Ordering from an EU peptide supplier into the US: a worked landed-cost example

Why the US landed cost of a small EU order changed

Until August 2025 a US lab could often receive a low-value parcel without formal duty collection under the de minimis exemption. CBP's guidance of 28 August 2025 says that from 12:01 a.m. on 29 August 2025 goods of all countries are no longer eligible for that administrative exemption, that ACE rejects Section 321 manifest filings and type 86 entries, and that filers must submit an appropriate formal or informal entry; paper informal entries are not permitted for goods covered by the order. [6] CBP's June 2026 rule notes that legislation repeals the statutory basis for de minimis from 1 July 2027. [5]

The practical effect is that every import now has an entry and therefore a cost line beyond the duty itself: an entry fee, a broker or carrier handling charge, or both. On small orders these fixed amounts can matter more than the duty rate.

First check the supplier ships to the US at all. Peptides EU, for example, lists EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and does not list the United States [7]; its published shipping rate, from 7.99 euros, covers EU delivery. [8]

The formula, variable by variable

Write the estimate so anyone can rerun it with a new quote. Every variable below is either from your own documents or from an official rate; the duty rate is the one you most need a broker or ruling for.

• G: goods price in euros from the supplier's quote
• H: shipping to your US address in euros, from a written quote naming the carrier and service
• R: exchange rate; the ECB reference rate for USD was 1.1130 on 29 October 2026 [1]
• F: your card's foreign transaction fee as a fraction, from your card agreement (0 if none)
• d: duty rate for the 10-digit HTSUS classification, plus any surcharge in force on the entry date [5]
• M: merchandise processing fee; informal entries pay a fixed fee, formal entries 0.3464 percent within a minimum and maximum, all adjusted each fiscal year [3]
• B: broker, carrier entry or disbursement charges from the carrier's or broker's quote
• Landed cost in USD = (G + H) x R x (1 + F) + (G x R x d) + M + B

Worked example: a 490 euro order by courier

Assume a quote of 450 euros for goods and 40 euros for courier shipping to a US address. The exchange rate is the real ECB reference rate for 29 October 2026, 1.1130. [1] The goods value converts to 500.85 dollars, under the 2,500 dollar limit for informal entry. [2] The other inputs are placeholders to replace with your own: a 3 percent card foreign transaction fee, a 30 dollar carrier entry charge, and duty rates of 0, 5 and 10 percent to show sensitivity, because the right rate depends on classification. The merchandise processing fee uses the 2 dollar base-year amount for an automated informal entry not prepared by CBP; CBP adjusts the base amounts each fiscal year, so use the current figure. [3]

The result: the card statement alone shows 545.37 dollars plus a 16.36 dollar foreign transaction fee, and the delivered cost lands between 593.73 and 643.82 dollars, 8.9 to 18.1 percent above the simple euro conversion. Note that this guide applies duty to the goods value only; whether shipping forms part of the customs value is a valuation question to confirm with your broker.

When the order crosses 2,500 dollars

Informal entry is available for shipments not exceeding 2,500 dollars in value, except that articles valued over 250 dollars and classified in Chapter 99, Subchapters III and IV of the HTSUS are excluded from that limit. [2] CBP's FAQ adds that formal entry is required above 2,500 dollars and for certain goods, such as those under quota or antidumping and countervailing duties. [4]

Formal entry changes the processing fee. The regulation sets an ad valorem fee of 0.3464 percent with a base-year minimum of 25 dollars and maximum of 485 dollars, adjusted annually. [3] Take a 2,800 euro order: 2,800 x 1.1130 = 3,116.40 dollars, and 0.3464 percent of that is 10.80 dollars, below the minimum, so the minimum applies. On orders just over the threshold, the fixed minimum and the broker's formal-entry charge usually outweigh the percentage fee, so ask the broker for a formal-entry quote before deciding whether one larger order or two smaller ones makes sense on your schedule.

Mail versus courier: different rules

If the supplier ships by post rather than courier, different rules apply. CBP's FAQ says mail shipments are exempt from the merchandise processing fee except items sent by Inbound Express Mail service. [4] CBP's June 2026 rule created a postal informal entry process from 24 July 2026 that only the owner or purchaser, or a licensed customs broker they designate, may file; the filer needs a basic importation and entry bond, must send data including all applicable 10-digit HTSUS codes, duty rate and value, and must pay through Pay.gov by the 7th day of the month after arrival. [5]

The same rule requires formal entry for any mail shipment subject to another government agency's requirements, with a compliance date of 22 October 2026 in the rule [5]; CBP's e-commerce page later announced that the compliance date for the new mail informal entry procedures moves to 20 January 2027. [9] It also says separate shipments under 2,500 dollars cannot be combined to require formal entry unless the shipment was split to avoid duty. [5] Do not split an order to stay under a threshold.

Duty rates are moving too. The rule records that the Supreme Court held on 20 February 2026 that IEEPA does not authorise additional tariffs, and that Proclamation 11012 imposed a 10 percent Section 122 surcharge for 150 days. [5] Check which duties and surcharges apply on your actual entry date rather than reusing an old quote.

Questions to settle with the supplier and carrier before ordering

Get these answers in writing and file them with the quote. They are what turn the formula above from a guess into an estimate.

• Do you ship to the United States, by which carrier and service? [7]
• Are the terms DAP (we pay duty and entry costs) or DDP (you do), and what exactly is included?
• What HTSUS code and country of origin will the commercial invoice show? [5]
• Who will file the entry, and what will the carrier or broker charge?
• Will the invoice show the goods value separately from shipping?
• What currency will be charged, and can we pay by a method without a foreign transaction fee?