The Payment of Duties and Tariffs in the United States
All goods are sold NET, minus (20% UK VAT) taxes to the U.S.
The de minimus $800 threshold exemption.
Historically packages under U.S. $800 avoided duties and customs entry; this allowance ended on goods entering the country on August 29, 2025.
Orders above $800 were subject to an import duty of 4% + 10% Trump Tariff (from April 2025), paid by the importer/customer.
We regret these tax changes, as they impact our customers in the U.S., but they are not of our making.
- We use DHL as our courier. We automatically prepare the electronic customs entry documents.
- Upon dispatch, DHL will email you with details of import duties and tariff costs.
- You will receive an automated email from us confirming that your order is on its way.
1. Overview - Evolving and rapid changes, 2025
- The U.S. originally stated that the de minimis exemption would end on July 1, 2027. This date marked the passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which was enacted into law.
- An executive order dismissed the date. On July 30, 2025, an executive order titled "Suspending Duty-Free de minimis Treatment for All Countries" was issued, replacing the previous order. This executive order eliminated the de minimis exemption, effective August 29, 2025.
- Packages under U.S. $800 previously avoided duties and customs entry. This allowance ended on the day of import, August 29, 2025.
- Import tariffs and duties are borne by the importer of record, whether a wholesale business transaction (B2B) or an individual customer (B2C). The former passes the additional import cost on to customers through their retail operations in the U.S. Either way, the end consumer absorbs this cost/tax.
- All imports, of whatever value, into the U.S. will incur import duties and tariffs.
2. Import Duties and Tariffs - *Subject to change - See below.*
- The import duty paid on goods from Westward Bound in the UK, above $800, before April 5 2025, was 4%.
- The additional tariff, effective April 5, 2025, is 10%. Thus, the total import duty (4%) + tariff (10%) = 14%.
- Westward Bound falls into the 4% plus 10% bracket because its country of garment origin is the UK. The 10% figure is the lowest end of the highly publicised changes in U.S. applied tariffs.
- The import figure applies to the date the order is imported into the U.S., not the date a customer placed the order with us in the UK.
- We use DHL as our courier. We automatically prepare the electronic customs entry documents. Upon dispatch, DHL will contact you to arrange payment for shipping agent fees, import duties, and Tariffs.
* All figures quoted concerning import taxes may change at the point of delivery. Executive Power, as currently wielded in the United States, can be a tad erratic.
- We note the Supreme Court decision that the use of Executive power to override the Constitution was ruled illegal on by the Supreme Court on Friday, February 20, 2026. The current Executive (Trump) has hit back by implementing another version of Tariffs, with a lifespan of 150 days. Initially with a flat rate of 10% on all countries.
- On Saturday, February 21, 2026, US President Donald Trump announced that the US will raise global tariffs to 15%.
- This is an increase from the 10% rate announced on Friday, when the president invoked a never-before-used law known as Section 122 after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariffs with a 6-3 majority. The law, which falls under the 1974 Trade Act, gives Trump the power to put in place tariffs up to a maximum of 15% for 150 days, July 24, at which point Congress must step in.
Westward Bound is a 100% design and manufacturing business based in and shipping from the United Kingdom.
As per Terms and Conditions of sale, Sections 9.2 - 9.6: where applicable, import taxes are payable by the recipient, per the individual country's delivery requirements.
We do not have any control over the unilateral executive decision-making powers operating within the United States. All charges imposed are domestic issues within the country.