to EU countries ahead of the holidays; eBay, Etsy and other small sellers who ship internationally through USPS; and senders whose recipients refuse or fail to pay duties on delivery
Source
Detected on the USPS terms page: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/19/2026-21310/customs-requirements-and-payment-procedures-for-certain-customs-charges. Always check the source; this summary is not legal or financial advice.
Other sources:
- Federal Register: FR Doc. 2026-21310 (full text)
- govinfo.gov copy of the rule
- USPS: Prepaid Import Duties (EU €3 duty, DDP)
More
All terms of service changes · Report for October 19, 2026 · All reports